Tlingit & Haida Book Drop—NDN Girls Book Club is coming to Southeast Alaska this Spring!
NDN Girls Book Club, Tlingit & Haida Join Forces
to Deliver Thousands of Books by Indigenous Authors to Families in Southeast Alaska
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Juneau, Alaska (March 10th, 2025) - NDN Girls Book Club and Tlingit & Haida are teaming up to ignite a passion for reading, celebrate Indigenous authors, and inspire the next generation of Indigenous writers and poets. The kick-off event will take place in Juneau, Alaska on May 15th and the team will journey by land, sea, and air to distribute books May 15th-24th. (Full tour details below.)
Image from 2024 Book Drop on the Navajo Nation.
The mission? To deliver thousands of books to Tlingit & Haida villages and families in less than 10 days, with plans to expand this outreach year after year. Beyond spreading the magic of Indigenous storytelling, they're also sharing a range of free goodies at each event to uplift the community.
“We are thrilled to team up with Tlingit & Haida’s team to make this book tour a vibrant celebration of Indigenous writing, literature, and poetry,” says Kinsale Drake, Executive Director of NDN Girls Book Club, a 501c3 literary organization that hosts free community workshops for Native youth, sends out free Native books, and uplifts Indigenous literatures.
Tlingit & Haida is working in partnership with the communities of Angoon, Yakutat, Klukwan, and Hydaburg through the Full Service Community Schools Project led by the Alaska Association of School Boards. These rural village communities already host strong reading programs and initiatives in their schools, and this collaboration will help expand those efforts through a region-wide initiative for innovative, sustainable, and intergenerational programming.
“Last year we were able to successfully distribute more than 10,000 free books to the Navajo and Hopi Nations on an epic journey throughout the Southwest in a big pink truck supported by our partner organizations, and we successfully garnered support across Indian Country. This year, we’re excited to bring our efforts up to Southeast Alaska in partnership with Tlingit & Haida to distribute literary materials to more remote village schools & communities while promoting the importance of Indigenous literature and education access. We are so grateful to our friends in Tlingit & Haida whose passion for this project has truly shone throughout this process. This would not be possible without them.”
“Across the nation, Indigenous authors are publishing powerful and diverse stories, and we are honored to be partnering with NDN Girls Book Club, who has a track record of success in amplifying these voices and ensuring that Indigenous youth see themselves, their families, and the strength of all Indigenous cultures and communities in the books they read,” says Tristan Douville, Special Projects Manager at Tlingit & Haida.
“This effort also aligns with the statewide commitment to early literacy under the Alaska Reads Act. While policy measures help lay the foundation for reading proficiency, our work with our communities and NDN Girls Book Club ensures that Indigenous families, students, and communities are also supported in developing a lifelong love for reading,” says Douville.
TOUR SCHEDULE
May 15th: Juneau, Alaska
May 18th: Angoon, Alaska
May 20th: Yakutat, Alaska
May 22nd: Klukwan, Alaska
May 24th: Hydaburg, Alaska
In addition to hosting events at the villages and schools listed on the schedule above, the tour will garner support through various events in Juneau meant to bring the local community together. This includes the tour’s kickoff event on May 15 in Juneau, AK.
“We hope to inspire a greater love for reading among Tlingit & Haida youth, uplift literary gathering spots, and help families in these villages build home libraries, filled with beautiful books written by contemporary Indigenous authors,” added Drake. “Our team, along with Tlingit & Haida, is excited to make history and inspire communities through our second-ever Book Drop.”
About NDN Girls Book Club
NDN Girls Book Club aims to make access to quality Indigenous literature a reality for all ages by sending out free books and literary care packages, hosting pop-up community events, and supporting Indigenous booksellers. Last year, alongside 4Kinship and Cellular One, NDN Girls Book Club successfully fundraised, collected donations, and distributed more than 10,000 books at six different tour stops across the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
For more information about NDN Girls Book Club or to make a donation please visit: www.ndngirlsbookclub.org.
About Tlingit & Haida (Partner):
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) is a tribal government representing over 37,000 Tlingit and Haida Indians worldwide.
Tlingit & Haida is dedicated to sovereignty in education, fostering place-based, culturally grounded learning opportunities that center tribal values and traditions. To empower future generations, the Tribe offers a wide range of education and youth programs, including early childhood education, language revitalization, academic support, and leadership development. These initiatives ensure that Indigenous youth have access to the resources, knowledge, and opportunities they need to thrive while strengthening their connection to culture, community, and self-determination.
Media Contact:
Dixie Hutchinson, Tlingit & Haida Communications Director:
communications@tlingitandhaida.gov
1(907) 463-7372
