By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The gentle hum of conversation filled the Hibulb Cultural Center’s longhouse room on the afternoon of November 1, as community members gathered to celebrate the first day of Native American Heritage Month. At the center of it all was Rose Rae, an Indigenous author of Paiute, Mayan and Japanese heritage. Her newest children’s book, The Sacred Stone Camp, brings the spirit of Standing Rock to life.
Surrounded by cedar walls and the warm glow of soft lighting, Rose captivated the audience with her reading as she retold the historic Water Protector movement through the eyes of a child. Her words flowed like the rivers she spoke of, carrying messages of unity, land stewardship, and intergenerational strength.
“The Sacred Stone Camp is a love letter to our Native youth,” Rose shared. “So many of our children only know that something big happened at Standing Rock, but not what it meant. I wanted to give them a story that shows the beauty, courage, and prayer behind that movement.
To fully appreciate the children’s story book, it helps to remember what the Sacred Stone Camp truly was. In April 2016, members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their allies established the camp along the banks of the Cannonball River in North Dakota. It began as a small prayer camp led by women and elders to protect the Tribe’s water and sacred sites from the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), a massive oil pipeline slated to cross beneath the Missouri River, the Tribe’s main source of drinking water.
What started as a handful of tents and teepees quickly grew into a global movement. Tens of thousands of Native and non-Native allies joined the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, uniting under the cry of “Mni Wiconi” (Lakota for “Water is Life”). The camp became a living symbol of Indigenous sovereignty, environmental protection, and collective prayer. Though law enforcement eventually cleared the encampments, the spirit of the Sacred Stone Camp endures.
“The Sacred Stone Camp is also my way of carrying forward the legacy of LaDonna BraveBull (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe). She opened her land, her home to the Water Protectors at pivotal time during the NO DAPL movement,” explained Rose. “That was just her nature, to give and to open her arms and her doors to everyone. She taught me everything I know about walking in harmony with Mother Earth. After she passed away in 2021, it became really important to me to honor her in this way.”
The forty-page book, illustrated in stunning watercolor by Aly McKnight (Shoshone-Bannock Tribes), follows a young Lakota girl named Wičháȟpi (Lakota for Star), who travels with her family to the camps along the Missouri River. Through her eyes, readers experience teepees rising, traditional songs echoing, and the heart-stirring call of Mni Wiconi(Water is Life). Vividly illustrated with Earth-toned art, The Sacred Stone Camp bridges generations by teaching children that caring for the land and water is both an ancestral duty and a modern necessity.
“Representation like this is so important,” said book reading attendee, Tulalip tribal member Zenitha Jimicum. She’s carved out a career in the local education sector, working for Marysville School District before joining the Tribe’s education division. “Our children need to see themselves reflected in the stories they read. This particular story can also empower the youngest and smallest among us to stand up for what they believe in and to stand up for what is right.”
For those in attendance, like Zenitha, the afternoon’s literary event opening Native American Heritage Month was a reaffirmation of cultural storytelling and shared identity. By the event’s end, the longhouse space was filled with gratitude and inspiration. Rose signed copies of her book for families, offering gentle words of encouragement to readers who shared their dreams of making an impact one day, like the Water Protectors.
Like the empowering messages embedded in her children’s book, the words shared by Rose Rae at Hibulb set the tone for a month dedicated to honoring Native heritage. A month where the connection between people and land continues to be celebrated, one story at a time.
The Sacred Stone Camp. Written by Rae Rose and illustrated by Aly McKight is available for purchase at most major bookstores and online for $18.99.