Class set (20 books)-Toypurina:Our Lady of Sorrows

I am a public high school English teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District (on Tongva land). I teach 11th grade American Literature and Composition and am incorporating literature by the Tongva people, the indigenous people of the land on which my students and I live. Most of my students, including myself, who grew up in Los Angeles had to do the 4th grade mission project and were not taught the truth about the indigenous people of the land, the genocide, rape and abuse of the mission system. To this day, many of my students think that there are no more indigenous people of the land and that during the time of the mission system, the indigenous people lived and worked happily in the missions. My students deserve to learn the truth and it is important that we provide students with literature written by the indigenous people of the land. The truth is necessary, transformative and empowering.

Toypurina: Our Lady of Sorrows is a comic book by Tongva graphic novelist and writer Weshoyot Avitre. It tells the powerful and inspiring story of Toypurina, the Tongva medicine woman, mother and leader of the 1785 revolt against San Gabriel Mission and colonization. The book is a necessary addition to my curriculum. I am raising money to purchase a class set of Toypurina: Our Lady of Sorrows and greatly appreciate a donation in any amount ($5 or $10 or $20....)

Please click on this link to learn more about Toypurina: Our Lady of Sorrows by Weshoyot Avitre
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weshoyot/toypurina-our-lady-of-sorrows/description

Thank you for your support!


- Teresa Chuc