Native Trailblazers

The surah opens with the Bismillah and five Arabic letters: Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad. The remaining 97 ayat can be divided into three primary sections. The first section, verses 2-40, consists of the narrative of the prophet Zachariah and the birth of his son John, the story of Mary and the birth of her son Jesus, and a commentary on Jesus's true identity which rejects the Christian claim that he is God's son. The second section, verses 41-65, tells of Abraham's departure from his family's idolatrous ways and then references many other prophets. The text discusses the various responses of those who heard their prophecy and the fates those hearers met, throughout these descriptions, the oneness of God is emphasized. The third section, verses 66-98, confirms the reality of resurrection and offers depictions of the Day of Judgment alongside depictions of this life. In its original Arabic, the text of sura 19 progresses through a series of varying rhyme structures that correspond to the content being discussed. Throughout the initial narration of the stories of Zachariah and John, Mary and Jesus, and other prophets, verses rhyme based on the syllable 'ya'. When the text moves on to a commentary on the true identity of Jesus, words rhyme due to a long 'ee' or 'oo' preceding a nasal 'm' or 'n', which is considered to give an air of settledness or finality to the subjects being discussed. The first rhyme scheme is then resumed during further accounts of earlier prophets and changes to a rhyme based on a medium 'a' following a voiced 'd' when the Sura discusses punishments for those who reject truth and the prophets. The strength of this vocalization is exchanged for the stronger still double 'd' sound when denouncing unbelievers for their criticism. Maryam is a common adjective connoting blessing and perhaps the verb "[God] exalts her". Surah Maryam closely corresponds to Luke's gospel chapter 1 in the Christian bible.

The revised edition adds two new and exciting young basketball players to the roster of outstanding Native athletes already included in the book. Shoni Schimmel, a tribal member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon, has earned the nicknames "The Umatilla Thrilla" and "Showtime" in the world of women's basketball. To people in Indian Country, Shoni is an absolute hero. Kenny Dobbs, aka "The Dunk Inventor," is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and has toured the globe with the National Basketball Association as a celebrity dunker for sold-out shows. The biographies of all thirteen athletes describe the hard work, determination and education it took to accomplish their dreams and become the champions they are.