Celebrate Native American Heritage!

By Kat La Mantia | October 9 2023 | BlogAdultsChildren'sGeneralAll

November is National American Indian Heritage Month, and for PRH, it’s a time to celebrate the original people of this land and uplift Indigenous voices making their mark in the literary world. Read Native American stories in every genre from contemporary fiction like Never Whistle at Night and Earthdivers, Vol. 1: Kill Columbus to groundbreaking nonfiction like Project 562 and the 10th anniversary edition of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Children can learn about notable icons like prima ballerina Maria Tallchief, connect with their favorite Indigenous characters from the animated hit Spirit Rangers with Hoop Dance Heroes!, and learn about tribal nations and traditions with books like We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, which celebrates the Cherokee Nation.

Books are vital to understanding ourselves and those around us. Use this month as a starting place to read more beloved stories and critical history by Indigenous authors. From award-winning modern and classic fiction to nonfiction and young adult, there are so many books to choose from! See some of our favorites below, and then click through our title lists to explore even more.

Native American Heritage Month – Gift

Native American Heritage Month – Children’s

Project 562
Changing the Way We See Native America
978-1-9848-5952-5
A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes.
$50.00 US
Apr 25, 2023
10 x 10
Hardcover
416 Pages
Ten Speed Press

Winter's Gifts
978-0-593-57781-3
A vibrantly illustrated children's book about an Indigenous girl who finds awe in the resting and waiting that winter teaches us and shares with her friends how Creator's gift of gratitude can transform the way we see the world.
$14.99 US
Oct 31, 2023
11 x 8-1/2
Hardcover
40 Pages
Convergent Books
Age 3-7 years

Notable Native People
50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present
978-1-9848-5794-1
An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
$18.99 US
Oct 19, 2021
7 x 9
Hardcover
144 Pages
Ten Speed Press

Go Show the World
A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes
978-0-7352-6292-8
"We are a people who matter." Inspired by President Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing, Go Show the World is a tribute to historic and modern-day Indigenous heroes, featuring important figures such as Tecumseh, Sacagawea and former NASA astronaut John Herrington.
$17.99 US
Sep 11, 2018
11-3/8 x 10-3/8
Hardcover
40 Pages
Tundra Books
Age 5-9 years

Killers of the Flower Moon
The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
978-0-307-74248-3
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of Z comes the twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about the systematic killing of Native Americans from the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma, inspired by greed for their oil wealth.
$17.00 US
Apr 03, 2018
5-3/16 x 8
Paperback
416 Pages
Vintage

I am Sacagawea
978-0-593-61918-6
Now in paperback, here is the inspiring story of Sacagawea, the only Native American included in Lewis and Clark's historic expedition, part of the New York Times Bestselling biography series about heroes for ages 5 to 9.
$9.99 US
Mar 28, 2023
7-1/2 x 7-1/2
Paperback
40 Pages
Rocky Pond Books
Age 5-9 years

Never Whistle at Night
An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
978-0-593-46846-3
A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and gritty crime by both new and established Indigenous authors that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?”
$17.00 US
Sep 19, 2023
5-3/16 x 8
Paperback
416 Pages
Vintage

Colors of the Park! (Spirit Rangers)
978-0-593-57105-7
An activity book introducing kids to the characters of Netflix’s latest preschool show, Spirit Rangers–complete with a rainbow colored pencil!
$8.99 US
Jun 06, 2023
7-7/8 x 10-7/8
Paperback
128 Pages
Golden Books
Age 3-7 years

Yellow Bird
Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country
978-0-399-58917-1
The true crime story of a murder on an Indian reservation, and the unforgettable Arikara woman who becomes obsessed with solving it--an urgent, page-turning work of literary journalism and social criticism.
$20.00 US
Feb 16, 2021
5-3/16 x 8
Paperback
400 Pages
Random House Trade Paperbacks

Keepunumuk
Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
978-1-62354-290-0
In this Wampanoag story told in a Native tradition, two kids from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe learn the story of Weeâchumun (corn) and the first Thanksgiving. 
$17.99 US
Aug 02, 2022
11 x 8-1/2
Hardcover
32 Pages
Charlesbridge
Age 3-7 years

Earth Medicines
Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera
978-1-61180-843-8
An accessible guide to time-honored Indigenous wisdom, healing recipes, and wellness rituals for modern life from an experienced curandera.
$24.95 US
Nov 02, 2021
7-1/2 x 9-1/2
Hardcover
224 Pages
Roost Books

Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers?
978-0-399-54265-7
Learn how this heroic group of American Indian men created a secret, unbreakable code and helped the US win major battles during World War II in this new addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
$6.99 US
Oct 26, 2021
5-5/16 x 7-5/8
Paperback
112 Pages
Penguin Workshop
Age 8-12 years

Carry
A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land
978-1-9848-2120-1
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A powerful, poetic memoir about what it means to exist as an Indigenous woman in America, told in snapshots of the author’s encounters with gun violence. “Essential . . . We need more voices like Toni Jensen’s, more books like Carry.”—Tommy Orange, author of There There Goop Book Club Pick • Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize 
$18.00 US
Sep 21, 2021
5-3/16 x 8
Paperback
304 Pages
Ballantine Books

Rez Dogs
978-0-593-32622-0
Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic.
$7.99 US
Jun 07, 2022
5-1/16 x 7-3/4
Paperback
192 Pages
Dial Books
Age 8-12 years

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band
978-1-68405-714-6
Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of West Coast rock 'n' roll pioneers Redbone.
$19.99 US
Oct 27, 2020
7 x 10
Paperback
160 Pages
IDW Publishing

She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller
978-0-593-40305-1
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger comes a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds--including Wilma Mankiller!A 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Honor Book!
$5.99 US
Oct 04, 2022
5-5/16 x 7-5/8
Paperback
80 Pages
Philomel Books
Age 6-9 years

Ceremony
(Penguin Orange Collection)
978-0-14-312946-2
The Penguin Orange Collection: a limited-edition run of twelve influential and beloved Penguin Classics dressed in the iconic Penguin tri-band covers, with a touch of modern Deluxe design
$18.00 US
Oct 18, 2016
5-1/8 x 7-3/4
Paperback
272 Pages
Penguin Classics

Colonization and the Wampanoag Story
978-0-593-48043-4
Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: the "discovery" of America told by Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists. Here's the true story of America from the Indigenous perspective.
$8.99 US
Sep 12, 2023
5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Paperback
272 Pages
Crown Books for Young Readers
Age 10 and up

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
978-0-8070-1307-6
This American Book Award winning title about Native American struggle and resistance radically reframes more than 400 years of US history
$28.95 US
Oct 03, 2023
6 x 9
Hardcover
328 Pages
Beacon Press

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
978-1-62354-299-3
Now a board book! The Cherokee community is grateful for blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
$8.99 US
Sep 07, 2021
6-1/2 x 7
Board Book
28 Pages
Charlesbridge
Age 0-3 years