November is Native American/Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. We’ve put together a list of books celebrating the rich tapestry of heritages and cultures.
Little Runner of the Longhouse, DBC06482, by Betty Baker
A young Iroquois Indian boy wants to take part in the New Year's celebration just like the older boys do. For grades K-3. 1962.
Hiawatha: Messenger Of Peace, DB036894, by Dennis B. Fradin
In this biography the author shows what Hiawatha's life might have been like by drawing on what is known about the Iroquois people during the fifteenth century. He distinguishes fact from legend as he tells of the adult Hiawatha's role as a peacemaker and one of the founders of the Iroquois Federation--aspects of which were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 1992.
First Came the Indians, BR005734 and DB021622, by M. J. Wheeler
A simple, poetic description of six representative North American Indian tribes-- Creek, Iroquois, Chippewa, Sioux, Makah, and Hopi. Deals with the food, clothing, and shelter of each tribe as well as its social structure and belief systems. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 1983.
A World Full of Nature Stories, BR024492, by Angela McAllister
This rich resource collects folk tales from home and legends and myths from distant lands to commemorate the animals, plants and the changing seasons that make planet Earth so beautiful. The folktales and fables in this book will capture imaginations and take readers on a journey around the world. Learn about: the Peruvian tale of Cuniraya and the Magic Fruit, the story of how lightning began according to an ancient Khasi folk tale from India, from Ireland, the story of "The Bee, the Mouse and the Beetle," the Master of the Winds in the ancient Iroquois story of "The Four Winds," Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack from North American folklore, and Spain's Queen of the Flowers, who is brought to life one night by a magical fairy. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 2022.
Soft Rain: a story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, DB048112, by Cornelia Cornelissen
Soft Rain is nine years old in 1838 when soldiers come to move her Cherokee tribe from North Carolina to the West. Soft Rain and her mother are forced to grab belongings and start the journey without Soft Rain's father and brother. For grades 3-6.1998.
The Indian in The Cupboard, BR011529, by Lynne Reid Banks
Omri is disappointed with the miniature plastic Indian that his best friend gives him for his birthday until the toy comes to life as a fierce Iroquois Indian only three inches tall. A witty story for grades 4-7 and older readers. 1980.
Notable Native People: 50 indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present, BR024611 and DB110751, by Adrienne Keene
An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Celebrate the lives, stories, and contributions of Indigenous artists, activists, scientists, athletes, and other changemakers in this illustrated collection. Also offers accessible primers on important Indigenous issues, from the legacy of colonialism and cultural appropriation to food sovereignty, land and water rights, and more. For junior and senior high readers. 2023.
Sometime a Clear Light: a Photographer's Journey Through Alaska, Nigeria, and Life, DBC11722, by Aylette Jenness
The author reflects on living with her husband and two small children in a tiny Yu'pik village in Alaska in the early 1960s, as well as the time they spent in Africa from 1966 to 1969. In this memoir, Jenness, now 87, looks back at her life to find insight into the past as she is losing her physical sight due to macular degeneration. 2023.
As Long as Grass Grows: the Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock, DB096474, by Dina Gilio-Whitaker
Examination of the role of indigenous populations in the pursuit of environmental justice in the Americas from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century. Topics include explaining environmental justice theory, genocide, impacts of western expansion and the Industrial Revolution, sacred sites, and potential policies for the future. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
Indigenous Continent: the Epic Contest for North America, DB110928, by Pekka Hämäläinen
This nation's history and self-understanding have long depended on the notion of a "colonial America," an epoch that supposedly laid the foundation for the modern United States. In Indigenous Continent, Pekka Hämäläinen overturns the traditional, Eurocentric narrative, demonstrating that, far from being weak and helpless "victims" of European colonialism, Indigenous peoples controlled North America well into the 19th century. From the Iroquois and Pueblos to the Lakotas and Comanches, Native empires frequently decimated white newcomers in battle, forcing them to accept and even adopt Native ways. Even as the white population skyrocketed and colonists' land greed become ever more extravagant, Indigenous peoples flourished due to sophisticated diplomacy and flexible leadership structures. As Hämäläinen ultimately contends, instead of "colonial America" we should speak of an "Indigenous America" that was only slowly and unevenly becoming colonial. In our myth-busting era, this restoration of Native Americans to their rightful place at the very center of American history will be seen as one of the most important correctives yet. 2022.
Words Like Thunder: New and Used Anishinaabe Prayers, BR023167, by Lois Beardslee
Collection of poetry and prose exploring the lives of Native peoples from the upper Midwest while also being reflective of indigenous people around the world. "The Anishinaabe Children's Strawberry-Picking Rule" reflects on the joys and lessons of childhood and the transmission of culture between generations. 2020.
The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: Vol 1, The Iroquois, BR012845, by Barbara Riefe
As Margaret Addison-Lacroix sails up the Hudson River to meet the man she married by proxy, Indians attack her boat. She is rescued by Oneidas, who eventually help her reach Quebec. Prequel to For Love of Two Eagles (BR 12846). Some violence and some strong language. 1994.
For Love of Two Eagles: Vol 2, The Iroquois, BR012846, by Barbara Riefe
In this sequel to The Woman Who Fell from the Sky (BR 12845) Margaret, living as an Oneida with her husband, Two Eagles, is pregnant. The couple must deal with Two Eagles’ first wife's brother and with the man Margaret's father has sent to recover her. Some violence and some strong language.1995.
Mohawk Woman: Vol 3, The Iroquois, BR012847, by Barbara Riefe
This sequel to For Love of Two Eagles (BR 12846) focuses on Two Eagles’ cousin, Sky Toucher, and his beloved Singing Brook, both Mohawks. Though their estranged families oppose their marriage, the two are determined to wed. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1996.
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, DB082383, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A history of the United States exploring the perspective of its indigenous peoples. Dunbar-Ortiz analyzes how native tribes actively resisted national expansion and examines the systematic destruction of the lives and cultures of the native civilizations present in North America before European colonization. Violence. 2014.
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History, DB115217, by Ned Blackhawk
A sweeping and overdue retelling of U.S. history that recognizes that Native Americans are essential to understanding the evolution of modern America. The most enduring feature of U.S. history is the presence of Native Americans, yet most histories focus on Europeans and their descendants. This long practice of ignoring Indigenous history is changing, however, with a new generation of scholars insists that any full American history address the struggle, survival, and resurgence of American Indian nations. Indigenous history is essential to understanding the evolution of modern America. Ned Blackhawk interweaves five centuries of Native and non-Native histories, from Spanish colonial exploration to the rise of Native American self-determination in the late twentieth century. agency, and survival of Indigenous peoples, yielding a truer account of the United States and revealing anew the varied meanings of America. Some strong language. 2023.