Calling for a Blanket Dance

By: Oscar Hokeah

Narrated by: Oscar Hokeah, Rainy Fields

A moving and deeply engaging novel about a young Native American man as he learns to find strength in his familial identity.

Told in a series of voices, Calling for a Blanket Dance takes us into the life of Ever Geimausaddle through the multigenerational perspectives of his family as they face myriad obstacles. His father’s injury at the hands of corrupt police, his mother's struggle to hold on to her job and care for her husband, the constant resettlement of the family, and the legacy of centuries of injustice all intensify Ever’s bottled-up rage. Meanwhile, all of Ever’s relatives have ideas about who he is and who he should be. His Cherokee grandmother urges the family to move across Oklahoma to find security; his grandfather hopes to reunite him with his heritage through traditional gourd dances; his Kiowa cousin reminds him that he’s connected to an ancestral past. And once an adult, Ever must take the strength given to him by his relatives to save not only himself but also the next generation of family.

How will this young man visualize a place for himself when the world hasn’t given him a place to start with? Honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, Calling for a Blanket Dance is the story of how Ever Geimausaddle found his way to home.

Wow

The story telling of this book is so unique. I loved hearing the story from the perspective of different family members.

Hau dae ohn dae!

A'ho day baht haw from one Kiowa to another. Appreciate and love the language usage and have recommended to other family members! beautiful book

We are All Related

I loved this book, it is a very true account of many. It is told in a manner using generational perspectives- very well done. I would highly recommend this book and will share it’s power.

More than five stars

“Our forever home keeps us on tack. “
I’m so thankful for this book. It is a story of family, and survival woven together with the traditions of First Nations people. I love that this writer has included the intertribal marriages of our people that are true of all people. We are one Nation of many people.

One of my top 5 favorite books

I’m enrolled in the EBCI and it was so nice to hear my language in a book. My favorite part was about the booger mask. I also grew up rugged and in foster homes, this book was so beautiful and I resonated with this in so many ways. This book wasn’t corny or trying too hard like some indigenous writings come off, I really I appreciate that. I loved the narrators way of reading too. This book was beautiful.