The Bookish Mutant’s Books for Native American Heritage Month

Happy Thursday, bibliophiles!

Here in the U.S., November is Native American Heritage Month! I’m surprised that I haven’t compiled a list for the occasion yet, but to be fair, November tends to be a busy month for me. But now that I’m a few days away from break, I figured I would use that time to make this list.

Despite the wonderful boost in diversity in YA and adult literature in the past decade or so, I’ve seen very little of that diversity focused on Indigenous characters and stories. It could be just me, from an outsider perspective, but diversity means boosting all voices—not just the few that you can think of off the top of your head when you think of the word “diversity.” And as an American, I know full well that we are and always have been living on stolen land, so it’s important to read outside of what our history books teach us. So I’ve compiled some of my favorite books by Native American, Indigenous, and First Nations authors for the occasion.

Let’s begin, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

FANTASY:

A Snake Falls to Earth – Darcie Little Badger | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To Shape A Dragon’s Breath – Moniquill Blackgoose | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
VenCo – Cherie Dimaline | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elatsoe – Darcie Little Badger | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Black Sun – Rebecca Roanhorse | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

REALISTIC FICTION & HISTORICAL FICTION:

Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pemmican Wars (A Girl Called Echo, #1) – Katherena Vermette & Scott Henderson | Middle Grade | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ceremony – Leslie Marmon Silko | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Surviving the City – Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Warrior Girl Unearthed – Angeline Boulley | YA | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, what did you think of them? What are your favorite books by Indigenous authors? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song: