November is National Native American Heritage Month, and we asked our followers to help us put together a list of Indigenous bookstagrammers you should be following! We also asked them for a book recommendation, so start in November and then #ReadIndigenous all year long.
- Alexis (@littlelionslibrary) said: “I’d absolutely have to recommend Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. It’s a heart-wrenching story about family, dealing with loss, and letting cultural teachings and stories guide you through life and all of it’s pain and triumphs!”
- Kaela (@ilovebooksokae) said: “I would have to suggest Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. This book takes place in a pre-colonial South Americas, with a largely nonheteronormative/cisgender society. Roanhorse is able to create such exceptional and moving characters within pages of meeting them. Her plot was so strong and anxiety-inducing that I could barely put the book down once I started reading it. You get femme bisexual pirate captains, a soft and gentle crow god, and a hardened and shocking sun priest. It’s the first book in a trilogy and it absolutely blew me away!”
- Autumn (@chaptermalliumpkin) said: “I have to recommend The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Though this book is more for an older crowd, this book is an atmospheric read, full of Blackfeet culture and beliefs. Don’t let this slow burn horror fool you, this book highlights many important elements like basketball being a sport that keeps many rez children from falling down a rough path or how being Native/Indigenous, you grow up with the traditions of your elders and how it comes into play in your adulthood. This book is perfect to pick up during the spooky season and NAHM.” To hear more of Autumn’s thoughts, check out her full review here.
- Melitta (@the.midnight.librarian) recommends: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. “This book has a great balance and is just over all satisfying. Mystery, family connection, great friendships, vampires and ghosts, and finding self control and comfort. I can’t get enough of this book.”
- Vanessa and Betsy (@roomie_reads) said: “Winter Counts is a crime thriller by Sicangu Lakota writer David Heska Wanbli Weiden. There were little details that really showed how important it is to have Indigenous authors writing about Indigenous people — especially since Weiden is writing about his own reservation. He touched on so many issues that Indigenous people can face today, most notably the issue with federal jurisdiction on reservations. We both loved how Weiden is normalizing indigenous language by not italicizing the Lakota words in Winter Counts.”
- Michelle (@thor.wants.another.letter) said: “My personal recommendation is Apple in the Middle by Dawn Quigley, and I love it because it made me feel seen. When I was about 15, around Apple’s age, I was very insecure with the color of my skin. I didn’t want to get tan or show my arms. I loved seeing Apple overcome this insecurity and love her skin tone. I also recommend Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden for the Lakota representation!”
- Sasha (@anishinaabekwereads) said: “I recommend Lois Beardslee’s Words Like Thunder: New and Used Anishinaabe Prayers. She breathes out the intimate knowledges and relationships Anishinaabe people (especially women) have to lands, waters, and other creations. Central to this collection is the symbiosis of life in the great lakes region and how through environmental destruction Anishinaabe people suffer alongside nonhuman relatives. Beardslee has crafted such emotive, thought-provoking pieces that kept me completely absorbed and coming back for rereads even months later.”
- Lelah (@theprosepantry) said: “Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese is an Indigenous coming-of-age story that leans in to the pain and trauma that is so present in the daily life of so many of our young people. But it also tells a story of profound love and a grounding in cultural teachings that leaves me breathless on every read.”
- Destiny (@myhoneyreads) said: “I recommend Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith. It’s a great YA with a strong female protagonist and several important messages about Indigenous empowerment in social settings.”
- Weezie (@weeziesbooks) said: “I’d love to recommend Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse! Rebecca has a talent for world building and tying tradition stories into a modern story. I love that this book is a story of Indigenous survival and ingenuity!”
- Melitta (@the.midnight.librarian) recommends: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. “This book has a great balance and is just over all satisfying. Mystery, family connection, great friendships, vampires and ghosts, and finding self control and comfort. I can’t get enough of this book.”
And for even more Indigenous influencers, Erin (@erins_library) has a very helpful highlight!
Ellen Whitfield is senior publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
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