Celebrating and recognizing Native American Heritage Month is essential, as it provides an opportunity to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous peoples while fostering understanding and respect. Native American cultures are incredibly diverse, with over 570 federally recognized tribes in the United States, each with its own languages, traditions, and histories. Reading stories and memoirs written by Indigenous peoples can foster awareness for educators and increase appreciation for the diversity and vibrancy of Native American cultures.
Here’s a selection of powerful nonfiction books and memoirs by Indigenous authors, perfect to expand your knowledge this Native American Heritage Month:
Crazy Brave
Author: Joy Harjo
Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, weaves together her experiences growing up in Oklahoma, her struggles with personal and societal challenges, and her ultimate journey toward becoming a renowned poet and musician. The book explores her quest for identity, resilience, and healing through her art and connection to her cultural roots. Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo is a deeply moving memoir that blends poetry, prose, and personal narrative to share the life story of one of the most celebrated Native American writers and the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate.
Themes: Resilience Through Adversity, Cultural Identity and Connection, Empowerment and Feminism
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
Author: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Part of the “ReVisioning American History” series, Dunbar-Ortiz’s book examines over 400 years of U.S. history, from the arrival of European colonists to contemporary struggles for Indigenous rights. It disrupts conventional histories by documenting the deliberate policies of genocide, displacement, and cultural erasure implemented against Native Americans. Simultaneously, it highlights Indigenous resistance, resilience, and contributions to the shaping of the United States.
Themes: Colonialism as the Foundation of the U.S., Economic Exploitation of Native Lands
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is a beautifully crafted blend of memoir, Indigenous wisdom, and ecological science. As a botanist, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and a gifted storyteller, Kimmerer weaves together her expertise and cultural heritage to explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Her work is a collection of essays that combine personal anecdotes, scientific inquiry, and traditional ecological knowledge. Kimmerer reflects on her experiences as both a scientist and an Indigenous woman, emphasizing the importance of reciprocity, gratitude, and interconnectedness in our interactions with the environment.
Themes: Reciprocity with the Earth, Healing Through Connection, Scientific Inquiry
Heart Berries: A Memoir
Author: Terese Marie Mailhot
This emotionally raw and deeply poetic memoir explores themes of identity, trauma, love, and healing. As a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia, Mailhot shares her experiences growing up on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation, grappling with personal and generational pain, and reclaiming her story through the power of writing. Through her narrative, she confronts the intersections of mental illness, abuse, motherhood, and the struggles of being an Indigenous woman in a world that often marginalizes Native voices.
Themes: Cultural Identity and Marginalization, Generational Trauma, Motherhood
House Made of Dawn
Author: N. Scott Momaday
House Made of Dawn is a seminal work of Native American literature that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969, making it a landmark in bringing Indigenous stories to a broader audience. The novel is a powerful exploration of identity, cultural dislocation, and the search for meaning in a world fractured by colonialism. Through its poetic prose and profound themes, Momaday captures the spiritual and cultural struggles of Native Americans in the mid-20th century.
Themes: Connection to Land and Spirituality, Cultural Dislocation and Identity, Alienation in Urban Settings
The Round House
Author: Louise Erdrich
Winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction, the book is both a coming-of-age story and a powerful commentary on the intersection of personal trauma and systemic injustices faced by Indigenous communities. The Round House is a gripping, multilayered novel that examines themes of justice, identity, and cultural resilience within the context of a Native American reservation. The novel explores the ripple effects of violence in an Indigenous community, the bonds of family, and the fraught relationship between Native and non-Native systems of law.
Themes: Coming of Age, Justice and Legal Inequities, Community and Resilience
There There
Author: Tommy Orange
Published in 2018 to widespread critical acclaim, There There weaves together the stories of twelve characters whose lives converge at a tragic powwow in Oakland, California. Through its powerful narrative, the novel explores themes of identity, cultural continuity, intergenerational trauma, and resilience, offering a vivid portrait of what it means to be Native in the modern world.
Themes: Cultural Survival and Adaptation, Urban Native Identity, Collective Experience
As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock
Author: Dina Gilio-Whitaker
This compelling nonfiction work examines the critical intersection of environmental justice and Indigenous rights. The book not only chronicles historical injustices faced by Native communities but also highlights their ongoing leadership in advocating for environmental protection and sovereignty. Published in 2019, it serves as both a historical account and a call to action, emphasizing the unique relationship Indigenous peoples have with the land and the importance of their voices in shaping environmental policy.
Themes: Environmental Justice & Exploitation, Indigenous Sovereignty, Grassroots Activism
Lakota Woman
Author: Mary Crow Dog
This powerful memoir recounts Mary Crow Dog’s life as a Lakota woman and her involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM). Published in 1990, the book provides an unflinching look at the struggles of Native Americans in the 20th century, particularly the systemic oppression, cultural erasure, and activism that defined much of Crow Dog’s life. The memoir is a deeply personal account that interweaves the history of Indigenous resistance with Crow Dog’s experiences of poverty, discrimination, and her journey to reclaim her Lakota identity and heritage.
Themes: Cultural Survival and Identity, Systemic Oppression, Historical Continuity
Winter Counts
Author: David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Winter Counts is a gripping novel that follows Virgil Wounded Horse, an enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, tackling drug epidemics and systemic corruption. This thought-provoking novel blends elements of crime fiction with Native American culture and history. Published in 2020, Weiden’s debut work offers a unique perspective on contemporary life on a Native American reservation, specifically the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where the protagonist, Virgil Wounded Horse, works as a “vigilante” or enforcer of justice. The novel explores issues of law, identity, and the intersection of tradition and modernity in Native American communities.
Themes: Cultural Resilience, Justice and Sovereignty, Family and Loyalty
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This listicle was written as a collaborative effort by the team at Social Studies School Service. It has been edited for clarity and length.