Lands of our Ancestors Book One - by Gary Robinson

Lands of Our Ancestors is a historical novel that tells the story of a twelve-year-old Chumash boy named Kilik who becomes captive in a California Spanish mission more than 200 years ago.

Through Kilik's eyes, readers experience the devastating impact the missions had on California Native peoples.

This book is perfect for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, and it ends on a hopeful note as a small group of Native children escape their captors and begin a journey to join other Native escapees in a remote mountain village.

With an endorsement from the Director of the Santa Ynez Chumash Culture Department and a member of the California American Indian Education Oversight Committee, this book provides an inside look at colonialism and the drastic changes imposed upon the native peoples of California.

Readers will appreciate the first-hand account of what life among the Chumash may have been like during the Spanish invasion and gain a better understanding of the violence and upheaval caused by the Spaniard's "civilizing" mission.

Don't miss out on this engaging and readable children's historical novel that addresses a difficult and extremely important subject in an accessible and enjoyable way.