DoSomething Banned Books List: Native American Heritage
Eight banned books by Native American and Indigenous authors for you to add to your reading list today!
In honor of Native American Heritage Month we want to celebrate the narratives and stories written by Native American and Indigenous authors, who look to preserve their histories in compelling storytelling. In collaboration with IllumiNative, we curated a banned book list that is sure to enlighten and help you explore the culture of Native American and Indigenous backgrounds.
With the recent book bans occurring throughout the nation we are seeing more and more stories of history and minority narratives being silenced. For Native American and Indigenous authors, the preservation of their culture, language, and religion continues to become more challenging. According to Words Rated “837 Native American authors represent only 0.49% of all authors registered in the US as of 2020”, that’s a tiny population of writers working to make their stories heard.
In schools, curriculum continues to be altered to favor white-centric point of views. Research shows that most non-Native people do not fully understand the true histories of Native Americans and nations, and yet are open to learning more.
By continuing to uplift banned books and sharing these works with your friends, you’ll be supporting the voices of underrepresented authors, and that’s something to brag about!
Check out these cool works and discover something new about Native American and Indigenous culture. Then be sure to share your reflections with us through our Uncensored program (you’ll even enter to earn a $1,000 scholarship)!
A Snake Falls to Earth (2021) by Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache)
A breathtaking work of Indigenous Futurism and fantasy, A Snake Falls to Earth combines tradition and technology. The novel follows Nina and a snake named Oli who are brought together as the land of spirits and the land of monsters come in contact with each other. Despite taking place in a fantasy setting, Little Badger tackles real world challenges with this novel. She told NPR that “young people are feeling climate anxiety acutely, so it was important to make it a part of this story”. The novel has been challenged in Virginia and submitted to be banned from the Samuels Library due to the "Normalization of asexuality and associating it with the LGBTQ+ agenda. This book presents a very confused view of human sexuality."
Fry Bread (2019) by Kevin Noble Maillard (Seminole)
Through vibrant illustrations and poetic text, this book explores the diverse and rich cultural significance of fry bread in Native American communities across the United States. In 2022 this book was challenged in Northampton, PA as part of a donation of diverse books by The Conscious Kid – a non-profit organization focused on equity and promoting healthy racial identity development. School board has put the book donations on hold due to parents claiming the organization to be “a Marxist organization that promotes critical Race Theory.”
Kapaemahu (2022) by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kanaka Maoli), Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson
Kapaemahu tells the mo‘olelo (story) of the māhū, individuals of dual male and female spirit, who sailed from Tahiti to Hawai‘i, and the four boulders they imbued with sacred healing powers that reside in Waikīkī today. This beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for families to read together while affording parents the opportunity to share an important Indigenous Hawaiian story with a queer and non-binary focus. This book has been challenged by a conservative community group named Clean Up Samuels Library who intends to remove books that contain pornographic content due to discussions of same-sex romance and transgender topics found in the novel.
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (2014) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Discover the hidden history of the United States through the eyes of Indigenous peoples in An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. This book sheds light on centuries of brutalities that displaced and eliminated the original inhabitants while also showing the resistance of Indigenous folks in the face of that tragedy. As calls for Indigenous Peoples' Day and protests like Standing Rock gain momentum, this essential resource provides a fresh perspective on American history and its impact on our present. A 2015 PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award winner, this book is a must-read for young readers eager to explore a more inclusive and truthful narrative of their country's past. This book has been banned for teaching critical race theory.
Ho’onani Hulu Warrior (2022) by Heather Gale
An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi exploring her identity who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school. This book was challenged in St. Augustine, Florida for being a ‘controversial topic’ centering around gender identity.
Drawing inspiration from various Indigenous-led initiatives across North America, "We Are Water Protectors" serves as a compelling and urgent call to protect the Earth's water from harm and exploitation. The book has been criticized for being "divisive," "racist," and "socialist”. Despite this, the book garnered acclaim for its emphasis on environmental justice, portrayal of diversity, and its watercolor illustrations, which earned Michaela Goade the prestigious 2021 Caldecott Medal, marking her as the first Indigenous artist to receive this honor. The book was also awarded the 2021 Jane Addams Children's Book Award winner in the Books for Younger Children category.
Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021) by Angeline Boulley (Ojibwe)
A New York Times and IndieBound best seller, this novel follows a young indigenous woman as she becomes involved in a bizarre FBI investigation around her friend’s death and a new drug. These actions were criticized for hindering access to indigenous authors - it has been noted to contain a portrayal of complex issues which may have led to these reviews within school districts. However this has not stopped the book from being read and appreciated. Named as one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine, Boulley’s debut novel tackles the very real circumstances which continue to plague indigenous reservations all across the country.
Indian No More (2019) by Charlene Willing McManus (Umpqua) with Traci Sorell (Cherokee)
Indian No More is a novel set in the 1950s about an Umpqua family who are moved from their home on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in Oregon to Los Angeles, as directed by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
In 2021, this book was challenged and frozen for review in York, Pennsylvania where some parents feared the books would make white children feel guilty about their race or indoctrinate them. In 2023 this book was a part of the Essential Voices curriculum from Perfection Learning, but was challenged, held for review and then banned in Duvall County, Florida after a committee deemed it to be ‘not age appropriate’.
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