Digger: The Tragic Fate of the California Indians From the Missions to the Gold Rush
By Jerry Stanley Published in 1997 128 pages
Sugar cube mission projects and sugar coated mission mythology are standard fare for many schools.
This book provides a welcome antidote in an accessible package. This counter narrative details the forced labor, cultural and physical devastation that were wrought on California Natives during this time period.
Also, the Gold Rush is all too often presented in romantic terms, and even when a more realistic view is entertained, it frequently omits the perspective and experiences of the California Natives. This book helps fill those gaps.
Unfortunately, there is a dearth of books on this subject that are accessible to upper elementary school students. Though this book isn't perfect, it is the best that I have seen thus far. Sections of the book can be used to balance omissions that are found in the typical narrative.
This is a super useful book for the 4th grade California History Unit- not many books take on the perspective of the "Digger" or Indigenous Californian during the Gold Rush in California. I used in when I taught 4/5 for many years.
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