Here’s a list of books written by indigenous authors to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month.
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Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
Fry bread is food.
It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.
Fry bread is time.
It brings families together for meals and new memories.
Fry bread is nation.
It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.
Fry bread is us.
It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.
The Barren Grounds by David Alexander Robertson
I have to admit: I didn’t expect to like this book. I read Barren Grounds by David Robertson as part of the Choice Literacy book club for February. I typically do not enjoy reading fantasy, so I was a bit hesitant as I turned those first pages. I didn’t want to like it…..but I did. In fact, I loved it. While there is certainly a fantasy element of the book, the characters were real. Morgan and Eli, Indigenous foster-siblings forced from their parents, stole my heart from the beginning with their real, raw emotions and need for connection. So, when the story started to move from realistic fiction to fantasy, I was all in. I learned right alongside Morgan and Eli about the power of connection and family bonds, biological or otherwise, appreciation for whatever is available to us and the beauty of the natural world. I never thought I’d learn lessons from fantastical animals that have such powerful human implications….but I did. And I’ll eagerly look forward to the next book in the Misewa Saga series: The Great Bear.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
It’s been a long while since I’ve been so heavily invested in a book in so many different ways. But Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley brought me deep into the reading experience. The strong characters, the twisting powerful plot and the immersion in a culture unlike my own invited me into the pages like no other young adult novel has. Boulley introduces us to Daunis Fontaine, a young woman caught between worlds and families as she strives to find her way. I became fascinated with her spirit, her heart, her devotion to her culture and community and her fearlessness. Faced with tragedy, personal battles and the weight of a community on her secretive shoulders, Daunis and her family taught me about togetherness, about honoring where we’ve been and choosing our way with quiet confidence. I’m still breathless.
