#native nations

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson (Dakota), 2021

Novel about generations of women and survival of family ties and the land. Fiction for people who enjoy Robin Wall Kimmerer

Rez Life by David Treuer (Ojibwe), 2013

Stark, fascinating, and humorous nonfiction that reads like a series of journalistic essays on sovereignty, natural resources, poverty, casinos, and culture.

Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi), 2003

Noted Indigenous scientist and author in her earliest book for popular audiences. Science writing at its best - beautiful and regenerative, though not without acknowledgement of the destructive power of capitalism, colonization, unequal resource allocation, etc. I read it December 2024 and it was absolutely a balm during a really emotionally tough time. Her other books Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry are also great reads.

Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal, 2024 (Note: not a Native author)

History of Indigenous nations in now-North America – I learned a lot about what was happening during the 12th-14th centuries, especially in the Southeast, and found it helpful that she brought in context from climate events, astronomy, and comparative societal structures around the world. The book overall aims to reframe European colonization and rule and argues persuasively that Native nations controlled relationships and land for much longer than Europeans claimed. It’s not comprehensive (I especially was disappointed in the lack of West Coast/Cascades region nations, but I can find more of that elsewhere) but coverage is really interesting and extensive.

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art by Nakoma Volkman

This book won the Pulitzer Prize for history 2025, and it is fascinating so far!

"A sweeping history of the power of Indigenous North America from ancient cities to fights for sovereignty that continue today, from an award-winning historian In this magisterial history, Kathleen DuVal tells the story of Native nations, from the rise of ancient cities more than a thousand years ago to the present, reframing North American history with Indigenous power and sovereignty at its center. Before and during European colonization, Indigenous North Americans built diverse civilizations and lived in history, adapting to a changing world in ways that reverberated globally. As DuVal explains, no civilization came to a halt when a few wandering explorers arrived, even when the strangers came well-armed. A millennium ago, North American cities rivaled urban centers around the world in size, but following a period of climate change and instability DuVal shows how numerous smaller nations emerged from previously centralized civilizations, moving away from rather than toward urbanization. From this urban past, patterns of egalitarian government structures, diplomacy, and complex economies spread across North America. So, when Europeans arrived in the sixteenth century, they encountered societies they did not understand, having developed differently from their own, and whose power they often underestimated. For centuries after these first encounters, Indigenous people maintained an upper hand and used Europeans in pursuit of their own interests. In Native Nations , we see how Mohawks closely controlled trade with the Dutch--and influenced global markets--and how Quapaws manipulated French colonists. Power dynamics shifted after the American Revolution, but Indigenous people continued to control the majority of the continent. Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa forged new alliances and encouraged a controversial new definition of Native identity to attempt to wall off U.S. ambitions. The Cherokees created new institutions to assert their sovereignty on the global stage, and the Kiowas used their preponderance of power in the west to regulate the passage of white settlers across their territory. In this important addition to the growing tradition of North American history centered on Indigenous nations, Kathleen DuVal uses these stories to show how the definitions of power and means of exerting it shifted over time, but the sovereignty and influence of Native peoples remained a constant and will continue far into the future."

Are you interested in taking action to support Native nations? Do you ever feel hesitant when searching for the right language to use to talk about Indian Country?

Join Native Governance Center on Wednesday, May 12 2021 from 3:30-4:30 PM CT for a free virtual event, "Language Matters: How to Talk about Native Nations." The event will provide attendees with an overview of terminology related to Native nations. In addition to covering the basics (what's ok, what's not ok), we'll showcase the wide range of opinions on language and terminology within Indian Country. This event is geared toward beginners and open to all: come with your questions!

This event will be closed captioned on Zoom.

Event schedule:

3:30-3:45 CT: Welcome and terminology basics

3:45-4:15 CT: Panel discussion

4:15-4:25 CT: Audience Q&A

4:25-4:30 CT: Closing 

Note: The event is sold out for the Zoom conference but the webinar can be accessed by all through a Facebook Live link on the event page.