Native American Nonfiction
National Native American Heritage Month, observed in November, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions – historical and ongoing – of American Indians and Alaska Natives. This list was created by a librarian at The Seattle Public Library; annotations by staff, or as cited. (Created October 2025)
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Turtle Island
Uncover the stories behind the foods that have linked the natural environments, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples across North America for millennia through more than 100 ancestral and modern recipes from three-time James Beard Award-winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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Siren of Atlantis
(Suquamish) Cedar Sigo's latest poetry collection, Siren of Atlantis, is an introspective odyssey of remarkable poetic and personal resonance. Here are poems that speak to Sigo's profound experience of learning to write again after suffering a stroke in 2022. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw
"One hundred years after Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) leadership signed an amalgamation agreement that declared several communities in Squamish territory as one nation, this accessible history of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people traces our stories from ancient times to the present. Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come from This Land is a powerful introduction to our vast history and a launching point for discovering more about the different places, people, and stories offered here." (Publisher Description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Whiskey Tender
"Taffa [Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo] recounts her childhood and teenage years in New Mexico during the 1970s and ‘80s. In doing so, Taffa unravels the traumas carried across generations, and situates her story within a colonial and national history of injustice, exploitation, and dispossession. The result of a lifetime, Taffa’s remarkable debut stands out from other contemporary memoirs and Native American literature." (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Project 562
Through photographs and interviews, visual storyteller Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) creates a kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary Indigenous life across the United States.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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