Every November, my book club picks a book by a Native American author. It’s become sort of a Thanksgiving tradition for us now.
It’s a great way to elevate Native voices and educate ourselves, especially around holidays with questionable origins, like Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.
Instead of waiting until November, I wanted to bring you all this list of great books by Native American authors in time for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
When is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
This year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day falls on Monday, October 14, 2024. In the United States, the holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of October every year.
It is the same day as what was formerly known as Columbus Day.
What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an American holiday that celebrates the diversity, history, and culture of Native peoples. Similar holidays around the world honor Indigenous people, and may have different names.
The October holiday was officially recognized in the United States by President Biden in his proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 8, 2021.
Though the official proclamation is quite recent, the holiday to honor Indigenous peoples instead of the colonizer, Christopher Columbus, has been celebrated for decades. Some US states even adopted it as a state holiday as early as 1988.
Native American Heritage Month
President Biden has also proclaimed November as National Native American Heritage Month. It is a month to honor the history, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples.
This year, Americans are encouraged to celebrate Native American Heritage Day on November 29, 2024.
Indigenous People’s Day Book List
I’ve chosen these books by Indigenous authors as a way to honor Native American heritage. This list focuses on Native American fiction authors.
I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day by reading their work.
There There
Tommy Orange
Genre: Literary Fiction; Length: 294 pages
There There by Tommy Orange tells the independent stories of twelve Native American characters whose lives will converge at the Big Oakland community Powwow.
They don’t know it yet, but they area all somehow connected. The novel culminates with all the characters interacting and storylines overlapping in a climactic ending at the Powwow.
Each individual’s story is raw and unapologetic, touching on a different part of modern Native American life.
I was saddened by many of the stories that featured topics like gang violence, substance abuse, and poverty. The author juxtaposed these stories against themes of community, spirituality, and connection.
Overall, There There explored the complex struggles of a community with a painful past, without shying away from any of the reality.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
Genre: Horror; Length: 416 pages
Growing up, I was always told to never whistle at night. My grandparents believed that whistling after dark could attract evil spirits, and honestly, the thought of something following me home scared me enough to never try it. This belief is also shared by many Native Americans.
Never Whistle at Night brings these chilling beliefs to life with a collection of stories that feature ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, and complex family legacies.
Each tale really captures the spirit of Indigenous survival and imagination. I was truly terrified!
It’s a national bestseller, and was even nominated for a Shirley Jackon book award. When it comes to Native American books, could this be the most frightening?
The Firekeeper’s Daughter
Angeline Boulley
Genre: Young Adult; Length: 488 pages
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley tells the swashbuckling story of Daunis Fontaine, hockey player, teenager, and bi-racial, unenrolled tribal member.
Daunis has typical teenage struggles – boys, school, friends. But she has the added layer of dealing with tragedy in her own family, as well as navigating her identity as a biracial Native American.
Her story is kicked up a notch when she witnesses a murder and is thrust into an investigation as an undercover cop. Daunis then has to navigate policing, deception, and otherness in her own community.
I really appreciated Daunis’ struggles trying to fit in and not feeling “enough” for either her Ojibwe or white communities. The murder mystery of the book was really compelling and kept me reading.
To me, it was a little unbelievable that this teenager had so much responsibility in a criminal investigation, but it is YA, so I’ll accept it.
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Genre: Nonfiction; Length: 391 pages
In Braiding Sweetgrass, botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer shares life lessons on ecology and earth appreciation through a scientific and spiritual lens.
As a member of the Potowatomi Nation, Kimmerer brings an enlightening outlook to non-Natives, challenging ideas of land ownership, abundance, capitalism, and our relationship with other living things.
I am ashamed to say I did not finish this book, but what I did read was so valuable.
Ironically, I think I stopped because the book moves very slowly. In retrospect, I think that was kind of the point. Patience is a virtue to express with all living things.
Kimmerer really made me feel that when she recounts the story of tapping maple trees with her daughters. They spent hours working in the cold to eventually enjoy just a few spoonfuls of maple syrup.
If you are very spiritual and interested in the natural world, you will love this book!
Split Tooth
Tanya Tagaq
Genre: Literary Fiction; Length: 202 pages
Split Tooth is a debut novel by Tanya Tagaq, internationally acclaimed Inuit throat singer.
Split Tooth follows a girl who grows up in Nunavut (Canada) in the 1970s. In her small arctic town, she experiences boredom, listlessness, and bullying, as well as love, friendship, and joy.
When she becomes pregnant, she must navigate this as well as the spiritual world and the world of myth.
Viking calls it “Haunting, brooding, exhilarating, and tender all at once, Tagaq moves effortlessly between fiction and memoir, myth and reality, poetry and prose, and conjures a world and a heroine readers will never forget.”
Split Tooth is on my fall reading list for sure! I received a copy through my And Other Stories subscription box, and they always have such unique picks, I know I’m going to like it. Not to mention, it won the Indigenous Voices Award in 2019.
If you’re curious about throat singing, check out Tanya Tagaq’s music video for “Colonizer” below. I find it to be delicate and rageful at the same time.
Wandering Stars
Tommy Orange
Genre: Literary Fiction; Length: 336 pages
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange tells a multi-generational story stemming from survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
Though not exactly a sequel of There There, Orange picks up where his first novel left off. In Wandering Stars, the author expands on the stories of the present-day characters, Lonnie and Orville, from There There by weaving in stories of their ancestors.
Steeped in generational trauma, Wandering Stars examines the Native American diaspora.
Star, Charles, and Opal, ancestors who survived boarding schools, see the struggles of their people shift over generations. Orville and Lonnie, teenagers in present-day, battle addiction and homelessness, while Sean explores his newfound indigenous heritage.
All question what it means to be native in an ever-changing landscape of identity.
For those who enjoyed There There, this book is a must-read. In Tommy Orange fashion, I found Wandering Stars to be the perfect balance between plot and prose.
Bonus Picks
Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann
Genre: Nonfiction ; Length: 416 pages
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann is a non-fiction account of the mysterious mass murders of many wealthy Osage tribe members by their white neighbors and “friends” in Oklahama in the 1920s.
It is the inspiration for the 2023 film by Martin Scorsese under the same name, starring Lily Gladstone, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro.
Killers of the Flower Moon was an excellent book – heavily researched and highly readable. I gave it 5 stars in my book review because it exposes the truth behind an appalling time in American history that I think is really important to read about. Plus, it tells this history of the Osage nation in an engaging and interesting way.
The author, David Grann, is an American journalist, and is not native. I chose this book as a bonus pick because, although the author is not Native American, this non-fiction book is excellent for those wanting to educate themselves on American history.
Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogs is a TV show on FX rather than a book, but I like it so much that I had to include it here. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taita Waititi, it is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost entirely Indigenous cast and production team.
Reservation Dogs follows a group of teenage friends (the Rez Dogs) living on an American Indian reservation in Oklahoma. Bear, Cheese, Elora, and Willie Jack get up to lots of shenanigans (commit crimes).
Along the way, they learn some hard lessons, and build the bonds of friendship and family. The show captures the desperation of youth – having nowhere to go, nothing to do, and very little agency.
It’s also hilarious.
Reservation Dogs tells the intimate stories of all the characters in this close-knit community. Complete with the archetypes of any small community, you will fall in love with these characters. You have the weird uncle, the matriarchs, the bullies, the shop owners.
I love the relationships between the elders and the young ones and seeing the Rez Dogs learn their culture through their offbeat interactions with the elders.
This show is a must-watch! And for your listening pleasure – enjoy Punkin’ Lusty’s song, “Greasy Frybread” from Season 1 below.
Before You Go…
I hope you’ve enjoyed my collection of the best books by Native American authors. Please leave a message if you’ve read any.
If you need more fall book recommendations:
- Here’s my Fall Book List with plenty of cozy books that are perfect for curling up in front of the fire with.
- I’ve also just completed this Pie Cookbook Recommendations post. They make great gifts—everybody loves pie!
- And if you really need some great gift ideas for the holiday season, try my Christmas Gift Guide for 2024.
