20 Best Books By Indigenous Authors (2023 Update)

New york times bestseller – now part of the hbo docuseries "exterminate all the brutes," written and directed by raoul peck – recipient of the american book award – the first history of the united states told from the perspective of indigenous peoples today in the united states, there are more than five hundred federally recognized indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million native people who once inhabited this land. the centuries-long genocidal program of the us settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist roxanne dunbar-ortiz offers a history of the united states told from the perspective of indigenous peoples and reveals how native americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the us empire. – with growing support for movements such as the campaign to abolish columbus day and replace it with indigenous peoples’ day and the dakota access pipeline protest led by the standing rock sioux tribe, an indigenous peoples’ history of the united states is an essential resource providing historical threads that are crucial for understanding the present. in an indigenous peoples’ history of the united states, dunbar-ortiz adroitly challenges the founding myth of the united states and shows how policy against the indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them. and as dunbar-ortiz reveals, this policy was praised in popular culture, through writers like james fenimore cooper and walt whitman, and in the highest offices of government and the military. jesup, who, in 1836, wrote of the seminoles: “the country can be rid of them only by exterminating them.” spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically reframes us history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative. – an indigenous peoples' history of the united states is a 2015 pen oakland-josephine miles award for excellence in literature.

In this revolutionary self-help guide, two beloved native american wellness activists offer wisdom for achieving spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing rooted in indigenous ancestral knowledge. when wellness teachers and husband-wife duo chelsey luger and thosh collins founded their indigenous wellness initiative, well for culture, they extended an invitation to all to honor their whole self through native wellness philosophies and practices. in reclaiming this ancient wisdom for health and wellbeing–drawing from traditions spanning multiple tribes–they developed the seven circles, a holistic model for modern living rooted in timeless teachings from their ancestors. luger and collins have introduced this universally adaptable template for living well to ivy league universities and corporations like nike, adidas, and google, and now make it available to everyone in this wise guide. the seven circles model comprises interconnected circles that keep all aspects of our lives in balance, functioning in harmony with one another. they are: food movement sleep ceremony sacred space land community in the seven circles, luger and collins share intimate stories from their life journeys growing up in tribal communities, from the indigenous tradition of staying active and spiritually centered through running and dance, to the universal indigenous emphasis on a light-filled, minimalist home to create sacred space. along the way, luger and collins invite readers to both adapt these teachings to their lives as well as do so without appropriating and erasing the original context, representing a critical new ethos for the wellness space. each chapter closes with practical advice on how to engage with the teachings, as well as wisdom for keeping that particular circle in harmony with the others. with warmth and generosity–and 75 atmospheric photographs by collins throughout–the seven circles teaches us how to connect with nature, with our community, and with ourselves, and to integrate ancient indigenous philosophies of health and wellbeing into our own lives to find healing and balance.

Selected speeches from indigenous leaders around the world–necessary wisdom for our times, nourishment for our collective, and a path away from extinction toward a sustainable, interconnected future.indigenous worldviews, and the knowledge they confer, are critical for human survival and the wellbeing of future generations. editors wahinkpe topa (four arrows) and darcia narvaez present 28 powerful excerpted passages from indigenous leaders, including mourning dove, robin wall kimmerer, winona laduke, and xiuhtezcatl martinez. restoring the kinship worldview is rooted in an indigenous vision and strong social purpose that sees all life forms as sacred and sentient–that honors the wisdom of the heart, and grants equal standing to rights and responsibilities. inviting readers into a world-sense that expands beyond perceiving and conceiving to experiencing and being, restoring the kinship worldview is a salve for our times, a nourishment for our collective, and a holistic orientation that will lead us away from extinction toward an integrated, sustainable future.

In myriad ways, each narrator's life has been shaped by loss, injustice, and resilience–and by the struggle of how to share space with settler nations whose essential aim is to take all that is indigenous. hear from jasilyn charger, one of the first five people to set up camp at standing rock, which kickstarted a movement of water protectors that roused the world; gladys radek, a survivor of sexual violence whose niece disappeared along canada's highway of tears, who became a family advocate for the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; and marian naranjo, herself the subject of a secret radiation test while in high school, who went on to drive santa clara pueblo toward compiling an environmental impact statement on the consequences of living next to los alamos national laboratory. theirs are stories shaped by loss, injustice, resilience, and the struggle to share space with settler nations.

Finalist for the 2019 national book awardlonglisted for the 2020 andrew carnegie medal for excellencea new york times bestseller named a best book of 2019 by the new york times, time, the washington post, npr, hudson booksellers, the new york public library, the dallas morning news, and library journal." chapter after chapter, it's like one shattered myth after another." – npr"an informed, moving and kaleidoscopic portrait… not only did one hundred fifty sioux die at the hands of the u. s. cavalry, the sense was, but native civilization did as well. growing up ojibwe on a reservation in minnesota, training as an anthropologist, and researching native life past and present for his nonfiction and novels, david treuer has uncovered a different narrative. because they did not disappear—and not despite but rather because of their intense struggles to preserve their language, their traditions, their families, and their very existence—the story of american indians since the end of the nineteenth century to the present is one of unprecedented resourcefulness and reinvention. in the heartbeat of wounded knee, treuer melds history with reportage and memoir. tracing the tribes' distinctive cultures from first contact, he explores how the depredations of each era spawned new modes of survival. the devastating seizures of land gave rise to increasingly sophisticated legal and political maneuvering that put the lie to the myth that indians don't know or care about property. the forced assimilation of their children at government-run boarding schools incubated a unifying native identity. conscription in the us military and the pull of urban life brought indians into the mainstream and modern times, even as it steered the emerging shape of self-rule and spawned a new generation of resistance. the heartbeat of wounded knee is the essential, intimate story of a resilient people in a transformative era.

This anthology of fiction, prose, and poetry celebrates the rich diversity of writing by native american women today. erdrich and laura tohe have gathered stories from across the nation that celebrate, record, and explore native american women's roles in community. the result is a rich tapestry that contains work by established writers along with emerging and first-time authors. contributors include louise erdrich, joy harjo, diane glancy, elizabeth cook-lynn, allison hedge coke, leanne howe, roberta hill, kim blaeser, linda legarde grover, with a foreword by winona laduke.

"first time i've read a collection from native american writers. won't be my last. important collection that examines the contrast and sometimes conflict between whites and native americans and also conflicts between full-blood and half-blood. very interesting and enlightening. loved it!" — bookbunnyprthis new anthology of short fiction by native americans features a wide range of contemporary writers. it includes stories dating from the early twentieth century by pauline johnson, daughter of a mohawk chief, whose works helped define canadian literature; zitkala-sa, a sioux writer whose books were among the first to bring native american stories to wider recognition; john m. oskison, whose cherokee ancestry informed his tales of the cultural clash faced by children of mixed marriages; and d'arcy mcnickle, cree activist and anthropologist.ten additional stories date from the 1960s through the twenty-first century, ranging in their settings from canada to new mexico. selections include leslie marmon silko's "the man to send rain clouds," "crow's sun" by duane niatum, "beading lesson" by beth h. piatote, sherman alexie's "war dances," and other tales that explore cultural borders and intersections, dramatizing the ways in which people discover their own heritage as well as the wider world.

Winner of the 2020 robert f. sibert informational book medal – a 2020 american indian youth literature picture book honor winner“a wonderful and sweet book . . . lovely stuff.” —the new york times book review told in lively and powerful verse by debut author kevin noble maillard, fry bread is an evocative depiction of a modern native american family, vibrantly illustrated by pura belpre award winner and caldecott honoree juana martinez-neal. fry bread is food. – it is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate. – fry bread is time. – it brings families together for meals and new memories. – fry bread is nation. – it is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond. – it is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference. – a 2020 charlotte huck recommended book – a publishers weekly best picture book of 2019a kirkus reviews best picture book of 2019a school library journal best picture book of 2019a booklist 2019 editor's choice – a shelf awareness best children's book of 2019a goodreads choice award 2019 semifinalist – a chicago public library best of the best book of 2019a national public radio (npr) best book of 2019an ncte notable poetry book – a 2020 ncss notable social studies trade book for young people – a 2020 ala notable children's book – a 2020 ila notable book for a global society 2020 bank street college of education best children's books of the year list – one of npr's 100 favorite books for young readers – nominee, pennsylvania young readers choice award 2022-2022nominee, illinois monarch award 2022

2020 american indian youth literature young adult honor book2020 notable social studies trade books for young people,selected by national council for the social studies (ncss) and the children’s book council 2019 best-of lists: best ya nonfiction of 2019 (kirkus reviews) · best nonfiction of 2019 (school library journal) · best books for teens (new york public library) · best informational books for older readers (chicago public library)spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of indigenous peoples’ resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism.going beyond the story of america as a country “discovered” by a few brave men in the “new world,” indigenous human rights advocate roxanne dunbar-ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of american indian genocide played in forming our national identity.the original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts debbie reese and jean mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history.

Indigenous medicine woman asha frost invites readers to learn the healing medicine of the 13 ojibway moons and the spirit animals that will guide their wisdom journey.the medicine you have been searching for lives within you. follow the path of the 13 ojibwe moons with animal spirits and ancestors as your guides as you unlock your connection to your own unique, inherent healing power. through storytelling, ceremonies, and shamanic journeys, learn to apply ancient wisdom to your life in ways that are respectful and conscious of the stolen lands, lives, and traditions of indigenous peoples. discover how to:- ground and root into your own lineage and meet your ancestral guides.- practice self-care and rest on your journey.- return to ancestral ways of cleansing and purifying.- trust and surrender so you can manifest and thrive.- release self-doubt, fear, disconnection, and insecurity.

The lakȟóta are among the best-known native american peoples. in popular culture and even many scholarly works, they were once lumped together with others and called the sioux. this book tells the full story of lakȟóta culture and society, from their origins to the twenty-first century, drawing on lakȟóta voices and perspectives. in lakȟóta culture, "listening" is a cardinal virtue, connoting respect, and here authors rani-henrik andersson and david c. posthumus listen to the lakȟóta, both past and present. the history of lakȟóta culture unfolds in this narrative as the people lived it. fittingly, lakhota: an indigenous history opens with an origin story, that of white buffalo calf woman (ptesanwin) and her gift of the sacred pipe to the lakȟóta people. drawing on winter counts, oral traditions and histories, and lakȟóta letters and speeches, the narrative proceeds through such periods and events as early lakȟóta-european trading, the creation of the great sioux reservation, christian missionization, the plains indian wars, the ghost dance and wounded knee (1890), the indian new deal, and self-determination, as well as recent challenges like the #nodapl movement and management of covid-19 on reservations. this book centers lakȟóta experience, as when it shifts the focus of the battle of little bighorn from custer to fifteen-year-old black elk, or puts american horse at the heart of the negotiations with the crook commission, or explains the lakȟóta agenda in negotiating the fort laramie treaty in 1851. the picture that emerges–of continuity and change in lakȟóta culture from its distant beginnings to issues in our day–is as sweeping and intimate, and as deeply complex, as the lived history it encompasses.

Immediately recognized as a revelatory and enormously controversial book since its first publication in 1971, "bury my heart at wounded knee" is universally recognized as one of those rare books that forever changes the way its subject is perceived. now repackaged with a new introduction from bestselling author hampton sides to coincide with a major hbo dramatic film of the book, "bury my heart at wounded knee."" bury my heart at wounded knee "is dee brown's classic, eloquent, meticulously documented account of the systematic destruction of the american indian during the second half of the nineteenth century. a national bestseller in hardcover for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold over four million copies in multiple editions and has been translated into seventeen languages. using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, brown allows great chiefs and warriors of the dakota, ute, sioux, cheyenne, and other tribes to tell us in their own words of the series of battles, massacres, and broken treaties that finally left them and their people demoralized and decimated. a unique and disturbing narrative told with force and clarity, "bury my heart at wounded knee" changed forever our vision of how the west was won, and lost. it tells a story that should not be forgotten, and so must be retold from time to time.

A new york times bestseller a washington post bestseller a los angeles times bestseller named a best essay collection of the decade by literary hub a book riot favorite summer read of 2020 a food tank fall 2020 reading recommendation updated with a new introduction from robin wall kimmerer, the special edition of braiding sweetgrass, reissued in honor of the fortieth anniversary of milkweed editions, celebrates the book as an object of meaning that will last the ages. beautifully bound with a new cover featuring an engraving by tony drehfal, this edition includes a bookmark ribbon, a deckled edge, and five brilliantly colored illustrations by artist nate christopherson. as a botanist, robin wall kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. as a member of the citizen potawatomi nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. in braiding sweetgrass, kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise" (elizabeth gilbert). in reflections that range from the creation of turtle island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.

Joseph marshall is a member of the sicunga lakota sioux and has dedicated his entire life to the wisdom he learned from his elders. here he focuses on the twelve core qualities that are crucial to the lakota way of life–bravery, fortitude, generosity, wisdom, respect, honor, perseverance, love, humility, sacrifice, truth, and compassion. whether teaching a lesson on respect imparted by the mythical deer woman or the humility embodied by the legendary lakota leader crazy horse, the lakota way offers a fresh outlook on spirituality and ethical living.

"do not begrudge the white man his presence on this land. though he doesn't know it yet, he has come here to learn from us." — a shoshone elder the genius of the native americans has always been their profound spirituality and their deep understanding of the land and its ways. for three decades, author kent nerburn has lived and worked among the native american people.voices in the stones is a unique collection of his encounters, experiences, and reflections during that time. he takes us inside a traditional native feast to show us how the children are taught to respect the elders. he brings us to an isolated prairie rock outcropping where a young native man and his father show us how the power of ceremony connects the present with the ancient voices of the past. at a dusty roadside café he introduces us to an elder who remembers the time when his ancestors could talk to animals.

Aboriginal american authors, has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. this forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

In our own aboriginal voice 2 is a powerful collection of short fiction, non-fiction, personal essay, poetry, and original indigenous artwork by indigenous authors and artists from across canada. featuring the work of established authors such as the late connie fife, and up-and-coming aboriginal authors to watch out for (according to cbc books) joanne arnott, michelle sylliboy, and dennis saddleman, as well as emerging writers from across canada who shine a light on the lives of indigenous peoples living in canada. the indigenous selection committee was headed by author richard van camp.

A groundbreaking dakota author and activist chronicles her refusal to assimilate into nineteenth-century white society and her mission to preserve her culture—with an introduction by layli long soldier, winner of the national book critics circle award and the pen/jean stein book award for whereas bright and carefree, zitkála-šá grows up on the yankton sioux reservation in south dakota with her mother until quaker missionaries arrive, offering the reservation’s children a free education. the catch: they must leave their parents behind and travel to indiana. curious about the world beyond the reservation, zitkála-šá begs her mother to let her go—and her mother, aware of the advantages that an education offers, reluctantly agrees. but the missionary school is not the adventure that zitkála-šá expected: the school is a strict one, her long hair is cut short, and only english is spoken. she encounters racism and ridicule. slowly, zitkála-šá adapts to her environment—excelling at her studies, winning prizes for essay-writing and oration. but the price of success is estrangement from her cultural roots—and is it one she is willing to pay? combining zitkála-šá’s childhood memories, her short stories, and her poetry, american indian stories is the origin story of an activist in the making, a remarkable woman whose extraordinary career deserves wider recognition.the modern library torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance.

A groundbreaking dakota author and activist chronicles her refusal to assimilate into nineteenth-century white society and her mission to preserve her culture—with an introduction by layli long soldier, winner of the national book critics circle award and the pen/jean stein book award for whereas bright and carefree, zitkála-šá grows up on the yankton sioux reservation in south dakota with her mother until quaker missionaries arrive, offering the reservation’s children a free education. the catch: they must leave their parents behind and travel to indiana. curious about the world beyond the reservation, zitkála-šá begs her mother to let her go—and her mother, aware of the advantages that an education offers, reluctantly agrees. but the missionary school is not the adventure that zitkála-šá expected: the school is a strict one, her long hair is cut short, and only english is spoken. she encounters racism and ridicule. slowly, zitkála-šá adapts to her environment—excelling at her studies, winning prizes for essay-writing and oration. but the price of success is estrangement from her cultural roots—and is it one she is willing to pay? combining zitkála-šá’s childhood memories, her short stories, and her poetry, american indian stories is the origin story of an activist in the making, a remarkable woman whose extraordinary career deserves wider recognition.the modern library torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance.

In a manner accessible to the general reader, this treasury of traditional native american sacred teachings offers the results of a lifetime of study of oral traditions involving spirituality, ceremonies, visions, healings, everyday life, and the warrior's way.this is the complete edition, three times the length of the previously published version." the circle of life" presents, in written form, traditional oral native american sacred teachings from the iroquois, lakota, and other traditions. the author, james david audlin (distant eagle), has been receiving these teachings orally from elders since he was a youth. the wisdom includes native american views on cosmology, ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, sociology, psychology, healing, dream interpretation, and vision quests. audlin is not a spiritual teacher nor does he even consider himself an authority — he sees himself as a conduit through which the oral traditions handed down to him by elders from various tribes can be presented in a meaningful manner to peoples in today's modern world. he outlines universal principles common to all the native peoples of “turtle island” – and, in fact, to many traditional peoples the world over. the red road is available to everyone —regardless of religion or ethnicity — who is willing to follow its paths. these paths, however, are often not easy and require deep personal and spiritual commitment. “the circle of life” can be used as a guide on this journey. the rev. nickolas m. miles, powhatan nation says: “james david audlin's book circle of life offers the reader a glimpse into native american traditional teachings that will help to eliminate preconceived notions and lead one to a deeper understanding of what it means to live in harmony with all of life. a bonus to reading this book is that your life will change. tim giago, oglala lakota nation, a nationally syndicated columnist, says: “james david audlin draws from his own experiences with indian spirituality and blends them with the traditional indian spirituality that is becoming more important in america with each passing decade. in blending his points of view with those of the indigenous people, he has created a mixture of western values and indian values. some readers may think that the subject matter touches on traditional values some indians would rather not reveal, and others will embrace his thoughts and his vibrant storytelling about something that has long been on the backburner of history. audlin is not bashful in presenting an entirely new conception of indian spirituality and values.”