Diverse Voices: North American Indigenous Children’s Literature

​Canada, as well as some states, has adopted school policies requiring the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, culture, and history. These curricula can be enhanced with the use of First Nations and Native American children’s and YA literature. To highlight authenticity and accurate representation of the diversity of North American Indigenous People, the authors' and illustrators' identities, as well as the specific cultural perspective reflected in each text, are included. While the focus is typically on books published in the current year (2025), titles from 2020–2024 are also included due to the limited number of new releases reflecting this representation.

Picturebook

Fierce Aunties. Laurel Goodluck. Illus. by Steph Littlebird (2025). Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
This book is an anthem for fierce aunties, those formidable women who give support to children everywhere. Their presence helps children believe they can do anything. Specifically, Goodluck highlights how aunties share knowledge, carry history, give pep talks, and know what is needed. Those characteristics are reinforced with the repetitive phrase "Fierce Aunties!" Littlebird’s illustrations are colorful and bold, just like a fierce auntie. In the Author’s Note, Goodluck shares memories of the fierce aunties on whose shoulders she stands. Gr 2 Up
 
The author, Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, ND and Tsimshian, AK), and illustrator, Steph Littlebird (Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes, OR), bring an intertribal perspective to this text.

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Grandma’s Tipi: A Present-Day Lakota Story. S.D. Nelson. (2023). Abrams Books for Young Readers.  
Clara and Juniper spend their summer with unci (grandmother), learning from her extended knowledge. Under unci’s guidance, the girls set up and bless the family tipi. Through the figures painted on the side and evening storytelling, they learn about their ancestors. When their dreams are painted on the tipi, they add to the family storyline. At summer’s end, Clara’s parents promise her a return visit to a fall powwow so she can wear her new beaded, buckskin regalia. Nelson’s illustrations portray the delight the girls experience as they deepen their bond with unci. The Author's Note describes the history of tipi, including traditional and contemporary uses. This book will bring back memories for all who spent an extended time in summer with a grandparent. Gr 2-5
 
Author S.D. Nelson (Standing Rock Sioux, Dakotas) brings a Lakota perspective to this text.

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​Returning to the Yakoun River. Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson. Illus. by Janine Gibbons. (2022). Highwater.
This childhood memoir describes a family's summer fish camp on the Yakoun River. While the father fishes, the children play, Tsinii (Grandfather) shares wisdom, and the reader learns about fishing, rooted in long-held traditions. The children help to preserve the fish through brining and smoking. In the evening, stories and songs passed down through the generations are shared. Gibbons used thick borders and deep colors to reflect Haida traditions and portray the interconnectedness of people and the earth in the illustrations. The Davidsons depict additional Haida traditions of carving, jigging, and dancing in companion books to this series. Gr 1-5
 
Authors Sara Florence Davidson and Robert Davidson (Haida, BC), along with illustrator Janine Gibbons (Haida Raven of the Double Fin Killer Whale White Clan, Brown Bear House, BC), bring a Haida perspective to this text.

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What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me. Alexis Bunten. Illus. by Nicole Neidhardt. (2023). Christy Ottaviano Books.   
Pia rushes to the Native American Center after school to witness the inauguration of Deb Haaland as the US Secretary of the Interior. Pia notices Secretary Haaland’s ribbon skirt, a symbol of the interconnectedness of life. Later that evening, Pia and others create ribbon skirts to include as part of their regalia, thus showing their strength and connection to their ancestors. The back matter of the book offers a deeper insight into Secretary Haaland's achievements, inspiring women and girls of all backgrounds. Neidhardt’s illustrations show the characters in positions of strength and hope. Also included is a history of ribbon skirts and their importance to many Native American and First Nations people. Gr 2-6
 
Author Alexis Bunten (Aleut/Yup’ik, AK) and illustrator Nicole Neidhardt (Diné [Navajo] of the Kiiyaa’áanii clan, AZ) bring an intertribal, urban perspective to this text.

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Yáadilá! = Good Grief! Laurel Goodluck. Illus. by Jonathan Nelson. (2025). Heartdrum. 
Bahe takes Nali’s (grandmother) hand as they say goodbye to her sheep camp. On the car ride home, Bahe and his sister fight in the back seat, causing their mother to exclaim, “Yáadilá!” the Dine expression for “Good Grief.” The next day, Bahe begins a secret project with “Yáadilá!” called out by family members as he accesses materials from around the house. When the diminutive replica of the sheep camp is revealed, the family is overwhelmed by Bahe’s thoughtfulness. Goodluck inserts interruptions by the phantom narrator who delivers a pronunciation lesson for “Yáadilá!” and an offer for further assistance. The facial expressions of the characters in Nelson’s illustrations deeply portray the feelings of loneliness, exasperation, satisfaction, and love. An author’s note and Diné glossary of definitions and pronunciations are included in the appealing back matter. Gr 2-5
 
Author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, ND, and Tsimshian, AK) and illustrator Johnathan Nelson (Diné [Navajo], AZ) bring a Diné, Navajo perspective to this text.

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​Chapter Books

JoJo Makoons and the Used to Be Best Friend. Dawn Quigley. Illus. by Tara Audibert. (2021). Heartdrum. 
In the first of this beginning chapter book series, JoJo has a “home best friend,” (her cat Mimi) and a “school best friend” (Fern). However, she believes Fern no longer wants to be her best friend. JoJo sets out to make new friends, but her way of thinking about the world does not always support her endeavor. Through JoJo’s storytelling, the reader is introduced to Ojibwe and Michif words (with pronunciations) and JoJo’s interconnected relationships with family and friends. Quigley supplies a glossary to assist the reader in understanding the Ojibwe and Michif languages. Audibert’s illustrations engage the reader to better understand the story. Young readers can follow JoJo’s continued story in subsequent books. Gr K-3
 
Author Dawn Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, ND) and illustrator Tara Audibert (Wolastoqey/French, NB) bring an Ojibwe perspective to this text.

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Living Ghosts & Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories. Dan SaSuWeh Jones. Illus. by Weshoyot Alvitre. (2021). Scholastic.  
Jones categorizes ghost stories from First Nations and Native American communities into chapters entitled “Ghosts,” “Spirits,” “Witches,” “Monsters, and “The Supernatural.” Each story is prefaced with naming the storyteller, their tribal membership, the essence of the tale, and how they acquired the story. Alvire’s black-and-white sketches encapsulate the soul of each story, whether contemporary, mythological, or spiritual. Additional resources and further readings are encompassed in the back matter. Readers who enjoy scary or supernatural stories will be intrigued by the commonality across cultures. Gr 6 Up
 
Author Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Ponca, OK) and illustrator Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva, CA) bring an intertribal First Nations/Native American perspective to this text.

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​Two Tribes. Emily Bowen Cohen. Colors by Lark Pien. (2023). Heartdrum.  
In this graphic novel, Mia, who lives with her Jewish mother and stepfather, just became bat mitzvah. However, she does not know the Muscogee side of her identity. She secretly takes her bat mitzvah money and buys a bus ticket to her father’s home in Oklahoma. While there, Mia reconnects with her family and learns about Muscogee traditions. However, when her mother discovers Mia has traveled without permission, she flies to Oklahoma to retrieve her. Family drama ensues, and Mia works to convince her parents and rabbi that she has “two tribes” and needs to honor both parts of her identity. The facial expressions in Cohen’s illustrations depict the range of emotions for all the characters. This book can provide the reader with an example of how a middle schooler can negotiate identifying with “two tribes.” Gr 5 Up
 
Author Emily Bowen Cohen (Muscogee, OK) brings a Muscogee perspective rooted in both urban and rural experiences to this text.

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We Still Belong. Christine Day. (2023). Heartdrum. 
Seventh-grader Wesley has planned her day. Her poem about Indigenous People’s Day will appear in the school paper, it will be read by everyone, and she will receive extra credit for having it published. Then she will ask her crush, Ryan, to Tolo, the school dance where girls ask boys, and he will accept. Her glorious day will end with her family attending an intertribal powwow. However, nothing goes to plan, leaving Wesley to question her place in the world. With the support of her intergenerational family and those with whom she interacts at the powwow, Wesley comes to realize she does matter in her Upper Skagit community and her middle school. This book will appeal to all middle school students who are searching for their place in the multiple spaces in which they occupy. Gr 5-8
 
Author Christine Day (Upper Skagit, WA) brings an Upper Skagit perspective to this text. 

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Informational Books

​Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants. Robin Wall Kimmerer. Adapt. by Monique Gray Smith. Illus. by Nicole Neidhardt (2022). Zest.  
Adapted from the New York Times Bestseller, this young adult version weaves together scientific and indigenous medicinal knowledge. Gray adapted the text to portray the interconnectedness of humans, earth, and ancestral knowledge for the young adult reader. Green, black, white, and grey illustrations, as well as notes of wisdom, are interspersed throughout the text. Additionally, vocabulary definitions and thought-provoking questions are introduced, which can be used in classroom book discussions. The calm radiating from this book further grounds the reader in indigenous ways of knowing. Gr 8 Up
 
Author Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi, Great Lakes, upper Mississippi, and Great Plains Region, WI), adapter Monique Gray Smith (Cree, Lakota, Scottish, Lake Superior Region, CAN), and illustrator Nicole Neidhardt (Diné [Navajo] of the Kiiyaa’áanii clan, AZ) bring an intertribal First Nations/Native American perspective to this text.

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​Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Reader’s Edition). Anton Treuer. (2021). Levine Querido. 
Treuer adapted his adult version of the same title, written in an informative, engaging, and thoughtful style, for young adult readers. The topics of terminology, history, religion, culture & gender, powwow, tribal languages, politics, economics, education, social activism, and perspectives are addressed in a Q&A format, thus making it easy for the reader to reference a specific theme quickly. The questions can be used for classroom discussions, the basis for student research, or as a reference when studying Native American History. Although Treuer addresses issues that relate to all Native American Tribes, many of the specific examples are from the Ojibwe perspective. Gr 8 Up
 
Author Anton Treuer (Ojibwe, MN) brings an intertribal Native American perspective to this text.

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​Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance. Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane. (2020). Orca.  
Through colorful photographs, Pheasant-Neganigwane describes the origins, culture, songs, dances, and regional diversity of Powwow. Because Powwow was banned by the Canadian government until 1951 and suppressed by the US Government, Powwow is a relatively new celebration in First Nations and Native American cultures. Since that time, Powwow has expanded to include small local celebrations to large competitions. The reader gains a deeper understanding of Powwow, its regalia, food, songs, and dances. The glossary and resources add to the reader’s background knowledge of Powwow. Gr 4 Up
 
Author Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane (Anishinaabe, Great Lakes Region, CAN) brings an intertribal First Nations and Native American perspective to this text.
 

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​The Witness Blanket: Truth, Art and Reconciliation. Carey Newman & Kirstie Hudson. (2022). Orca. 
The Witness Blanket describes the creation of the art installation in response to the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report (Canada). Artist Hayalthkin’geme (Carey Newman) collected artifacts from survivors of the Residential Schools to create a mixed-media blanket of solid objects. Although each object represents life in the residential schools, it is the woven story that depicts the heartbreak, trauma, and resilience of the survivors displayed through this symbolic blanket. Completed, the 13 panels of the blanket stretch more than 39 feet and weigh more than two tons. The Witness Blanket, related stories, and resources may be viewed at: https://witnessblanket.ca/. Gr 6 Up
 
Author Carey Newman (Kwakwaka’wakw from the Kukwekum, Giikxam, and WaWalaby’ie clans and Coastal Salish, BC) brings an intertribal First Nations perspective to this text.

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​Author Bio
Sharryn Larsen Walker, Professor of Literacy Education at Central Washington University, is a former member of the Notable Books for a Global Society Committee and a current member of the Green Earth Book Award Selection Committee.