Honoring Indigenous Voices: A Reading Journey for Native American Heritage Month
With roots that extend back thousands of years, Native American history and heritage embody a rich tapestry of customs, stories and cultures. Native American Heritage Month, observed each November, offers a dedicated time to honor and reflect upon the contributions and history of Indigenous communities across North America. To celebrate this month, we’ve curated a selection on Bookshop.org featuring novels, poetry collections, historical accounts, and more by Native American authors. Here are a few of these thought-provoking reads to deepen your exploration and understanding.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
For many years, it was the goal of the U.S. government to remove Native Americans from their lands and to eliminate their people and culture. Author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz delves into this often overlooked piece of American history, exploring over four hundred years of history and how the effects of certain policies still echo into today’s world.
Rez Life
In author David Treuer’s first full-length work of nonfiction, he examines the themes of crime and poverty, the preservation of native language and culture and casinos and wealth. Treuer paints a picture of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, his childhood home, while also discussing contemporary issues including public policy and treaty rights.
An American Sunrise
In this collection of poetry, former Poet Laureate of the United States Joy Harjo combines stories from her personal life with tribal histories to explore her role in the Native rights movement, the history of the Mvskoke people and what lies ahead.
Ceremony
This novel, penned by Leslie Marmon Silko, addresses themes of healing and peace as it follows Tayo, a World War II veteran of mixed ancestry, as he returns to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation and deals with the aftermath of trauma from the war and the rejection that he experiences from his people.
As we continue through Native American Heritage Month and throughout the year, we encourage you to take a look at our list featuring Native American authors on Bookshop.org. These books are a great place to begin or continue your learning journey about Native American history and culture.