The One Book Project is a countywide reading and discussion project that fosters empathy, promotes awareness, and strengthens the fabric of our community by exploring the themes in this year’s One Book selection, Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa.
About the Fall 2025 Primary Title
Whiskey Tender
by Deborah Jackson Taffa
coming-of-age on and off the reservation, and of the frictions between mainstream
American culture and Native inheritance; assimilation and reverence for tradition.
for Excellence in Nonfiction longlisted title. A winner of the Southwest Book Award
and named one of 2024’s Top 10 books by The Atlantic, Audible, and
Time Magazine. Whiskey Tender was also included on best and notable
lists at The New Yorker, Elle, Esquire, NPR,
The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, and Publisher’s Weekly.
Its debut was an Amazon Editor’s Best Choice Book for the year.
her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Prior to her job
at IAIA, she taught Creative Nonfiction at Webster University and Washington University
in Saint Louis. She also served as an Executive Board Member with the Missouri Humanities
Council where she was instrumental in creating a Native American Heritage Program in the
state. With awards and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America,
MacDowell, Hedgebrook, the Ellen Meloy Foundation, Tin House, A Public Space, the Kranzberg
Arts, and the NY Summer Writers Institute, Deborah is currently working on her second
story collection.
Companion Titles
FOR ALL GENRES & AGES
Whiskey Tender & One Book companion titles are available for checkout in print, eBook, eAudiobook, & book on CD from the Kern County Library.
The Seed Keeper
Warrior Girl Unearthed Teen Graphic Novel
Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collections 
EaglesDrums
Remember
Buffalo FluffaloOur Partners
The One Book Project is presented by Kern County Library and California State University, Bakersfield, Office of the Provost.
A special thanks to our community partners for participating in our One Book Project effort.
Arts Council of Kern
Common Ground
Bakersfield College
Native American Student
Support & Success Program
Bakersfield American Indian Health Project
California State University of Bakersfield
Department of English
Indigenous Faculty & Staff Association
Kegley Institute of Ethics
Office of the Provost
Sigma Tau Delta
Walter W. Stiern Library
Kern Council Teachers of English
Kern High School District
Kern Learn
Kern River Yokuts Tribe
Native & Indigenous Coalition
North of the River Recreation & Parks District
Tejon Indian Tribe
Sign up for the One Book Project Reading Challenge through Beanstack.
Record reading sessions and manage family accounts to earn digital badges and prizes!
The challenge starts October 1, 2025 and ends November 30, 2025.
One Book Premiere Events
One Book Project Kickoff Event
Wednesday, October 1 | 11am-1pm
Levan Center, Bakersfield College Campus
Hosted by: Bakersfield College, Native American Student Support Services program (NASSSP), The First Renegades Student Organization
Kickoff Event Agenda:
11:00 Opening Blessing & Welcome – Two-Crows BAIHP Singers/Drum. Elder opening, Land Acknowledgment by NASSSP Student– Welcome Remarks by NASSSP Lead, Lynne Kemmer – Kern County One Book Project Coordinator, Wendy Cordova – BC Office of Student Life.
| 11:20 | Keynote Reading & Reflection Circle – |
Read-aloud passage from Whiskey Tender – Student voices from NASSSP respond with personal reflections on the theme of memory, identity, and intergenerational stories. | |
11:30 | Cultural Expression Tables & Activities |
Student Art Installation: Visuals from Native students responding to the book’s themes. “What’s Your Story?” Wall: Interactive wall for attendees to write a 3-sentence memoir. Craft Station: We have supplies based on staff and students who participate. | |
12:00 | Drum Group and Lunch – Two-Crows BAIHP Singers/Drum |
12:30 | Community Resource Fair & Author Spotlight Booth – KCL One Book Project along with Info tables from: CSUB English Dept, NASSSP, Native American Club, BC Programs, BAIHP, Tejon Tribe, Kern Learn, and Tribal orgs – OVCDC, Tubatulabal Tribe, Chalon Tribe. |
1:00 | Closing Remarks & Refreshments – Encourage continued participation in One Book Project |
NOR Film Screening of History and Resilience
Wednesday, October 1 | 1pm
Rasmussen Senior Center, North of the River Recreation and Parks District
115 E. Roberts Lane, Bakersfield, CA
661.868.0701
This historical Western film tells the story of the conflict between Indigenous people of the American Southwest and the expansion of settlers and the U.S. military during the late 19th century. It explores themes of cultural survival, resistance, and the struggle to maintain traditions in the face of overwhelming change. The narrative follows the clash between two very different worlds, portraying the hardships, resilience, and moral complexities faced by both sides during this turbulent period in history.
History of the Tejon Tribe
w/Octavio Escobedo III, Chairman of Tejon Indian Tribe
Saturday, October 4 | 11am
Beale Memorial Library Auditorium, 701 Truxtun Avenue. 661.868.0701
Partnered with: Tejon Indian Tribe
Chairman Octavio Escobedo, III of the Tejon Indian Tribe will present on the tribe’s historical background, cultural significance, and impact in Kern County and California. He will also discuss their current endeavors as it relates to economic development, education, housing and healthcare along with a brief update on the tribe’s project, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon.
For further information on the tribe please visit, www.tejonindiantribe.com
4941 David Rd PO Box 640.
Bakersfield, CA 93307.
PH: 661-834-8566.
ABOUT THE GUEST SPEAKER
Octavio’s involvement in Tribal Government began in 2013. He has served as an Executive Committee member-at-large, Vice Chairman, and is now in his ninth year as Chairman of the Tejon Indian Tribe. During this time, he has developed a deep understanding of the challenges that Indian Country faces daily and has been instrumental in moving the Tribe forward to economic development and social initiatives. Octavio’s vision along with the perseverance of the Tejon Tribe has forged an exciting partnership with Hard Rock International. Come join is to learn more about the tribe, its history, and its future.
Kegley Institute’s KIE Campus Conversation presents:
From Policy to Practice: The Impact of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) at CSUB and Across CSUs
Thursday, October 9 | 12:00–1:30pm
Walter W. Stiern Library, Dezember Reading Room, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311
ZOOM and IN-PERSON.
Zoom Link: https://csub.zoom.us/j/85838273482
Part of the Kegley Institute of Ethics’ Community Conversations series, this panel discussion will bring together voices from across the CSU system and within CSUB to reflect on the impact and implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Topics under discussion will include ongoing efforts to implement this important legislation as well as future directions for action in our wider communities and within CSUB. Free and open to the public.
Author Meet & Greet w/Deborah Jackson Taffa
Thursday, October 21 | 7pm
Icardo Center, CSUB, 9001 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93311. 661.654.3172
(Free parking in Lot I after 6pm)
Don’t miss the chance to meet the author in person at the exclusive book signing event! Grab your copy, get it signed, and enjoy a unique opportunity to connect. Join us be part of this special moment!
CSUB One Book Project web page.
Partners: CSUB – Office of the Provost, English Department, Walter Stiern Library, General Education Program, Kegley Institute of Ethics, and Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. Additionally, Kern Council Teachers of English, and Kern High School District’s Kern Learn
Saturday, October 25 |11am–2pm Beale Memorial Library Auditorium Join us from 11 am to 2 pm and experience the work of a wide variety of native artisans, as well as tribal representatives from many cultural and service organizations in Kern County! Meet Artist Lori Myers, teacher of the Tlingit Indian from Sitka, Alaska and a jewelry and bead artist and many more! At Noon, Guest Speaker, Gene Albitre, whose tribal affiliation is Diegueno, will present on the significant role animals played in the survival of Native American culture. He will share his rawhide, leather tooling materials, and handmade drums and demonstrate how he creates the items. His emphasis on the importance of preserving the legacy of Native American peoples and educating others on the history and significance of Native American culture in modern times. About Our Arts Council of Kern Partner, Common Ground The “Common Ground” Initiative allows the Arts Council of Kern to connect the community with Indigenous roots and arts. Common Ground artists visit local museums, schools, pow wows, community events, festivals, and county libraries throughout Kern County. They share their stories and show their art forms, as well as demonstrate and teach their cultural skills.Native Cultural Showcase with the Arts Council of Kern’s Common Ground
701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA
661.868.0701
Kern River Yokuts Women w/Dee Dominguez
Saturday, November 15 | 11am
Beale Memorial Library Auditorium
701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA
661.868.0701
Women from four Kern River Yokuts Tribes who were master basket weavers stood up and strong to submit legal court depositions seeking the return of part of their ancestral lands where their families could live safely and call home including a brother-in-law who was said to have submitted the strongest deposition. Two of them had relatives who were signers of Treaty D which encompassed the Kern River from the East side of the valley to the west end of the valley establishing their reservation. They also provided lifelong documentation of where villages stood, and described our food supply, relationships with neighboring Tribes, and cultural activities.
Dee Dominguez BIOGRAPHY
Delia ‘Dee’ Dominguez is a member of the Yowlumne Yokuts, Ventureno Chumash, and Kitanemuk
Dee is a traditional basketweaver, traditional and contemporary storyteller, tribal history researcher, family genealogist, current and past board member of the California Indian Basketweavers Association. She currently works supporting environmental issues like Bring Back the Kern, human rights groups like United Liberation Front, Dolores Huerta Foundation, United Farm Workers Union-Cesar Chavez. She has also received training from the National Lawyers Guild as a Legal Observer to assist in protecting rights to legally protest, and organized classes for ‘Know Your Rights’ with the National Lawyers Guild. Currently, she is concentrating on Kern River Yokuts history and feels fortunate to do public educational presentations at the Kern River Parkway Foundation’s Hart Park Peacock Adobe.
Dee was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, and continues to live in the Eastside in the same house her grandparents lived in. She also has a home in the Los Angeles area in the town of Covina. Her adult working life was in the Los Angeles area where she retired after almost 37 years working with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Treasury.
Bridging Traditional Healing & Modern Medicine Panel Discussion
Saturday, November 22 | 11am–1pm
Beale Memorial Library
701 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301
661.868.0701
Join us for an educational panel discussion exploring how cultural wisdom and modern healthcare can work together to support well-being in all aspects of your life: Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, Mental. This event features insights from a clinical psychologist, a cultural coordinator, and a registered dietician, each bringing unique perspectives on integrated care. Panelists will discuss the value of traditional healing practices and how they can complement evidence-based medical approaches. Attendees will gain practical strategies for fostering culturally respectful and collaborative healthcare environments.
PANELISTS INCLUDE:
Dr. Carson Chambers, Ph.D. – Director of Behavioral Health, Bakersfield American Indian Health Project
Clinical psychologist with nearly a decade of experience serving tribal communities. Formerly worked with the Tule River Tribe before joining BAIHP. Committed to culturally rooted mental health care in Indian Country.
Dr. Carson Chambers is a Clinical Psychologist at BAIHP with nearly a decade’s experience of working with tribal communities. He formerly worked with the Tule River Tribe before joining BAIHP, catering his focus from Native Americans from the reservations to those living in urban settings. He is committed to culturally rooted mental health care in Indian Country.
Juan “Jesse” Behill – Cultural Coordinator, Bakersfield American Indian Health Project
A member of the Chalon and Chumash and based in Kern County, Juna leads Talking Circles and Wellbriety support programs, as well as shares traditional songs, stories, and prayer. Dedicated to preserving and passing on Native cultural practices.
Jesse Behill is the Cultural Coordinator at BAIHP and proud member of the Chalon and Chumash tribes of California. At BAIHP, he leads some Talking Circles and Wellbriety support programs which give participants moments of reflection and collectively shared wisdom. Jesse is also a keeper of various traditional songs, stories, and prayers. He’s dedicated to preserving and passing on Native cultural practices.
Cheryl M. Garone, MS, RDN, CCS, CLE, DPPLC – Registered Dietitian, Bakersfield American Indian Health Project
Registered Dietitian with 25 years of experience in clinical and outpatient nutrition care. Teaches Faculty, Family and Consumer Education Bakersfield College. Believes in food as medicine and empowering wellness through nutrition.
Cheryl is a Registered Dietician with BAIHP with over 25 years’ experience with clinical and outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy. She teaches at Bakersfield College and California State University, Bakersfield. Cheryl believes in food as medicine and empowering wellness through nutrition. She’s a firm believer in the phrase, “We are what we eat.”
Partners
- Bakersfield American Indian Health Project (BAIHP)
Journey To Progress:
The Fall 2025 One Book Project Art Exhibit
October 15 to November 15
Walter Stiern Library, 2nd Floor, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311
CSUB’s Third Annual One Book Project Art Exhibit will feature works that illustrate the artists’ unique and personal journeys to progress. All members of the CSUB community participate, and their work will be on display at the Walter Stiern Library, 2nd Floor, from October 15 to November 15, 2025. Free and Open to the Public!
Native Literary Mentorship Program
October – November
Kern County Library, CSU Bakersfield and Bakersfield College are excited to launch the first Native Literary Mentorship Program in conjunction with the 2025 One Book Project.
Currently enrolled CSUB and BC student writers, poets, graphic novelists, and illustrators with a tribal affiliation are encouraged to apply to be paired with a published Native American author for a 1-hour one-on-one Zoom session scheduled in November to receive personal feedback on your creative work and discuss your publishing goals. Additionally, ALL applicants will be invited to the initial 1-hour Introductory Q&A Zoom session with EACH founding member!
Interested students must submit an application form by clicking the NATIVE LITERARY MENTORSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Partners: CSUB-Walter Stiern Library, Indigenous Faculty and Staff Association
Native & Indigenous Student Coalition, and Bakersfield College-Renegades (Student Government Association), and Native American Student Success Program (NASSSP).
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
October 10: Deadline for students to submit applications.
October 17: Decision committee meets on Zoom or Teams to select students and form mentor-matches.
October 18-20 : Winning students are notified, and participation is confirmed.
October 21: Taffa’s visit to CSUB—students and mentors are invited to afternoon reception in library,
November 1: Zoom dates are scheduled for each Mentor’s 1st Personal Journey and Q & A Zoom Session Session #1 before November 10th [based on Mentor availability] and Invites are Sent to ALL applicants for each Mentor’s Session #1 = Total (3) Mentor Sessions.
Mentors will schedule their Session #2 one-on-one session directly with their student.
November 10-29: Authors schedule Zoom meetings with their students one-on-one. Additional help or session is up to the Mentors’ discretion.
FOUNDING MENTORS
Deobrah Taffa Jackson – -Published Non-Fiction/Memoir Author, Freelance & Staff Writer.
A citizen of the Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, Deborah earned her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Prior to her job at IAIA, she taught Creative Nonfiction at Webster University and Washington University in Saint Louis. She also served as an Executive Board Member with the Missouri Humanities Council where she was instrumental in creating a Native American Heritage Program in the state.
Author of the 2025 One Book Project book title selection, Whiskey Tender, a 2024 National Book Award Finalist and also a 2025 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction longlisted title. Named one of 2024’s Top 10 books by The Atlantic, Audible, and Time Magazine, it was also included on best and notable lists at The New Yorker, Elle, Esquire, NPR, The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, and Publisher’s Weekly. At the time of its debut, it was Amazon Editor’s Best Choice Book for the year.
Editor Emeritus at the literary magazine, River Styx, her writing can be found at The Rumpus, Boston Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, A Public Space, Salon, Huff Post, Prairie Schooner, The Best Travel Writing, The Best of Brevity: Twenty Groundbreaking Years of Flash Nonfiction, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, and elsewhere. With awards and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, MacDowell, Hedgebrook, the Ellen Meloy Foundation, Tin House, A Public Space, the Kranzberg Arts, and the NY Summer Writers Institute, Deborah is currently working on her second story collection.
Leslie Stall Widener – Published Children’s Book Author, Illustrator, Book Designer, Story Contributor, and Editor.
Leslie is a Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma tribal member and a registered Choctaw artist. Leslie serves as Native Fund Chair for We Need Diverse Books and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has illustrated six Choctaw related picture books: Chukfi Rabbit’s Big, Bad Bellyache, told by Greg Rodgers; The Turkey Who Liked to Show Off; Why the Turtle Has Cracks on His Back; The Story of Tanchi; Why the ‘Possum Has No Hair on His Tail; Why Rabbit Has a Short Tail, all published by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in English and Choctaw; and Imagine the Moon – A Primer of Full Moon Names by Gerald Fierst. Plum Street Publishers, 2017.
Her nonfiction debut as a picture book author, Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachʋffa was released in the summer of 2024 from Charlesbridge Publishing. She’s written for several educational houses, including Benchmark Educational Publishing, Gibbs-Smith, and Core Knowledge Foundation (as Author/Illustrator.)
Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas has been her home since 1980.
Illustrated, Authored, Co-Authored, Designed and Edited Books by Leslie Stall Widener. Her illustrations can be seen here.
Andrea Page – – Published Young Adult, Juvenile and Children’s Author, Educator, and Speaker.
Andrea is Hunkpapa Lakota. The Húŋkpapȟa are one of the seven bands of the Lakota people. They are also known as the Teton Sioux. Andrea is a children’s author, educator, and speaker. She has two published books titled, Sioux Code Talkers of World War II (2017, Pelican/Arcadia Publishing) and Who Was Wilma Mankiller? (September 2025, Penguin Workshop) with a new book coming out in 2026 titled, Gabriel’s Winter Count. She also writes educator guides, compiles Native-created book lists, and enjoys her role as an instructor at the Highlights Foundation. Andrea is a longtime member of Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI), and a member of the Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Andrea lives in Rochester, NY with her husband and loves connecting with other authors and young readers.
Andrea Page Published Books
Sioux Code Talkers of World War II (2017, Pelican/Arcadia Publishing)
Who Was Wilma Mankiller? (September 2025, Penguin Workshop)
Gabriel’s Winter Count (Charlesbridge Publishing, Available 2026)
One Book Project Additional Activities
Storytimes
Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, & fun for the whole family.
Family Storytime
Sat. | Nov. 1 | 12pm
Preschool Storytime
Thurs. | Oct. 2 | 11pm
Family Storytime
Sat. | Oct. 4 | 1pm
Sat. | Nov 1 | 1pm
Family Storytime
Sat. | Oct. 11 | 2pm
Sat. | Nov 8 | 2pm
Sat. | Nov 11 | 2pm
Toddler Time
Tues. | Oct. 7 | 10:30am
Family Storytime
Sat. | Oct. 11 | 12pm
Sat. | Nov 1 | 12pm
Family Storytime
Sat. | Oct. 11 | 10:30am
Sat. | Nov 15 | 10:30am
Arts & Crafts
Get inspired and crafty at select library branches for One Book Project related craft events.
All Ages are Welcomed!
Beale Memorial Library
Weds. | Oct. 8 | 4pm
Buttonwillow Branch Library
Sat. |Oct. 4 | 12pm
Sat. |Nov. 1 | 10am
Tues. |Nov. 25 | 5pm
Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library
Weds. | Oct. 1 | 10am
Weds. | Oct. 22| 4pm
Sat. | Nov. 1 | 10am
Lamont Branch Library
Tues. | Oct. 9 | 3:30pm
Fri. | Nov. 14 | 3:30pm
Rathbun Branch Library
Tues. | Oct. 23 | 4pm
Southwest Branch Library
Weds. | Oct. 1 | 10am
Wilson Branch Library
Fri. | Oct. 17 | 4pm
Fri. | Nov. 21 | 4pm
Book Discussions
Get inspired and crafty at select library branches for One Book Project related craft events.
Read the Book Join the Conversation
Lamont Branch Library
Tues. | Nov. 18 | 4:30pm
Rathbun Branch Library
Fri. |Nov. 21 | 4pm
Coloring Stations
Stop by our coloring station and make new friends while expressing yourself through color. Take a coloring sheet or an activity sheet and have some fun! From October to November, we'll have One Book Project related sheets ready for you, so come on by!
History of the One Book Project
The program began in 2001 through the grassroots efforts of Jillian Fritch, an elementary school teacher who had read a story in the Los Angeles Times regarding One Book, One Community initiatives; at the time Seattle Reads and One Book Chicago were pioneers, and Los Angeles had decided to do a One Book project. Jillian was inspired to begin a project in Bakersfield. The first book was “To Kill a Mockingbird.” An array of community partners jumped on board, including education, nonprofits, local government, businesses, and media outlets. The Kern County Library became the lead organization in 2003. Now, the One Book Project continues to reach out to our diverse Kern County community both in book choice and related programming. In 2010, the One Book Project began a partnership with California State University, Bakersfield’s “Runner Reader Program” (or First-Year Experience Program), which involves students reading a common book. Through this partnership, the community has benefited extended programming, including author visits and talks at CSUB at the culmination of the read. In November 2011, more than 1,400 people turned out to hear author Wes Moore speak about his book, “The Other Wes Moore.” One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern remains a grassroots project that relies on community partners and donations to provide related programming and copies of the book throughout the county.
