But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe

shockingly

Drawing on a decade of Native writing on restorative justice and on community-based

Erdrich's writing about the bonds of marriage and family is one of the greatest strengths of her fiction

stories are vessels of knowledge

First Laugh: Welcome, Baby! queer studies But can a girl reallyIn Navajo families, the first person to make a new baby laugh hosts the child's First Laugh Ceremony. Who will earn the honor in this story? The First Laugh Ceremony is a celebration held to welcome a new member of the community. As everyonefrom Baby's nima (mom) to nadi (big sister) to cheii (grandfather)tries to elicit the joyous sound from Baby, readers are introduced to details about Navajo life and the Navajo names for family members. Back matter