Are you struggling to complete your summer reading goals? We have you covered with three must-read books by Indigenous authors that you won’t be able to put down! What are some of your favorite Indigenous books? Let us know in the comments!
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (2021)
Firekeeper’s Daughter is a fictional story that follows protagonist Daunis, a biracial, unenrolled member of the Ojibwe Tribe. Daunis witnesses a horrific murder that launches her into a criminal investigation to save her community. How far is she willing to go to protect her loved ones? This book is full of twists and turns, but most importantly, it highlights the resilience and strength of the Native community.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The only non-fiction book on our list, Braiding Sweetgrass is a must-read for Native and non-Natives alike. Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings―asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass―offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, her book circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.1
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns (2023)
This book tells the story of a young Cree woman, Mackenzie, who starts to discover that what happens in her dreams may become real. The living nightmares she experiences drives her on a journey from Vancouver to her hometown of High Prairie to come face-to-face with the grief and community she left behind.