Literature

The following fiction sampler is meant to introduce readers to the wider library of Indigenous fiction, poetry, and other creative writing works.  We welcome all contributions to expand the list.

Alexie, Sherman. 1993. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York: HarperCollins.

Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York, Boston: Little Brown.

Erdrich, Louise. 1984. Love Medicine. New York: Holt Rhinehart and Winston.

Erdrich, Louise. 2016. Larose. New York: HarperCollins.

Erdrich, Louise. 2021. The Sentence. New York: HarperCollins.

[On Louise Erdrich, a Chippewa Indian author and one of the most well-known writers of the Native American Renaissance, see Phoebe Farris, “The Continuing Saga of Louise Erdrich,” National Museum of American Indian Magazine 17.4 (Winter 2016-17).]

Harjo, Joy. 1987. “Ordinary Spirit.” In Brian Swann and Arnold Krupat, eds., I Tell You Now: Autobiographical Essays by Native American Writers. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 264-270. [National poet laureate, 2019-2022]

Laestadius, Ann-Helen. 2023. Stolen. Simon and Schuster. [On Saami author, see NYT.]

Mankiller, Wilma and Michael Wallace. 1993. Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. New York: St. Martins.

Momaday, N. Scott and Yuri Vella. 2016. Meditations after the Bear Feast. Alexander Vashchenko and Claude Clayton Smith, eds. Brunswick, ME: Shanti.

[See also a clip from “Vella’s World,” a 2008 documentary about the Nenets writer and activist Yuri Vella.]

Orange, Tommy 2019 There There. New York: Vintage. [PEN/Hemingway award.]

Silko, Leslie Marmon. 1977. Ceremony. New York: Penguin.

Vizenor, Gerald. 2000. Fugitive Poses.  Lincoln, London: University of Nebraska Press.

Our First Nations colleague Cheryl Suzack recommends Canadian authors:

Jordan Abel: https://www.jordanabel.ca/

Billy-Ray Belcourt: https://billy-raybelcourt.com/

Jess Hausti: https://www.jesshousty.com/  (+ essay: https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2020/05/25/Find-Your-Pod/ )

Chelsea Vowel: https://apihtawikosisan.com/

Katherina Vermette: https://katherenavermette.com/

For Australian authors see: https://www.readings.com.au/news/50-great-reads-from-first-nations-writers-and-australian-writers-of-colour-in-2020#