Author Andrea Page SD Book Tour continued…
Yesterday, I blogged about the first part of my SD Book Tour, which you can read about here in case you missed it.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota Author Presentation
On the next stop of my SD Book Tour, I had the wonderful opportunity to do a presentation, sharing what I learned about the Sioux Code Talkers of World War II. Nearly a hundred people showed up, including some friends I didn’t know were going to be there. What a wonderful surprise! Thanks to the hard work of Betsy Rice and Jane Healy…the “secret” was out in the Sioux Falls community and the SiouxLand Libraries room was filled with an eager audience.
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To prepare for the hour long presentation, I made a 45 item slide show. (45 minutes + extra for Q&A) At first I thought I overdid it and I wouldn’t get through all the slides. However, I watched the clock on the side of the room and thought I was pacing myself...only to find out I was more than half way done and 30 minutes had barely passed. Oh no! I was started to panic in my mind, so I slowed the pace just a tiny bit and the timing was actually perfect. We ended with about 10 minutes of Q&A.
And, what great questions people in the audience had! (I didn’t remember to write them down so I could share some) I couldn’t answer all of them, because the opinion-based answers could only have come from the soldiers themselves. Some questions had to do with more military information, which I also did not have the answers. I tried my best to recall as many facts to answer the best way possible. I’m proud of all Native American Code Talkers and all of the men in the 302nd Reconnaissance Troop.
One of the best things about researching and presenting is meeting and connecting with new people. After the presentation, we had a book signing. I met many new friends that evening, including artist Jerry Fogg, sculptor Darwin Wolf, History Buff Mike Riter, author/historian Robert Kolbe, and Augustana University Professor Dr. Joseph Dondelinger. I know there are many more wonderful people I met with that evening. Thank you all for coming!
Surprise Guests
While I was signing books, my Code Talker relatives stayed to show their (tribe’s) medal. Two sons of code talker Walter John, Michael and Walter, Jr., arrived to the evening’s event. I didn’t know they were coming- what a wonderful surprise! I hadn’t seen them since the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in 2013! They are so proud of their father‘s contributions to our country, serving as a code talker in the 302nd, and were happy to share their stories while showing off the actual medal. In addition, my mentor and great friend, Commander Don Loudner also made the trip! It was such a great honor to have all of them be part of this event.
One last interview occurred right after the presentation. I’m sorry, in the flurry of the excitement, I forgot to write down the name and station of the interviewer. If someone has that information or a link, please contact me so I can update this post.
All in all, we left Sioux Falls with on such a high note. The people were warm and welcoming and the event went so smoothly. I am grateful to all who participated and joined me for a wonderful evening! It was such a pleasure and a blessing to be in Sioux Falls, SD.
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Join me for the next stop on my book tour in SD… Author Andrea Page SD Book Tour continued in the next post.
[P.S. I’ll get back to my school posts after I finish with the book tour posts. Sorry for the mix up- I didn’t forget…]
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SIOUX CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II
by Andrea M. Page (Pelican Publishing Company 2017)
Order on your copy now!
Pelican’s website click here.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Liftbridge Bookstore
Books A Million
Powell’s
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Read the Kirkus Review here.
School Library Journal Review
03/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—This well-documented title vividly brings to life the story of John Bear King and other Sioux code talkers during World War II. What makes this nonfiction text unique is the painstaking detail the author, the great-niece of King, took to research actual coded messages in military archives and transcribe them into the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota languages….The book is engaging from start to finish, with a well-written text that is enhanced by period photographs and reproductions of significant documents. VERDICT A valuable work for teens studying code talkers and American Indian contributions to the U.S. victory in the Pacific theater.—Naomi Caldwell, Alabama State University, Montgomery
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