Linda Meanus grew up at Celilo Falls in the years before the Dalles Dam was built and was very close with her grandparents, tribal leaders Flora and Tommy Thompson. Now a respected elder and leader herself, she regularly visits elementary school classrooms and tells students stories about her life, Indigenous culture, and the history of Celilo. Students at these classroom visits often want to spend more time with Linda and learn more about her life, and so Linda developed her own children’s book. My Name is LaMoosh tells her personal and family history, from her childhood at Celilo to boarding school in Oklahoma to current efforts at language revitalization. LaMoosh is Linda’s traditional name, a name she shared with her grandmother Flora.

Written from an insider’s perspective, My Name is LaMoosh will educate young readers on contemporary Native life in Oregon in an accessible, enjoyable way. Linda’s stories are accompanied by family and historic photos and fact boxes to give readers, along with their parents and teachers, additional context.