Indigenous People's Literature

Every November, we honor the talent, wisdom, and histories of the Indigenous peoples of the United States. Featuring poetry, memoirs, fiction, and more, the selections in this Collection highlight the range of voices, experiences, and literary contributions of Indigenous writers.

People of the Whale

by Linda Hogan

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Family, Apathy, Conflict, Guilt, Self Discovery, Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Animals, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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Popol Vuh

by Anonymous

Publication year 1554

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Popol Vuh is a cultural narrative of the Quiché people that blends folklore, mythology, and historical accounts. The contents of the Popol Vuh have been relayed through oral tradition for many years, and its written form has suffered many losses following Spanish colonization of Latin America. Spanish colonizers destroyed nearly all Quiché texts and codices, including the Popol Vuh. Thus, the earliest known version of the Popol Vuh that exists is a Spanish translation... Read Popol Vuh Summary

Potiki

by Patricia Grace

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Birth

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Classic Fiction

Potiki, a novel by Patricia Grace originally published in 1986, tells the story of a Maori community in New Zealand and their struggle for survival against the attempts of land developers to buy, bully and coerce them off their land. What the developers fail to understand about this community, however, is that no amount of money can entice these people away from their sacred land and buildings, and that there is ultimately more strength in... Read Potiki Summary

Power

by Linda Hogan

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Indigenous Identity

Tags Magical Realism, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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Pushing the Bear

by Diane Glancy

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Indigenous Identity, Death, Place, Family, Colonialism, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, US History, Social Justice, Education, Education, World History

Written by Diane Glancy in 1996, Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears follows a group of Cherokee people as they are forced to relocate to “Indian Territory” in Oklahoma in 1838 and 1839. The novel is told from varying perspectives of members of the Cherokee Nation as well as soldiers, reverends, and disembodied voices. These shifting perspectives create a fragmented yet nuanced narrative as Glancy weaves together multiple viewpoints and utilizes... Read Pushing the Bear Summary

Ragged Company

by Richard Wagamese

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Fate, Family, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Memory, Forgiveness, Guilt, Indigenous Identity, Justice, Community

Tags Poverty, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Grief & Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

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Reservation Blues

by Sherman Alexie

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, The Past

Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Fantasy

Reservation Blues tells the story of Coyote Springs, a Spokane Indian rock band. The band is founded on a reservation, slowly gathers fans, and begins to play shows. Coyote Springs is given the chance to audition for a major record company in New York City, but, ultimately, the band does not succeed. The book combines traditional narrative with a mixture of other narrative techniques, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, interviews, and excerpts from journals. Together... Read Reservation Blues Summary

Rez Ball

by Byron Graves

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Memory, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Sports, Grief & Death

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Rez Dogs

by Joseph Bruchac

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Community, Grandparents, Love, Animals, Indigenous Identity

Tags Animals, Health, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

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Rez Life

by David Treuer

Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Nation, Politics & Government, Indigenous Identity

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Politics & Government, Poverty, American Literature, Colonial America, World History, Biography

Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life (2012) is the fifth work by American writer, critic, and anthropologist David Treuer, and his first work of non-fiction. Treuer would follow this work, seven years later, with the publication of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present (2019), an in-depth study of Indigenous history and reservation life. Many of the historical events and themes that Treuer covers in this book are... Read Rez Life Summary

Sabrina & Corina: Stories

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Publication year 2019

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Tags Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction

Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s short story collection Sabrina & Corina (2019) centers the lives of Latinx, Indigenous women and their daily struggles, including poverty, racism, and addictions of various kinds. All of the stories take place in Colorado.Plot SummaryIn “Sugar Babies,” preteen Sierra struggles with coming to terms with her mother, who was a teen mother who abandoned her when she was a child. In school, Sierra is forced to participate in an exercise in which she... Read Sabrina & Corina: Stories Summary

Shell Shaker

by LeAnne Howe

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Action & Adventure, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

LeAnne Howe’s Shell Shaker was first published in 2001; this guide refers to the 2007 Kindle edition. Howe, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a professor of English specializing in Native American studies. A former Fulbright Scholar, Howe received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas. Shell Shaker received an American Book Award in 2002.One on hand, the novel is a mystery about who killed... Read Shell Shaker Summary