Meet Kaya

Author: Janet Shaw

In my ongoing quest to reread the American Girl series, we have reached Kaya. Maybe it’s just the horse, but I get a Felicity vibe from Kaya. I have this idea that if Felicity and Kaya met, they would be instant friends, talking horses and making friendships bracelets… or trigger happy Ben would shoot poor Kaya…

Anyway, American Girl gave Janet Shaw the opportunity to redeem himself from the cringy depiction of native americans in Kirsten’s series by letting her write Kaya’s. How did that go?

Kaya’s Personality

Kaya is very impulsive. Kaya clearly craves attention, and will grasp at anything to feel accomplished. She loves her horse, but she is desperate to prove themselves as a horsewoman, a runner, and a swimmer. I want to give poor Kaya a hug and tell her she is valuable just as she is and she doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

Kaya’s Family

I am trying to remind myself that this story takes place in a culture and setting that is very different from my own… but I still don’t like Kaya’s parents.

Kaya’s grandmother chastises her “You’re not a little girl any longer. You are growing up.” She’s nine. I know the modern western world often coddles our children too much, but I wouldn’t ask a nine year old to babysit two four-year-olds. It’s just too big an ask in my opinion.

Kaya is the stereotypical forgotten middle child. She fluctuates between responsible and impulsive. She wants to be a daddy’s girl, the opposite of her big sister Brown Deer, but she’s not a carefree wild child like her little brothers. The text wants me to think Kaya’s main problem is pride, but I think Kaya’s main problem is that she wants attention and she’s not getting it.

It seems to me that Kaya is a normal nine year old girl, she doesn’t deserve to be switched or called names just for being a nine year old. I understand the point Whipwoman makes about how with thier way of life the stakes for screw up can be life or death, I just think that, developmentally, it’s too much to expect of a nine year old.

Symbolism of Speaking Rain

I see Speaking Rain as more of the Yin to Kaya’s Yang. She is the part of Kaya that focuses on caring for others, family and loyalty, while hot headed Kaya focuses on defining herself and being seen, Speaking Rain is the part of Kaya that Kaya can’t see… hence the symbolism of her being blind… Or maybe I’ve studied too much Greek Mythology.