When sophomore Marian Mohamud reads her English book, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog”, she feels happy to be exposed to a different culture.

“I actually like it because it shows the different opinions and cultures you have between white people and Native Americans and how that happened,” Mohamud said.

English teacher Annamarie Wilfahrt said she initially decided on this book to acquaint her students with the Native American culture.

“There’s so few Native American books that are read in English classes,” Wilfahrt said. “Especially for the area we live in, students need to be exposed to the culture.”

Mohamud said it feels refreshing to read a book from a different cultural viewpoint than usual

“None of (the books) have been about Europeans or anything like that, which we usually learn in school, so (the book) is kind of like, new,” Mohamud said.

Sophomore Ethan Hoeschen said he thinks being exposed to something different helps make people more open-minded.

“It’s a good thing to learn about other cultures because then it reduces the stereotypes you see,” Hoeschen said. “If you know the truth about the culture, you’re not going to think of the stereotypes anymore.”

Hoeschen said he finds the book maintains its relevance due to the controversial topics surrounding Native Americans today.

“I think it’s still relatable in today’s society because of what’s happening with the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Hoeschen said. “It represents the discrimination against Native Americans and Native cultures that’s still happening.”

Wilfahrt said she hopes to continue teaching the book because of the positive responses she’s received from the students.

“I wanted to open the dialogue for the Native American culture and the students have been very open and receptive to it,” Wilfahrt said.

Sophomore Anil Pillay said he would recommend the book to others, giving them an opportunity to read something more unusual, even though he has not finished the book.

“I would (recommend “Neither Wolf Nor Dog”) because it shows a side that not many books show and gives attention to (the Native American) stories,” Pillay said.