Native American Heritage Month: Literature & Learning

Books are vital to understanding ourselves and those around us. Use this month as a starting place to read stories and compilations by indigenous authors and expand your understanding of Native American history.


Recommended Reading Lists

cover images for books on the Boston Public Library Book List

Boston Public Library

Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by checking out these books by indigenous authors spanning genres from fiction to memoir to poetry, all available at the Boston Public Library. Some titles may also be available in other formats or languages; be sure to check their catalog for availability.

Native American Heritage Month New Releases, Powell's Picks of the Month, and cover images for books on Powell's Book List

Powell's Books

Storytelling is integral to Indigenous societies. It has allowed the many nations of this country to continue to pass down the sacred stories of spirituality, culture, and history that are paramount for Natives to better understand themselves, and the ever-changing human and natural worlds. In honor of this nation’s first people and their rich history, we are featuring books by Indigenous authors who continue the tradition of storytelling to explore Native identity, challenge stereotypes and historical fallacies, and to connect the past with the present.

cover imagegs for children's books on the Social Justice Books Recommended Book List

Social Justice Books

Spark joy and nurture curiosity with these age-appropriate titles for kids and teens. Check out Social Justice Books' American Indian recommended book list, curated by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo. Dr. Reese established American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) to provide a space for critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books; learn more about their efforts on AICL's blog.

cover images for books on the BuzzFeed Recommended Book List

BuzzFeed

Indulge your own bookish habits with these 14 titles by contemporary Native American authors recommended by BuzzFeed. These novels (some available now, some about to be) are more than necessary or “important” — they are books you’ll love reading.

 


 

Books for All Ages

Book cover for Buffalo Bird GirlBuffalo Bird Girl by S. D. Nelson

Biographies are a great way to help kids see life through the lens of a real person. This children’s book for ages 6-9, tells the childhood story of Buffalo Bird Girl, a Hidatsa Indian born around 1839. Through her true story, readers learn what it was like to be part of this Native American community, which lived along the Missouri River in the Dakotas.


Book cover for Dreaming in IndianDreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices by Lisa Charleyboy

Inspire and inform kids in grades 7-9 with this captivating look at contemporary Native American artists. Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices is a visually enthralling collection of photos, graphics and text from the most groundbreaking Native American artists. This beautiful anthology challenges readers to rethink stereotypes with provocative yet universal themes.


Book cover for An Indigenous Peoples' History of the USAn Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

In place of hero tales and folklore, curriculum specialists Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza have adapted Indigenous human rights activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s acclaimed academic text An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for young readers grades 6-8. It rebuts popular cultural beliefs and gives a different perspective on the colonization of what is currently known as the United States.


Book cover for #NotYourPrincess#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

A must-read for teen girls in grades 6-8, #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that together paint a picture of what it means to be a modern Native woman. Sometimes angry, but often reflective these stories of abuse, humiliation and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. This honest book gives teen readers insight into the lives of women who for so long, have been invisible.


Book cover for Beaver Steals FireBeaver Steals Fire by Sam Sandoval

Elementary school kids love adventure stories. Beaver Steals Fire, for ages 4-8, tells the story of a Cherokee family waiting for a loved one to return and celebrates the bravery of women-pilots. This tale from the Montana Salish people tells how animals brought fire from the sky to the earth. Like many Native stories, the tradition holds that it can only be told in the cold winter months when snow is on the ground.


Book cover for WilgyigyetWilgyigyet: Learn the Colors in Sm'algyax compiled by The Haayk Foundation

Babies love books too! This board book is part of Sealaska Heritage Institute’s award-winning Baby Raven Reads, created to help Alaska Native families promote language development for school readiness. Colors teaches the Tsimshian words for colors through animals, plants and natural artifacts in Southeast Alaska.