Now and always is the time to read American Indian stories. In an interview with Oprah Magazine, Vassar poet and professor Molly McGlennen (Anishinaabe) says, “I always think of Native literature as a gift to the world. Telling our own stories on our own terms is a political act. Native writers and artists allow non-Indigenous people to reckon with what’s been obfuscated from their consciousness. Whether you know it or not, you benefit from violence against Native peoples.”
Here is a selection of recently-published picture books, middle readers, teen, and adult titles that center the indigenous perspective.
For Kids
Grandma’s Tipi: A Present-Day Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson
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The Secret Pocket by Peggy Janicki, illustrated by Carrielynn Victor
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Voices of the People by Joseph Bruchac
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The Song that Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Maya McKibbin
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For Teens
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
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Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers, illustrated by Jeff Edwards
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For Adults
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea: A Novel by Debra Magpie Earling
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A Council of Dolls: A Novel by Mona Susan Power
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Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events by Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Arlene Hirschfelder, Paulette F. Molin
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To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: A Novel by Moniquill Blackgoose
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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay, with illustrations by Kalila Fuller
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Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Edited by Shane Hawk
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Held by the Land: A Guide to Indigenous Plants for Wellness by Leigh Joseph
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Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native American by Matika Wilbur
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VenCo: A Novel by Cherie Dimaline
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Birding While Indian: A Mixed-Blood Memoir by Thomas C. Gannon
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Films from Kanopy
Children of the Arctic | Watch Now
A year-in-the-life portrait of Native Alaskan teenagers coming of age in Barrow, Alaska – the northern-most community of the United States.
Gather | Watch Now
GATHER follows the stories of natives on the frontlines of a growing movement to reconnect with spiritual and cultural identities that were devastated by genocide.
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World | Watch Now
This revelatory documentary brings to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America.
What Was Ours | Watch Now
