After for searching for quite a while, I finally got my hands on a copy of this book. I have to say, it was worth the wait. The art was phenomenal, the poetry was heartfelt, and you could really feel the emotion through every page of this book. It was interesting to read about all of their different experiences, from the residential schools to the serial killers and abuse and such. I wish more people took the time to look into Native American history and lives, because it truly opens your eyes to more than you'd think.

Got my hands on a physical copy and realized this layout is to be consumed best in that format. This is a read that should be mandatory for anyone who reads at or above the 8th grade level. Was pleased not only with the level of knowledge gained but also by the captivating observations shared within that I find myself dwelling on days after reading it.

A wonderful poetic nonfiction novel written from Indigenious women. So many great poems, photos, and alot of inspiration for young Native girls. To see life from other women who are tired of being stereotyped and placed into a small box, is fascinating and there's so much to learn from these women and this book.

Indigenous authors own their heritage and celebrate it in through poetry in this beautiful collection of poems.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Just as they did with Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices, Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale have once again created an anthology of Native American voices from Canada and the United States. This time, however, it is devoted to the voices of indigenous women only. For Charleyboy, this work is "a love letter to all young indigenous women trying to find their way, but also to help dispel those stereotypes so we can collectively move forward to a brighter future for all."

#NotYourPrincess is divided into four sections, all of which contain a collection of poems, prose, art, and photographs by women and teens detailing some of the issues that have impacted their past, present and future as Native women.

In the first section, "The Ties That Bind," is about the ties to the past, recognizing a heritage and identity marred by the trauma and humiliations of the residence schools where Native children were taught to feel shame about who they are, and forced to assimilate to white society, or the shame felt at having everything taken by the government and wearing blankets in an attempt to protect themselves and to hide their shame. But, as Lianne Charlie (Tagé Cho Hudän) shows in her picture montage, #LittleSalmonWoman, Native women are their past but they are their present, too and it's in the present that things can change, accented by the last two entries of this section, In Her Words by Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) and Jen VanStrander (Western Band of Cherokee).

The next section, "It Could Have Been Me," looks at the way victimization of indigenous women has always been perpetuated on Native women and those who now refuse to accept being victims and fight back. Even as young Native women are disappearing, are hurt and abused, actress Imalyn Cardinal (Cree/Dene) states flatly "I Don't Want to Be Afraid." And in "The Things We Taught Our Daughters," Helen Knott (DaneZaa/Cree) tackles domestic and sexual abuse and the way keeping silent was taught from generation to generation, and that now, it is time to speak up, to not accept this kind of treatment. As if in answer to Knott's is a poem by Patty Stonefish (Lakota) called "It Could Have Been Me" that ends with the word "I will not believe I am weak-/ I know I am indomitable./ I have the privilege of another day." I think this poem really shows the strength and the determination of young Native women refusing to be the victim anymore.

The third section, "I Am Not Your Princess," considers cultural appropriation in We Are Not a Costume by Jessica Deer (Mohawk) and the kind of erasure that happens when an indigenous person doesn't fit peoples preconceived ideas of what a Native person should look like, as in A Conversation with a Massage Therapist by Francine Cunningham (Cree/Métis), or the refusal to be stereotyped in Stereotype This by Melanie Fey (Diné), and What's There to Take Back? by Tiffany Midge (Hunkpapa Lakota) in response to a call for submissions about recreating Tiger Lily into "a real image of Indigenous womanhood."

Section four, "Pathfinders," looks at Native women who are forging a different, more positive present and future for themselves and their children. In the poem When I Have a Daughter, Ntawnis Piapot (Piapoy Cree Nation), tells her future daughter "Don't wait. Don't whine. Don't pine./ Go for it. Work for it. Earn it" even if it means being shunned and ostracized, have the courage to stand up and fight for justice. Which is exactly what 13-year-old Annalee Rain Yellowhammer (Hunkapapa, Standing Rock Sioux) did when she signed on to try and stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. In Defender of Mother Earth, this young activist writes "We demand 'rezpect' for out water, our land, and our voices. This is followed by photographs of successful Native athletes in Living Their Dreams. There are other successful women contributing to this section, but they point out that being a pathfinder isn't without obstacles and difficulties that must be overcome simply because they are Indigenous women. But these women have forge a path that celebrates their identity as strong, independent Native women following their dreams, leading the way for future generations.

#NotYourPrincess is not necessarily an easy book to read, but certainly one that should be read by Native and non-Native people, male and female. Native girls and women reading it will find a celebration of the multiple identities of their womanhood, of "taking control of how they and their traditions are seen" and of shattering stereotypes. It is impossible not to be affected by these contributions of different women, but it is also not an easy book to review. There is so much in the short one and two page offerings of women expressing themselves so freely, that just talking about it doesn't do justice to what is contained between the covers. My advice: Read #NotYourPrincess

Pair this with Dreaming in Indian for a more well-rounded though far from complete look at what it means to be Native in today's world.

This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

This is a very powerful collection of stories from Native American Women.

These stories were in multiple different forms. There are poems, short stories, essays, as well as paintings, photographs, and drawings. One of the stories was in the form of a comic, and another looked like pages torn from a notebook. Each of them were different and used a different format.

There were a few pieces on the residential schools in Canada. For those that don’t know, the residential schools separated Native children from their parents, and raised them to be “white.” They removed their Indigenous culture from them, and refused to let them practice it. The women who wrote these stories are the children of the kids who were sent to residential schools. Though they didn’t witness it first hand, they have seen the pain that their parents still feel from their time spent there.

There was also an essay about how racist and harmful a Pocahontas costume is for Halloween. It represents more than just a character, even if the wearer means no harm. It is a costume but it represents a real person, who cannot take it off at the end of the night. People also think that Indigenous women need to look a certain way. There were a couple of pieces on not looking Indigenous enough, as if you can’t identify as a Native Woman if you have the wrong colour hair or skin. I find it crazy that people can think that, because they wouldn’t say that other cultures. For some reason people judge Indigenous people by what percentage of Native heritage they have in their genes,

I loved this collection of Native American Women’s voices.

A powerful book. Important for the representation it provides and the authenticity of the voice. I will definitely be recommending for high school classrooms/libraries!

This book was everything I thought it would be and then some. It's not just a novel, but a very clear cry from indigenous women that they are still very much present in modern America. From poets, to doctors, activists, to even sports players; indigenous women are far from the timid Disney princess that patriarchal America try to claim. These women, no, these survivors in every sense of the word, have learned not only how to cope with generational genocide and other issues, but they have also learned how to heal, fight back and make their voices heard. This collection of resistance, mixes prose and poetry, and even biographical data of some indigenous survivors. I will definitely be adding this to my permanent collection, and I am looking forward to more works from these women.

I absolutely loved this - the art and text were beautiful and inspiring. I am planning on using this for a listicle soon, but I need a few more books to add before I'm able to put it up. When I do, it'll be on my Wordpress blog.

This is truly a gorgeous collection of poetry, journal art, stories, and quotes from Native American women. There is much pain, and anger in the past and present for Native Americans as a whole entity - and even more so for Native American women. This book is a way for them to get some of that power back.

Through their words, art, and history, these women are collecting what has been taken away from them. The imagery and the art shared with us in #NotYourPrincess is evidence of women refusing the cookie-cutter shape of the Pocahontas-tribal-princess trope in exchange of showing the reader who they really are. They are women who hurt, love, and are angry. There is much power in this book, and I encourage all people to read and appreciate the work and heart that went into its collection.

Loved this book and has shared my love on 8nstagram, will also be using it in my classroom

Powerful and necessary. It's refreshing to see such a wide collection of writing by Native women.

An excellent (although a bit of a thrown together) collection of art, poetry and testimonials from Native American Women.

Other than the hasty style of formatting and the # in the title, I loved this book. I felt that having # in the title indicated that the subject was something 'trendy' and one that the importance of would have an expiration date. Which it is not, and does not.

The content outweighs the packaging. Heartbreaking, inspiring, honest, and beautiful.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
This was a very interesting anthology, combining interviews, comics, poetry and photographs to create a beautiful tableau of the hardships and triumphs of Indigenous women. The pieces were very relevant to current events, with several mentions to social media.This is only the second book I have read in my lifetime that accurately depicts this culture, and that is very sad. I feel that as we strive for diverse literature, there will hopefully be more works depicting Indigenous women in the future. I praise the editors and authors immensely for putting this out into the world, and I hope the world answers back asking for more.

I'm not sure who this book is supposed to be for: there are some pieces that are more about generic ethnicity or feminist themes, but other pieces seemed like they were for an insider audience. As a reader not from that culture, they didn't make sense, weren't clear, or didn't explain enough. Perhaps the book is intended primarily for Native readers.

I found the stories and pictures in this book to be extremely relatable. The plight of Native Americans is very well illustrated. This book will be one I recommend for anyone looking for insight into the poor conditions on reservations and the lack of social support for Native Americans both inside of and outside of their reservations. I will definitely be looking into Lisa's other works.

#NotYourPrincess is a powerful collection of essays, poems and interviews by Indigenous women across North America that explores experiences of being a Native woman. It's incredibly eye-opening and teaches a lot of personal and communal experiences as well as history not often taught. It's a tough read because it does not shy away from recounting the true horrors of their past. Not only does it recount their honest past, this is also a call to action and inspires that change is needed. This title gave voice to the invisible and voiceless women, and it's important that this book gives them a platform to do so. I just hope it gains traction so that change can happen.

This was a novel of inspiring stories that native American women face. But in actuality, a lot of women can relate to this story. This book carries stories that transcend race when it comes to women. There are powerful stories of abuse and pain throughout. I would recommend this book to any female who needs to be uplifted. I believe its a great book to help young men see what women face in this world and how we have to be careful doing anything. It is a book that will remain with me for years to come and I seriously would recommend it to anyone

Gorgeous collection of stories, art, and poetry that present the vast plethora of experiences of Native women. Eye-opening.