Native American Stories You’ll Love
By Darcey Gohring
November is Native American Heritage Month, and, as book lovers, we were inspired to share titles that explore the rich and textured stories of indigenous peoples. With selections for adults, young adults, and children, there is something for everyone.
For Adults:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Drawing on the author’s life as an indigenous scientist, the collection reveals life lessons on what the planet gives us and how we can return the favor. Named a “Best Essay Collection of the Decade'' by Literary Hub.
There, There by Tommy Orange
Hailed as an instant classic, this poignant story follows 12 characters from Native communities all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow. Through a chorus of voices, it tells the story of the plight of the urban Native American and explores a complex history.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Based on the life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman, this book was the winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. A powerful story about the fight against Native dispossession.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
This page-turner offers so many things in one book: a coming-of-age story, an exploration of family dynamics, rich history and culture, and a mystery. In the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. On a quest for answers, the woman’s teenage son sets off with friends—their first stop is the Round House.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
This book outlines one of the most sinister conspiracies in American history. After oil was discovered beneath their land in the 1920s, the richest people per capita were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. Then, one by one, they begin to die under mysterious circumstances. When the death toll surpassed 24, the newly created F.B.I. takes up the case.
Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
A lyrical Native American coming-of-age story that was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2018. Sequoyah, a 15-year-old Cherokee boy, is placed in foster care after his single mother goes to jail. There he meets Rosemary and the two bond over their shared Native American background and scars of the past.
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
In Hobson’s latest book, he offers a story steeped in Cherokee culture and myths about a family grappling with the tragic death of their son. The author expertly blends the spiritual and the real to unearth the repercussions of trauma.
Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
A powerful coming-of-age memoir about one woman’s experience growing up on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest. After receiving a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and Bipolar II, the author is given a notebook in which she begins to write her way out of trauma.
Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
A transcendent memoir by the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, she chronicles how poetry offered her solace during her childhood with an abusive father. As she grows older, her creative work allows her to find her voice and place in the world.
Poet Warrior: A Memoir by Joy Harjo
A follow up to her memoir Crazy Brave, Harjo invites readers to travel through the heartaches, losses, and realizations of her poet-warrior road. It tells how the stories, poetry, and music of her ancestors shaped her work. She also sheds light on the spiritual map that will help anyone find home.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Based on the author’s own experiences, this heartbreaking yet funny story follows Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. In an attempt to break free from the life he was seemingly destined to live, he leaves the reservation school to attend an all-white high school.
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
This groundbreaking thriller gives an honest account of a long-ignored part of American life. When justice is denied, a vigilante on a Native American reservation in South Dakota embarks on a dangerous mission to find the source of a heroin influx.
Dog Flowers: A Memoir, An Archive by Danielle Geller
When the author’s mother dies, she discovers a suitcase filled with diaries, photos, and letters. The contents inspire Geller to embark on a journey to confront her troubled family history, returning her to her mother’s home on the Navajo reservation.
When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky by Margaret Verble
A tale from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble that follows a death-defying young Cherokee horse diver who, along with her friends from the Glendale Park Zoo, get to the bottom of a mystery that spans two centuries.
For Young Adult Readers:
Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
A groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native American teen who must learn what it means to be a strong Ojibwe woman and how far she will go for her community.
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, illustrated by Rovina Cai
Elatsoe's world is shaped by ancestral magic and the culture of the Apache people. When her beloved cousin dies in an accident, his spirit tells her he was actually murdered. With the help of family and friends, Elatsoe must track down the killer and solve the mystery.
For Children:
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
An expressive depiction of a modern Native American family told in lively verse with vibrant illustrations.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade
Inspired by Indigenous-led movements across North America, this book urges readers to take an environmental stand and safeguard the Earth’s water supply.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac
The word otsaliheliga is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall and ending in the summer, this book follows a full year of celebration and traditions, told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.