Waa'aka'

Author Cindi Alvitre is descendant from the Tongva, the original inhabitants of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and the four Southern Channel Islands, and served as the first woman chair of the Gabrieleno/Tongva Tribal Council
The island on which the story take place, Pimu, is also known as Catalina Island, off the Southern California coast
Waa'aka', or the Black-crowned Night-Heron, was named the official bird of Oakland, CA, in 2019
A migratory bird, Waa'aka' (Black-crowned Night-Heron) are found in marshes and wetlands throughout most the US
Lexile Range: 410L - 600L
Author Cindi Alvitre currently teaches American Indian Studies at California State University, Long Beach and lives in Costa Mesa, California
Artist Carly Lake lives in Covina, California, in the San Gabriel Valley