Children’s Books for National American Indian Heritage Month

Recent media attention has cast a light on water inequality, particularly on native lands. One of the most prominent cases has been on the Standing Rock Reservation, located in North Dakota and South Dakota. When the proposed pipeline for the Dakota Access Pipeline was moved to enter reservation land, millions of people protested the construction. This beautiful picture book is an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.

This absolutely gorgeous picture book is about change and community. When a young girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door who shares her love of arts and crafts. Can the girl navigate the changing seasons and failing health of her new friend? The illustrations reveal the theme of change beautifully through the scenery and the intergenerational relationship between the girl and her neighbor.

Acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith writes a stunning chapter book, perfect for newly independent readers. The book centers around one questions: What do Indian shoes look like? While some people might say moccasins, Ray Halfmoon prefers hightops. But Grampa Halfmoon likes moccasins, so Ray wears them. After all, it’s Grampa Halfmoon who’s always there to help Ray get in and out of scrapes—like the time they teamed up to pet sit for the whole block during a holiday blizzard! You should definitely check out this beautiful intergenerational story!

This wonderful middle grade book is about 10-year-old Regina Petit who lives with her family on the Grand Ronde reservation in the 1950s. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina’s tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes “Indian no more” overnight, even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations. The family moves to Los Angeles, and Regina has to adjust to a whole new life without her tribal community and land.

This exciting fantasy middle grade novel is about seventh grader Nizhoni Begay. When she meets Mr. Charles, her dad’s new boss at the oil and gas company, he’s alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni, who has always been able to detect monsters, knows he’s a threat, but her father won’t believe her. When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says “Run!”, the siblings and Nizhoni’s best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Diné Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters.