Native American Nonfiction
National Native American Heritage Month, observed in November, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions – historical and ongoing – of American Indians and Alaska Natives. This list was created by a librarian at The Seattle Public Library; annotations by staff, or as cited. (Created October 2024)
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Our Way--a Parallel History
"This expansive compendium seeks to correct the stereotypes, false information, and missing history of Indigenous peoples that have defined the origin stories America tells about itself. Cajune, a longtime educator and citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, prioritizes "stories of people and place rather than dates and events, providing a glimpse into the very human side of history."" (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Anishinaabe Songs for A New Millennium
"Poem-songs summon the voices of Anishinaabe ancestors and sing to future generations. The ancestors that walk with us, sing us our song. When we get quiet enough, we can hear them sing and make them audible to people today. In Anishinaabe Songs for a New Millennium, Marcie R. Rendon, a member of the White Earth Nation, summons those ancestors' songs, and so begins the dream singing for generations yet to come." (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Becoming Story
"A Coast Miwok leader narrates his life through essays focusing on his connection to the natural world and his ancestors. ... A fascinating and evocative memoir in essays." (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Indian Card
Schuettpelz (Lumbee) "writes about what it means for Indigenous people to prove their identity, as they are often forced by governments to validate who they are. Schuettpelz considers the shifting meaning and history of Indigenous identity from before colonization to the latest census." (Library Journal)
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw
"One hundred years after Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) leadership signed an amalgamation agreement that declared several communities in Squamish territory as one nation, this accessible history of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people traces our stories from ancient times to the present. Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come from This Land is a powerful introduction to our vast history and a launching point for discovering more about the different places, people, and stories offered here." (Publisher Description)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Whiskey Tender
"Taffa [Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo] recounts her childhood and teenage years in New Mexico during the 1970s and ‘80s. In doing so, Taffa unravels the traumas carried across generations, and situates her story within a colonial and national history of injustice, exploitation, and dispossession. The result of a lifetime, Taffa’s remarkable debut stands out from other contemporary memoirs and Native American literature." (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Unpapered
"Unpapered brings together personal narratives of Indigenous writers to explore the meaning and limits of Native American identity beyond its legal margins." (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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We Are the Middle of Forever
This collection of interviews with Indigenous Americans from a variety of communities explores climate change from Indigenous viewpoints, reflecting on past actions and possible futures.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Making Love With the Land
In this memoir-in-essays, Whitehead, a Two-Spirit, Oji-nêhiyaw member of Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1), examines the complex, evolving relationships between language, queerness, the body, and the land.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Project 562
Through photographs and interviews, visual storyteller Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary Indigenous life across the United States.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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