Read This Book…

Since I started participating in Erin and Dani’s book club, now called the Indigenous Reading Circle, I’ve been introduced to a host of incredible Indigenous authors from across Turtle Island. These incredible books and book club members have encouraged me to pick up even more Indigenous-authored books from around the world. One of those books is Why Indigenous Literatures Matter.

Daniel Heath Justice, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Professor of Critical Indigenous Studies and English Language, writes about the Indigenous Literatures. Justice uses the term “Literatures” to push back against the idea of pan-indigeneity and instead reinforces the fact that Indigenous Nations each have their own unique culture and history.

Why Indigenous Literatures Matter discusses the importance of decolonizing your approach to engaging with Indigenous writers’ work. When we’re taught to study literature in a more formal setting, non-Indigenous professors often approach texts from a Western, colonialist perspective. Justice challenges that approach, asking readers to decenter Western ideas of what makes “good” literature. 

Justice also introduces readers to the unique qualities that Indigenous Literatures often have in common, using specific examples in his text. Though each Native Nation’s literature is unique, Indigenous Literatures often centers around themes of community and resilience in the face of violent settler colonialism. Justice emphasizes that it’s important that Indigenous Peoples tell their own stories, centering Indigenous experiences. Indigenous Literatures do not exist to educate settlers. They exist as a way to show solidarity with and celebrate Indigenous cultures.

As an added bonus, in his discussion, Justice recommends dozens of texts that readers might enjoy. I ended up with an incredible list of other books to check out next. Why Indigenous Literatures Matter is such a priceless resource. And if you are an audiobook lover, Justice performs the audio edition, adding that special something that happens when an author reads their own work.