As we put together a roundup of notable 2021 releases for Native American Heritage Month, we were struck by the immense variety we found: moving memoirs, engrossing genre fiction, artful novels, and informative nonfiction. Despite the diversity of these books, they all share a common purpose: honoring the past while asking difficult questions about the present. And that’s exactly what we’re looking for when we select a title to expand our understanding of the lives of the Indigenous peoples of America.
Dog Flowers
by Danielle Geller
After her mother’s early death, Danielle Geller, a trained archivist, was faced with collecting her mother’s meager effects. She set about using the documents, diaries, and photos — all contained in a single suitcase — as a roadmap to tell the often very difficult story of her mother’s life, and her own. This memoir is deeply personal and truly moving.
The Removed
by Brandon Hobson
Told from many perspectives, The Removed follows the members of a Cherokee family whose eldest son was killed by the police 15 years prior. Each member continues to struggle with the repercussions of that trauma, and its cyclical pull. Among the voices that lend themselves to this novel is the family’s ancestor Tsala, a powerful reminder of the ever-present past.
We Had a Little Real Estate Problem
by Kliph Nesteroff
Kliph Nesteroff is not a member of a First Nation, but he is an insightful historian of comedy, and his engrossing account of Native comedians has won praise from writers like Stephen Graham Jones, David Treuer, and Philip J. Deloria (in addition to comedians Steve Martin, Judd Apatow, and Bob Odenkirk). One of the great strengths of this book is the range of comics that Nesteroff covers, not just the extremely famous (the title is one of Charlie Hill’s best-known punchlines), but also many still-widely-unknowns, pursuing their craft despite huge obstacles.
Firekeeper's Daughter
by Angeline Boulley
Angeline Boulley’s debut YA novel delivers great characterization and plenty of thrills. Daunis has never felt like she completely fits in with either her white mother’s family or her Sault Tribe father’s, as she remains unenrolled. A horrific incident drives Daunis to help stop a meth ring, but that puts her in considerable danger. This is a true page-turner.
The Red Deal
by The Red Nation
The Red Nation is a coalition of activists seeking to free Native peoples from colonial systems of oppression. This book presents their ethos, and how that freedom struggle must factor into every social justice campaign, including the fight against climate change. More than just a plan of action, this is a statement of first principles for how the work should go forward.
Editor’s note: This title is currently unavailable from Powell’s, but can be purchased directly from the publisher.
We Are Still Here!
by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac
This nonfiction picture book features 12 students making presentations about laws and policies that have shaped Native life since 1871. This vibrant book clearly and concisely presents a great deal of important information that so many of us were never taught in school.
White Magic
by Elissa Washuta
Elissa Washuta’s collection of essays blends the personal and the political as she traces how her own struggles relate to her peoples’. Magic and popular culture are also waypoints on the journey that Washuta charts with both charm and an at times brutal honesty. This is both a memoir and a thoughtful exploration of different cultures, and the spaces between them.
Living Nations, Living Words
Edited by Joy Harjo
An essential addition to any poetry shelf, this anthology showcases the multitude of contemporary Native poets. This is the culmination of Joy Harjo’s work as U.S. Poet Laureate: uplifting and celebrating Native voices.
Sharice’s Big Voice
by Sharice Davids, Joshua Mangeshig Pawis Steckley, and Nancy K. Mays
This charming picture book follows Sharice Davids’s need to speak up for other people. That need led her to become a lawyer and then a congresswoman (also a mixed martial artist: her resume is as colorful as this book!).
Rez Dogs
by Joseph Bruchac
A middle grade novel set during the pandemic, Rez Dogs follows Malian, who has to extend her visit to her grandparents’ home on the reservation when the state locks down. She’s kept company by a new companion she names Malsum. Whether while helping on the farm or attending virtual school, Malian has to face her concerns about the dangers of COVID-19 and the pain that her people have suffered. Fortunately, she’s well-protected by Malsum and well-educated by her grandparents.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw
by Stephen Graham Jones
Jade Daniels has seen all the slasher flicks (and, presumably, so has author Stephen Graham Jones). When her small town is hit with some gory deaths, Jade knows what’s coming, but can you ever really be ready to experience all the horror film tropes? Jones has written a blood-splattered love letter to all the films you’ve ever watched between your fingers as you covered your eyes.
Poet Warrior
by Joy Harjo
A second 2021 book from Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, this is her memoir of collecting words and finding her voice. A hybrid of stories, poetry, and family lore, Poet Warrior is imbued with the same creative spirit that led Harjo to blend so many artforms throughout her career and helped her to survive. As with all of Harjo’s work, this is equal parts wisdom and generosity.
A Is for Anemone
by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd
A Is for Anemone is a vibrant board book that presents an alphabet inspired by the natural beauty of the West Coast. With special tactile features, this book not only looks great, the art also has textural elements that have to felt to be “seen.”
Walking in Two Worlds
by Wab Kinew
This sci-fi YA features Bagonegiizhigok, who goes by Bugz, as she struggles to balance her sometimes difficult real life with her high status in her virtual world, the Floraverse. In her VR life, her skills have made her a target of a group of misogynists and the threat they pose puts both of her worlds in danger. Walking in Two Worlds is an innovative blend of speculative fiction and social awareness.
When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky
by Margaret Verble
Pulitzer finalist Margaret Verble tells the story of Two Feathers, a horse-diver in Tennessee in the 1920s. After a mishap, Two Feathers is adrift, but gets caught up by an illness affecting animals at the zoo, among other oddities. This is a sometimes wild and always thoughtful social novel.
Notable Native People
by Adrienne Keene and Ciara Sana
This inviting collection, written by Brown University Professor Adrienne Keene, with delightful illustrations by Ciara Sana, covers 50 significant Native people and the issues they faced. Notable Native People is great for a wide variety of audiences; both kids and adults will appreciate the range of important accomplishments made by the change-makers Keene and Sana spotlight.
The Sentence
by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich, one of the great American novelists, has given readers a true gift after a hard couple of years. Set in Erdrich’s own indie bookstore in Minneapolis during the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff are haunted by the ghost of an obnoxious customer. Tookie, a formerly incarcerated employee, has to face down the spirit — and her own past. This book is obviously the work of a writer/bookseller who loves both of her crafts.
An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States
by Kyle T. Mays
Focusing on moments of solidarity between people of African descent and Indigenous people within the United States, Professor Kyle T. Mays’s history explores when these groups have found common cause and when they have been pitted against each other. The newest entry in Beacon Press's ReVisioning History series, An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States offers a new lens to consider what has kept marginalized groups apart, and what can bring them together.
New Native Kitchen
by Freddie Bitsoie, James Fraioli, and Quentin Bacon
Freddie Bitsoie is a chef and a Native foods educator, and here he explores a tremendous variety of Native food from across the country. Including 100 recipes, New Native Kitchen is a key cookbook for any American kitchen.