Native American Heritage Month Books by Native Authors
While #OwnVoices books should be celebrated all year round, November is the time when we pause to give special attention to the works of indigenous authors. Below are wonderful new Native American Heritage Month books by Native authors. They are a mix of fiction and non-fiction, books for young readers and teens, books about history and books with contemporary settings.
Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of some of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Native American Heritage Month Books by Native Authors
Below are our favorite new Native American Heritage Month books by Native authors!
This delightful story from a beloved Indigenous Canadian playwright, novelist, children’s author and musician, has the feel of a folktale. Rabbits compete in a magnificent competition before the great Salamoo Cook, the Grand Chief of all rabbits. Can Weeskits win the contest to help his brother? The prize of a year’s supply of healing juice could cure his brother’s wife of her terrible illness. The tale takes an unexpected turn when Weeskits is paired with a fierce and powerful partner, yet he screws up his courage in order to help his family. The book is accompanied by lively jazz music sung in Cree. These songs can be accessed on all streaming platforms through a QR code in the book.
Buy Grand Chief Salamoo Cook Is Coming to Town! on Amazon or Bookshop
This poignant tale is a true story, gifted by the author’s mother, who was taken to a boarding school when she was just four years old. The story demonstrates the hardship the indigenous students endured – loneliness, harsh punishments, and hunger – but also their creativity and solidarity in finding ingenious ways to survive their ordeal. The girls sew secret pockets in their dress in order to sneak from the kitchen the extra food they so desperately needed. Be sure to read the author’s note about how this story is being honored for many indigenous high school and university graduates today.
Buy The Secret Pocket on Amazon or Bookshop
This is the incredible true story of when two Native baseball players faced off against each other during the 1911 World Series. The parallel stories show the differences and commonalities between their upbringings – both grew up in poverty, but only one endured the infamous residential school system – as well as the racism they both faced playing their beloved sport. The horrible stereotypes that dogged them despite their obvious talent and success on the field is demonstrated by shocking quotes pulled from major newspapers at the time. A wonderful parallel biography of two great athletes who paved the way for indigenous athletes.
Buy Contenders on Amazon or Bookshop
This biography of Deb Haaland is past of the fabulous She Persisted series about inspiring women. Haaland is part of recent history, becoming the first Native American appointed to a Cabinet position, when she was sworn in as the Secretary of the Interior. This engaging biography shows the experiences that shaped her, especially her time spent with her grandparents in New Mexico as part of the Laguna Pueblo Nation. The book expertly shows how she carried those values into adulthood, even as she faced financial hardships raising a child and pursuing her education. I also love how the book helps children grasp the significance of Haaland’s achievements and how she is using her position to bring about more equity for Native Americans, including launching an investigations into Indian boarding schools.
Buy She Persisted: Deb Haaland on Amazon or Bookshop
This remarkable YA novel is a contemporary story of a teen dealing with the loss of his beloved older brother. Since Jaxon was a high school basketball star, Tre strives to follow in his footsteps by making the varsity team. But most of all, he wants to honor his brother’s legacy but achieving what he could not – lead the rez high school team to the state championships for the first time. But his pursuit of this dream puts incredible pressure on Tre, as he tries to win not just for himself but for his brother. A compelling story about how grief can weigh on us but also propel us forward.
Buy Rez Ball on Amazon or Bookshop
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