Part 1: Indigenous reading list
Welcome to THG Productions’ Indigenous Reading List! For over 10 years, I’ve shared my favourite authors, artists, non-profits, and other routes to support Indigenous peoples on days that recognize our cultures and histories, but this year, I wanted to take it up a notch. Here are 21 of my top Indigenous-written and supported books for Indigenous Peoples Day 2024.
If you want to learn more about these authors & their storytelling works, you’ll be able to find new synopsis here on THG Productions over the next while. Here you’ll find the first out of 6 genre groups starting with “An Introduction to Indigeneity.”
part 1: an introduction to indigeneity
Anton Trueuer, Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask
“Look for the whole story and you'll get a lot closer to the truth.”
*Trigger Warning* This book includes topics of violence, abuse, racism, and genocide.
Trueuer lays out one of the most accurate representations of the truthfulness behind native humour - even starting with the Contents, makes readers giggle with intermittent moments of wide eyes and anxious flutters of the stomach. From the real story of Pocahontas to the modern experiences of Indigenous soldier experiences, this is without a doubt one of the best books for anyone interested in truly understanding and accepting a wide range of important, relevant cultural, historical and societal lessons.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plans
“The land knows you, even when you are lost.”
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer weaves together indigenous wisdom, scientific inquiry, and personal narratives to introduce the true embracing relationship between humans and our Earth. Drawing on her dual perspective as a botanist and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer explores themes of sustainability, cultural reconciliation, and the interconnectedness of it all. Through rich storytelling and poetic prose, readers are invited to reconsider their relationship with the land and to embrace a philosophy of gratitude and connection.
Tanya Talaga, All Our Relations: Finding The Path Forward
“It is no longer useful for us as individuals, as communities, and ultimately as a Nation to remain stuck in a way of thinking which does not reflect the possibilities for the future.
- Matthew Coon Come, Grand Chief, Grand Council of the Crees
*Trigger Warning* This book includes topics of violence, self-harm, sexual abuse, suicide and genocide.
All Our Relations hides no history in its powerful storytelling of colonization's impacts. In communities around the world, including the USA, Norway, and Australia, with a heavy focus on Canada, renowned Anishinaabe journalist Talaga narrates the dispirited reality of systematic oppression and culture or lack thereof in Indigenous communities. Through powerful storytelling and profound insights, Talaga advocates for a path forward rooted in Indigenous knowledge, solidarity, and healing.
The Full List
Okanagan Women’s Voices
Syilx and Settler Writing and Relations 1870-1960s
Billy-Ray Belcourt
A History of My Brief Body
Coexistence
NDN Coping Mechanisms
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies
Island of Decolonial Love
The Accident of Being Lost
Joshua Whitehead
Jonny Appleseed
Making Love with the Land
Jessica Johns
Bad Cree
Chief Clarence Louie
Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada’s And America’s Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples
Cree Nomad
Hey, June
Anton Treuer
Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask
Tanya Talaga
All Our Relations: Finding The Path Forward
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plans
Richard Wagamese
Embers
Jesse Thistle
Stars & Scars
Patti LaBoucane-Benson
The Outside Circle
Prairie Fire
Magazine
Carving Space
The Indigenous Voices Awards Anthology
Never Whistle At Night
An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
Check back tomorrow for Part 2: Short Reads & A Page A Day