Submitted by edawson on Thu, 01/20/2022 - 09:57

Native American Heritage Month


In November, the Sonoma County Library celebrates Native American Heritage Month. As described by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), this month is “a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people.” We join the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and thousands of libraries, schools and local governments in paying tribute to the ancestry and traditions of Native Americans / Indigenous Peoples.

The cultural revitalization and self-determination efforts of Native people are part of a robust history. Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker (Cattaraugus Seneca), an anthropologist and historian who founded the Society of American Indians in 1911 and the NCIA in 1944, was one of the first to propose a day be set aside for “First Americans.” Thanks in part to the additional efforts of Reverend Red Fox James (Blackfoot), who was also known as Red Fox Shiukusha, and those of Reverend Sherman Coolidge (Arapaho), New York selected the second Saturday in May, 1916, for “American Indian Day.” Several other states set aside various days for similar observances during the first half of the 20th Century. However, it wasn’t until 1976 that the U.S. Federal Government set aside a portion of the calendar to celebrate Native peoples. In 1998, Native American Day was enacted as a state holiday in California. President Joe Biden declared October 11, 2021, to be a federal holiday: Indigenous People’s Day.

For more information about the current sovereignty and revitalization efforts of local Native American groups, please see:

Native American Heritage Month image

The author(s) acknowledge(s) that they are descendant(s) not of Native people but of settler-colonialists. We recognize the historical and ongoing violence of settler colonialism, and affirm Indigenous sovereignty. Our library buildings/facilities are on stolen land. We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to the needs of the Indigenous people of Sonoma County, California, and beyond. The author(s) would welcome comments or corrections from members of Native communities, particularly the Coast Miwok, Kashaya, Southern Pomo, and Wappo tribal nations.


Events

Warrior Women

Sonoma County Library

Warrior Women
Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Register

Warrior Women explores what it means to balance a movement with motherhood and how activist legacies are passed down from generation to generation in the American Indian Movement.


Diggers Bend to River Rock image

Healdsburg Museum

From Diggers Bend to River Rock: Dry Creek Rancheria People and History
September 30, 2021 to May 29, 2022
Wednesday-Sunday, 11-4

Guest Curator, Dry Creek Pomo historian, and basket expert, Sherrie Smith-Ferri, Ph.D., has arranged for the loan of baskets woven by DCR makers to the Healdsburg Museum. Private basket collectors, Tribal families, and UC Berkeley’s Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology have loaned these pieces, many of which were woven around 1900.

In-Gallery Basketmaking Demonstration
Friday, November 12, 2021, 12:00-3:00pm
Enjoy watching Dry Creek Rancheria weaver Clint McKay at work.

For more information: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/October---November-2021-Review.html?soid=1115883753593&aid=BZ0X9DNhnZU


Dr. Anton Treuer image

Sonoma State University

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask
Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 11am (Zoom)

Hear Dr. Anton Treuer talk "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask": an interactive and informed discussion of hot topics in Indigenous Studies, including residential boarding schools, pipeline protests, the use of Indigenous people as mascots for sport teams, and we can best grapple with racial equity in the time of racial reckoning.

Co-hosted by Dr. Janet Hess, Acting Chair of Native American Studies and Dr. Erica Tom, Director of Native American Studies.

Please contact Dr. Erica Tome at tome@sonoma.edu for registration information.


Books and More:

Adult Nonfiction

Click here to download the list as a PDF

Braiding Sweetgrass image

Braiding Sweetgrass

by Robin Wall Kimmerer
(Citizen Potawatomi Nation)
305.597 KIMMERER

As Long as Grass Grows image

As Long As Grass Grows

by Dina Gilio-Whitaker
(Colville Confederated Tribes)
970.004 GILIO-WHITAKER

We Are the Land image

We Are the Land

by Damon B. Akins & William J. Bauer, Jr.
(Round Valley Indian Tribes)
970.004 AKINS

California Through Native Eyes

California Through Native Eyes

by William J. Bauer, Jr.
(Round Valley Indian Tribes)
970.004 BAUER

Our History is the Future image

Our History is the Future

by Nick Estes
(Lower Brule Sioux Tribe)
970.004 ESTES

Poet Warrior image

Poet Warrior

by Joy Harjo
(Muscogee (Creek) Nation)
B HARJO


An Indigenous Peoples' History image

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

by Roxanna Dunbar-Ortiz
970.004 DUNBAR-ORTIZ

Mabel McKay image

Mabel McKay
weaving the dream

Greg Sarris
(Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)
B McKay

Sacred Instructions image

Sacred Instructions

by Sherri L. Mitchell/Weh'nα Hα'mu' Kwasset
(Penobscot)
299.7 MITCHELL

Sioux Chef's image

The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen

by Sean Sherman
(Oglala Lakota)
641.59297 SHERMAN

Heart Berries image

Heart Berries: A Memoir

by Terese Marie Mailhot
(Seabird Island Band)
B MAILHOT

Lakota America image

Lakota America

by Pekka Hämäläinen
A New History Of Indigenous Power
970.3 LAKOTA by HAMALAINEN


Highway of Tears image

Highway Of Tears

by Jessica McDiarmid
A True Story Of Racism, Indifference, And The Pursuit Of Justice For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls
362.88089 MCDIARMID

New Poets of Native Nations image

New Poets of Native Nations

Edited by Heid E. Erdrich
(Turtle Mountain Ojibwe)

Carry image

Carry: A Memoir Of Survival On Stolen Land

by Toni Jensen
(Métis)
978.4004 JENSEN

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground image

A Mind Spread Out On the Ground

by Alicia Elliott
(Tuscarora)
971.0049 ELLIOTT

White Magic image

White Magic: Essays

by Elissa Washuta
(Cowlitz Indian Tribe)
133.43 WASHUTA

 

 

 


Adult Fiction

Click here to download the list as a PDF

The Sentence image

The Sentence

by Louise Erdrich
(Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians)
ERDRICH

Crooked Hallelujah image

Crooked Hallelujah

by Kelli Jo Ford
(Cherokee Nation)
FORD

Solar Storms image

Solar Storms: A Novel

by Linda Hogan
(Chickasaw)
HOGAN

The Removed image

The Removed

by Brandon Hobson
(Cherokee Nation)
HOBSON

The Only Good Indians image

The Only Good Indians

by Stephen Graham Jones
(Blackfeet Tribe)
JONES

House Made of Dawn image

House Made of Dawn

by N. Scott Momaday
(Kiowa)
MOMADAY


There There image

There There

by Tommy Orange
(Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes)
ORANGE

The Beadworkers image

The Beadworkers: Stories

by Beth H. Piatote
(Member of Chief Joseph’s Tribe and the Colville Confederated Tribes)

Grand Avenue image

Grand Avenue

by Greg Sarris
(Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)
SARRIS

Ceremony image

Ceremony

by Leslie Marmon Silko
(Laguna Pueblo)
SILKO

When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky image

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky

by Margaret Verble
(Cherokee Nation)
VERBLE

Winter Counts image

Winter Counts

by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
(Sicangu Lakota)
WEIDEN


Jonny Appleseed image

Jonny Appleseed

by Joshua Whitehead
(Peguis First Nation)
WHITEHEAD

 

 

 

 

 


Young Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction

Click here to download the list as a PDF

Fire Keepers Daughter image

Firekeeper's Daughter

by Angeline Boulley
(Sault Ojibwe)
Y BOULLEY

Fire Song image

Fire Song

by Adam Garnet Jones
(Cree/Métis)
Y JONES

Elatsoe image

Elatsoe

by Darcie Little Badger
(Lipan Apache)
Y LITTLE BADGER

Apple in the Middle image

Apple in the Middle

by Dawn Quigley
(Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe)
Y QUIGLEY

Hearts Unbroken image

Hearts Unbroken

by Cynthia Leitich Smith
(Muscogee Creek Nation)
Y SMITH

Surviving the City image

Surviving the City

by Tasha Spillett
(Cree)
YG SPILLETT


This Place image

This Place: 150 Years Retold

by Katherena Vermett
(Métis)
YG THIS

A Girl Called Echo image

A girl called Echo

by Katherena Vermette
(Métis)
YG VERMETTE

The Power of Style image

The Power of Style

by Christian Allaire
(Ojibwe)
Y 391 ALLAIRE

Apple image

Apple: Skin to the Core

by Eric Gansworth
(Onondaga)
Y 970.004 GANSWORTH

An Indigenous Peoples' History image

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People

by Debbie Reese
(Nambé Pueblo)
Y 970.0049 MENDOZA

Not Your Princess image

#NotYourPrincess

by Lisa Charleyboy
(Tsilhqot'in)
Y 971.004 NOT YOUR PRINCESS


Children's Books Ages 8-12

Click here to download the list as a PDF


The Used-to-Be Best Friend image

The Used-to-be Best Friend

by Dawn Quigley
(Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe)
J FC QUIGLEY

Ancestor Approved image

Ancestor Approved
Intertribal Stories for Kids

by Cynthia Leitich Smith
(Muscogee (Creek) Nation)
J ANCESTOR

Rez Dogs image

Rez Dogs

by Joseph Bruchac
(Nulhegan Abenaki)
J BRUCHAC

I Can Make This Promise image

I Can Make this Promise

by Christine Day
(Upper Skagit Tribe)
J DAY

The Birchbark House image

The Birchbark House

by Louise Erdrich
(Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians)
J ERDRICH

Mary and the Trail of Tears image

Mary and the Trail of Tears

by Andrea L. Rogers
(Cherokee Nation)
J GIRLS SURVIVE


In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse image

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

by Joseph Marshall
(Sicangu Lakota)
J MARSHALL

Indian No More image

Indian No More

by Charlene Willing McManis
(Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde)
J MCMANIS

Little Whale image

Little Whale

by Roy A Peratrovich
(Tlingit)
J PERATROVICH

Stone River Crossing image

Stone River Crossing

by Tim Tingle
(Choctaw Nation)
J TINGLE

Healer of the Water Monster image

Healer of the Water Monster

by Brian Young
(Navajo)
J YOUNG

Buffalo Bird Girl image

Buffalo Bird Girl

by S. D. Nelson
(Standing Rock Sioux)
J B WAHEENEE


Children's Books Ages 0-8

Click here to download the list as a PDF

Bowwow Powwow image

Bowwow powwow = bagosenjige-niimi'idim

by Brenda J. Child
(Ojibwe)
E Child

Cradle Me image

Cradle me

by Debby Slier
(Ojibwe)
TOD SLI

Jingle Dancer image

Jingle dancer

by Cynthia Leitich Smith
(Muscogee (Creek) Nation)
E Smith

A is for Acorn image

A is for acorn: a California Indian ABC

by Analisa Tripp
(Karuk Tribe)
TOD TRI

Sky Sisters image

SkySisters

by Jan Bourdeau Waboose
(Nishnawbe Ojibway)
E WABOOSE

The Good Luck Cat image

The Good Luck Cat

by Joy Harjo
(Muscogee (Creek) Nation)
E HARJO


We Are the Water Protectors image

We Are Water Protectors

by Carole Lindstrom
(Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe)
E LINDSTROM

I Sang You Down From the Stars image

I Sang You Down From The Stars

by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
(Cree and Trinidadian)
E SPILLETT-SUMNER

First Laugh image

First Laugh: Welcome, Baby!

by Rose Ann Tahe
(Naaneesh't'ezhi Tachii'nii nish'li (The Charcoal Streaked Division of the Red Running Into the Water Clan), born for Ashiihi bashish'chiin (Salt People Clan)
E TAHE

When Turtle Grew Feathers image

When Turtle Grew Feathers
A Folktale from the Choctaw Nation

by Tim Tingle
(Choctaw Nation)
E TINGLE

Go Show the World image

Go Show The World
A Celebration Of Indigenous Heroes

by Wab Kinew
(Ojibwa)
J 970.004 KINEW & E KINEW

Look Grandma image

Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!

by Art Coulson
(Cherokee)
E COULSON


My Heart Fills with Happiness image

My Heart Fills With Happiness

by Monique Gray Smith
(Cree and Lakota)
J GRAY SMITH & TOD GRA

Sweetest Kulu image

Sweetest Kulu

by Celina Kalluk
(Inuit)
E KALLUK

Josie Dances image

Josie dances

by Denise K. Lajimodiere
(Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)
E LAJIMODIERE

We Are Grateful image

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

by Traci Sorell
(Cherokee Nation)
E SORELL

Fall in Line Holden image

Fall in line, Holden!

by Daniel W. Vandever
(Navajo Nation)
E VANDEVER

 


Thanks to our resource sharing agreement, your Sonoma County Library Card grants you access to both the Lake County Native American Collection and the Mendocino First American Collection. Click here to browse both collections.