10 Books in Honor of American Indian Heritage Month

Published on 2 November 2023 at 17:50

Many stories about Indigenous Americans and First Nations people have been told by people from outside these communities. Like many other underrepresented groups, this has contributed to stereotypes, problematic tropes, exoticization, and the undervaluing of indigenous voices. Luckily, the First Nations Development Institute and the American Indian Library Association offer reading lists made up of books by American Indian authors. Both organizations have boards consisting of Indigenous American representatives from diverse cultures and geographic locations. For this article, we have picked out ten books from their reading lists to share with you, but we recommend visiting both of their websites for more comprehensive reading lists as well as other resources.

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10 Books in Honor of American Indian Heritage Month

  1. #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women (Lisa Charleyboy & Mary Beth Leatherdale): This nonfiction book pulls together an assortment of art, poetry, interview transcripts, and essays that talk about the experiences of Indigenous American women. You can buy this book from Birchbark Books. Read this book for free through InternetArchive.
  2. Dissolve (Sherwin Bitsiu): Written by the Diné poet, Sherwin Bitsiu, the poetry in Dissolve is reminiscent of blurred photography. Bitsiu blends time, place, and culture in this book. Visit the Copper Canyon Press publisher's website to learn more about this book and where you can purchase it or use WorldCat to find this book at a library near you.
  3. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (Anton Treurer): Treuer is an Ojibwe author and academic. He has written bot an adult and young readers version of this book which answers a wide swath of questions that both native and non-native people have asked. He covers everything from Halloween costumes to fry bread to colorism. Learn more about the author and where to buy this and other books by Treuer on the author's website. This book is available to read for free through OpenLibrary.
  4. The Indian Lawyer (James Welch): The author was born on the Blackfeet Reservation and continues to be an influential voice in American Indian literature. A romantic psychological thriller, The Indian Lawyer is about a young lawyer with potential for a future in congress who gets blackmailed by a parolee. Buy this book from Birchbark Books or read it for free through the InternetArchive.
  5. Killer of Enemies (Joseph Bruchac): Born of Abenaki heritage, Bruchac is the author of Killer of Enemies, a post-apocalyptic YA series based on Apache legend. Lozen is a monster-hunter living in an age in which genetically engineered creatures have turned on their cyborg overlords and threaten the un-augmented humans who once served them. Buy this book from Barnes & Noble or read it for free through the InternetArchive.
  6. Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time (Hope Nicholson, editor): This book brings together nine Indigenous American authors who tell stories of Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ characters set in science-fiction landscapes. While the editor has been called out for sexual misconduct, there are nine authors represented in this book whose stories should still be heard. Buy this book on Amazon or use WorldCat to find this book at a library near you.
  7. Mean Spirit (Linda Hogan): Written by the Writer-in-Residence for the Chickasaw Nation, Mean Spirit was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Set in Oklahoma, it tells the story of Stace Red Hawk, an Indigenous American government official who comes from D.C. to investigate the murder of Grace Blanket a woman who grew wealthy living on oil-rich land. Stace must also investigate the mysterious deaths of the Grayclouds, the family who take care of Grace's daughter. Learn more about the author, the book and where to buy it on the author's website. Read this book for free through the InternetArchive.
  8. Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers, Volume 1 (Arigon Starr): While the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II are more commonly discussed, this comic book tells stories about the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I. Editor, Arigon Starr is also involved in music, theater, and art. Learn more about Starr on the artist's website. Buy Volume 1 at ATCG Books and Comics here. Read this book for free using InternetArchive.
  9. Three Feathers (Richard Van Camp, K. Mateus): Set in the Northwest Territories of Canada, this graphic novel follows three young men whose community sentenced them to live alone on the land for nine months for their acts of vandalism. Three Feathers has been translated into English, Chipewyan, Cree, and Slavey. Visit the author's website to learn more about the author, the book. and where to buy it. The English version of this book is available for free through InternetArchive. Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) Nation.
  10. A Yellow Raft on Blue Water (Michael Dorris): Born of Modoc, Irish, and French parentage, Dorris' literature often discusses the experience of being mixed race. His debut novel tells the story of three generations of women, Rayona, who is Indigenous and Black, her mother, and her grandmother. Buy this book from Barnes & Noble or read it for free though InternetArchive.

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