The Turquoise Horse — Gerald Hausman

The Turquoise Horse is the story of a young Navajo girl, Lisa Todachine, who discovers she is a poet. Her father, a silversmith, teaches her the importance of wisdom and how it is passed down the generations. Lisa comes to realize that the spoken poetry of her people imparts values that can be uniquely shared in this special way. Through the medium of silversmithing her father tells how he learned what was sacred when he was young and wondering about the nature of artistic pursuit. In school Lisa learns that sharing one's experience with others can be a way to learn about oneself. It is personal discovery combined with helping classmates to know who she is. In addition to learning in school, Lisa also begins to trust her unusual, personal and powerful, dream of The Turquoise Horse. When she realizes that the horse dream should be shared in the old way, as story or legend, she allows herself to believe in her ability to tell a story on her own. With the help of a folksinger who is invited into her classroom, Lisa learns that words are like the jewelry her father makes from turquoise and silver. In the end Lisa decides that she will become a poet whose words will be printed in books. Rather than turning away from Navajo tradition she chooses to follow it in her own way using poetry to tell stories.