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AIPI 2023 Summer Reading List: Native American Novels through the Decades

bsantist — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:09:00 +0000

AIPI 2023 Summer Reading List: Native American Novels through the Decades

bsantist June 21, 2023

AIPI Blog

AIPI 2023 Summer Reading List: Native American Novels through the Decades

The beauty of the summer season has officially begun and plans for all of the lively summer outdoor activities and adventures are already underway. However, when the heat becomes just too much or you simply need time to relax, reading a good book is the answer. If you are looking for inspiration while choosing those essential summer reads, look no further.

AIPI has compiled a list of novels to take you through the decades of Native American literature. Storytelling and its importance in Indigenous culture has existed as long as we, as a people, have. Native American literature has continued on through many iterations, with the approach to storytelling being uniquely influenced and framed by existing Native American identity and current political and social events that were present at the time of writing. In this 2023 summer reading list, AIPI takes the opportunity to showcase novels from Native American authors from the renaissance era into the present.

AIPI Summer 2023 Reading List

House Made of Dawn (1968) by N. Scott Momaday

“A young Native American, Abel has come home from a foreign war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his father, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world -- modern, industrial America -- pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, claiming his soul, goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust. And the young man, torn in two, descends into hell.” Source: Harper Collins

The Way to Rainy Mountain (1969) by N. Scott Momaday

"The stories in The Way to Rainy Mountain are told in three voices. The first voice is the voice of my father, the ancestral voice, and the voice of the Kiowa oral tradition. The second is the voice of historical commentary. And the third is that of personal reminiscence, my own voice. There is a turning and returning of myth, history, and memoir throughout, a narrative wheel that is as sacred as language itself." Source: The Way to Rainy Mountain Preface

Ceremony (1977) by Leslie Marmon Silko

“More than thirty-five years since its original publication, Ceremony remains one of the most profound and moving works of Native American literature, a novel that is itself a ceremony of healing. Tayo, a World War II veteran of mixed ancestry, returns to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation. He is deeply scarred by his experience as a prisoner of the Japanese and further wounded by the rejection he encounters from his people. Only by immersing himself in the Indian past can he begin to regain the peace that was taken from him. Masterfully written, filled with the somber majesty of Pueblo myth, Ceremony is a work of enduring power. The Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition contains a new preface by the author and an introduction by Larry McMurtry.” Source: Penguin Random House

Mean Spirit (1991) by Linda Hogan

“In this 1991 Pulitzer Prize nominee, Chicksaw author Linda Hogan pulls the curtain back on the history of the Osage tribe during the Oklahoma oil boom. When rivers of oil were found beneath the land belonging to the Osage tribe. Mean Spirit tells the story of a government official who learned to honor his Native American heritage and fall in love with its people through the investigation of Grace Banket: a young woman who was once the richest person in her territory, until the greed of white men led to her murder and a future of uncertainty for her family.” Source: Simon and Schuster

The Round House (2012) by Louis Erdrich

“One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. The details of the crime are slow to surface because Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and thirteen-year-old son, Joe. In one day, Joe's life is irrevocably transformed. He tries to heal his mother, but she will not leave her bed and slips into an abyss of solitude. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared.

While his father, a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.” Source: Harper Collins

The Road Back to Sweetgrass (2016) by Linda LeGarde Grover

“Set in northern Minnesota, this novel follows a trio of American Indian women, from the 1970s to the present, observing their lives intersect on the fictional Mozhay Point reservation. Linda LeGarde Grover connects the sense of place with the experience of Native women who came of age during the days of the federal termination policy and the struggle for tribal self-determination.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Owls Don’t Have to Mean Death (2017) by Chip Livingston

“As a Florida Creek child, Peter Strongbow learned owl sightings were bad luck. A hooting in the night, eerie screeches that echoed into your bedroom, these were omens. And recently, while on a romantic drive, his car has struck one down. His ancestors taught you to walk the land when a relative returned after some extended absence, you walked the land when you needed to think things over, which Peter found himself doing more and more often now, since coping with Cache, the love of his life, learning he has AIDS. Peter turns to his community and family for help in understanding how to heal and hold on to an ailing earth in this novel of hope amid adversity.” Source: Goodreads

Sacred Smokes (2018) by Theodore Van Alst

“Growing up in a gang in the city can be dark. Growing up Native American in a gang in Chicago is a whole different story. This book takes a trip through that unexplored part of Indian Country, an intense journey that is full of surprises, shining a light on the interior lives of people whose intellectual and emotional concerns are often overlooked. This dark, compelling, occasionally inappropriate, and often hilarious linked story collection introduces a character who defies all stereotypes about urban life and Indians. He will be in readers' heads for a long time to come.” Source: University of New Mexico Press

There, There (2019) by Tommy Orange

“Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle’s death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform traditional dance for the very first time. They converge and collide on one fateful day at the Big Oakland Powwow and together this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American—grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism.” Source: Penguin Random House

Fire Keeper's Daughter (2021) by Angeline Boulley

“Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.” Source: Macmillan Publishers

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June 21, 2023

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ASU Celebrates Indigenous Culture Week

spesweviwridriclitrauespuuadruwujihuthacrijowosomijeclifrewr — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 21:32:57 +0000

ASU Celebrates Indigenous Culture Week

spesweviwridri… (not verified) April 6, 2022

AIPI Blog

ASU Celebrates Indigenous Culture Week

For Arizona State University, this week is shaping to be reflective, educational, valuable and cultural. April 4th through the 10th is Indigenous culture week (ICW) at ASU. Arizona State University is located on the ancestral homeland of the O’odham and Piipaash people. As part of Turtle Island (North and South America), Indigenous Culture Week seeks to celebrate the Indigenous people of this land and promote the Indigneous voices around the world. The goal of Indigenous Culture Week is to bring our community together to educate, celebrate and share ideas, values, and traditions across all four campuses. This year’s theme is “Past, Present, Future…Indigenous Forever” The ICW Committee put together a week's worth of hybrid and in-person events to celebrate Indigenous cultures. Events planned include documentary screenings, art workshops, lectures and panel discussions. The Ms./Mr. Indigenous Arizona State University Pageant on April 16th.

Collaboration across the ASU campus with other entities makes ICW possible. The Labriola National American Indian Data Center is also hosting events this week for students and community members. There is also a library guide to educate people about the history of ICW, which was established in 1989. According to an ASU Library article, after ICW is over the Labriola Center will continue to host events through the end of the semester. The popular LoFi-Beats study session will be back for the evening of April 13th. To keep up with the most current events at the Labriola Center follow along with them on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

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April 6, 2022

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ILA Expresses Gratitude

spesweviwridriclitrauespuuadruwujihuthacrijowosomijeclifrewr — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 21:06:27 +0000

ILA Expresses Gratitude

spesweviwridri… (not verified) March 4, 2022

AIPI Blog

ILA Expresses Gratitude

Can you believe we are halfway through the inaugural cohort of the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA)? We’ve had the honor of having very talented guest speakers during our meetings. We are so appreciative of all our guest speakers for modules two through five. These experts in their respective fields imparted their knowledge, shared their insights, and gave their time to the ILA. You can read more about each of our talented guest speakers below.

Module 2: Understanding Political and Economic Contexts in Indian Country;

Stacy Leeds (Cherokee) is an experienced leader in law, higher education, governance, economic development, and conflict resolution. She serves as Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. Leeds is Dean Emeritus, University of Arkansas School of Law, and the first Indigenous woman to lead a law school. During her tenure as dean (2011-2018), Arkansas Law achieved the highest-ever rankings: No. 1 Best Value in Legal Education (National Jurist 2014) and 33rd among public law schools (U.S. News 2014). Leeds then served as the inaugural Vice Chancellor for Economic Development at the University of Arkansas (2017-2020). Leeds holds law degrees from the University of Wisconsin (LL.M.) and University of Tulsa (J.D.), a business degree from the University of Tennessee (M.B.A)., and an undergraduate degree in history from Washington University in St. Louis (B.A.).

Module 3: Research, Data, and Indigenous Knowledge;

Alex Soto (Tohono O’odham) is director of the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at Arizona State University (ASU) Library. Under his leadership, the Labriola Center has implemented culturally informed library research support services and Indigenized ASU’s community-driven archives initiative for tribal communities. Alex’s journey to librarianship comes after years of success as a touring hip-hop musician/educator and activist. During graduate school, Alex realized the importance of information literacy within tribal communities and the role of reparative archives in strengthening Indigenous sovereignty. Recently, Alex co-authored ASU Library’s first land acknowledgment statement. Alex believes Indigenous librarianship synthesizes his creative, cultural, and professional backgrounds as well as his commitment to Indigenous self-determination.

Module 4: Innovation and Sustainable Enterprise- Building;

Eunique Yazzie (Diné), entrepreneur, and co-founder of Cahokia Phoenix. If art imitates life, Eunique Yazzie's palette is one that breathes new life and purpose into the arts and culture community; she is a Diné mother, creative advocate, and social entrepreneur from the Navajo Nation. She has founded 3 social enterprises and has been in the creative design industry for over twenty years and in the tech field for five years. Her career timeline has honed her technical skill, challenged perspectives, engaged audiences, and established her artistic dimensions. As a poet, storyteller, and owner of euniQue LLC, Founder, and Strategist of Indige Design Collab, and Co-Founder of Cahokia LLC, she creates an impact on cultural initiatives, place keeping methods, and organizational development. Pivoting towards tech, she is now focusing on design systems for media assets and creative workflow.

Module 5: Response and Responsibility;

Geoffrey Blackwell (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) is the Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel for AMERIND Risk Management Corporation, Mr. Blackwell joined the AMERIND executive team in October of 2015. AMERIND is a federally chartered and tribally owned risk and financial management insurance company, the only one of its kind in the entire country. Mr. Blackwell is the executive manager of AMERIND’s Legal, Finance, IT, HR, Communications teams, as well as its Broadband team, AMERIND Critical Infrastructure. Mr. Blackwell is a recognized expert in Tribal economic development as well as communications infrastructure deployment. Mr. Blackwell is very active in Federal-Tribal policy advocacy. He has testified before Congress on seven occasions, both as a Tribal representative and as a senior federal policymaker. He has also testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is one of the 2020 Honorees of Public Knowledge’s IP3 Internet Protocol Award for his telecom policy advocacy on behalf of Tribal Nations.

We are very grateful to all of our guest speakers thus far! Keep following us as we unveil the next round of guest speakers.

Posted on

March 4, 2022

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Indigenous STEAM Reading List 2022

spesweviwridriclitrauespuuadruwujihuthacrijowosomijeclifrewr — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 19:56:54 +0000

Indigenous STEAM Reading List 2022

spesweviwridri… (not verified) February 15, 2022

AIPI Blog

Indigenous STEAM Reading List 2022

The Indigenous Leadership Academy is currently ongoing. Stay tuned to see updates about the program!

Kristen: When planning this next reading list, Elizabeth Quiroga, student archivist at the Labriola National American Indian Data Center (Labriola Center) and I had something completely different in mind. After some discussion, we decided that Indigenous STEAM would be our next reading list. We tried to stick to the same criteria that no book is more than $40 (US) and all books can be found at the Arizona State University library. Whenever possible, we link the books to the publisher and the Labriola Center, some of which are available through Open Stack.

Elizabeth: When putting together this month’s reading list Kristen and I found that, from an Indigenous perspective, the arts were practically inseparable from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. Our ancestors gathered data about the environment around them and passed that knowledge on to us through our languages, traditions, and cultures; which includes but is not limited to our stories, regalia, and other forms of traditional or cultural creative expressions. It’s in books like Roots of Our Renewal that we can see the influence of our ancestors' strategies for acquiring knowledge and conducting research for the future. Clint Carrol’s storytelling is engaging and creates a comprehensive approach to discussing ethnobotany and Cherokee environmental governance, regardless of your current familiarity with the topics.

Kristen: If you know me, you know I’m a foodie. My Instagram is dedicated to capturing photos of my meals. Sometimes works of art are very precise, and with cooking, you must also be precise. Elizabeth and I agreed that cookbooks apply to STEAM. With the mathematics of measurements, and the art of plating, coupled with the science of cooking, “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” is my book choice. This book is special to me because I am Dakota and the recipes found in it are ones I grew up with. Sean Sherman takes great care in ensuring that all the recipes are created without the use of processed ingredients and are still flavorful. Traditional, ancestral ingredients are a guarantee to please your palate and liven up your Instagram! Who knows? You might even gain a few followers.

We hope you enjoy the list we curated on Indigenous STEAM. Happy reading!

Indigenous STEAM Reading List 2022:

The Science Of The Sacred

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Modern medical science has finally caught up to what traditional healing systems have known for centuries. Many traditional healing techniques and medicines are often assumed to be archaic, outdated, or unscientific compared to modern Western medicine. Nicole Redvers, a naturopathic physician and member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation, analyzes modern Western medical practices using evidence-informed Indigenous healing practices and traditions from around the world–from sweat lodges and fermented foods to Ayurvedic doshas and meditation. Organized around various sciences, such as physics, genetics, and microbiology, the book explains the connection between traditional medicine and current research around epigenetics and quantum physics, for example, and includes over 600 citations. Redvers, who has traveled and worked with Indigenous groups around the world, shares the knowledge and teachings of health and wellness that have been passed down through the generations, tying this knowledge with current scientific advances. Knowing that the science backs up the traditional practice allows us to have earlier and more specific interventions that integrate age-old techniques with the advances in modern medicine and technology.” Source: Penguin Random House

Native Science

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“In Native Science, Gregory Cajete "tells the story" of Indigenous science as a way of understanding, experiencing, and feeling the natural world. He points to parallels and differences between the Indigenous science and Western science paradigms, with special emphasis on environmental/ecological studies. After discussing philosophical foundations, Cajete addresses such topics as history and myth, primal elements, social ecology, animals in myth and reality, plants and human health, and cosmology and astronomy.

In the Indigenous view, we human observers are in no way separate from the world and its creatures and forces. Because all creatures and forces are related and thus bear responsibility to and for one another, all are co-creators. Five centuries ago Europeans arrived on the American continent, but they did not listen to the people who had lived for millennia in spiritual and physical harmony with this land. In a time of global environmental degradation, the science and worldview of the continent's First Peoples offer perspectives that can help us work toward solutions.” Source: Amazon

Native American DNA

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Because today’s DNA testing seems so compelling and powerful, increasing numbers of Native Americans have begun to believe their own metaphors: “in our blood” is giving way to “in our DNA.” In Native American DNA, Kim TallBear shows how Native American claims to land, resources, and sovereignty that have taken generations to ratify may be seriously—and permanently—undermined.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Roots Of Our Renewal

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Although their forced relocation of the late 1830s had devastating consequences for Cherokee society, the reconstituted Cherokee Nation west of the Mississippi eventually cultivated a special connection to the new land. In Roots of Our Renewal, Clint Carroll explores the interplay between tribal natural resource management programs and governance models that the Cherokee people have developed, showing how modern state forms can articulate alternative ways of interacting with and “governing” the environment.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Plants Have So Much To Give Us, All We Have To Do Is Ask

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“In Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask, Mary Siisip Geniusz makes Anishinaabe botanical information available to native and nonnative healers and educators and emphasizes the Anishinaabe culture that developed the knowledge and practice. Teaching the way she was taught—through stories—Geniusz brings the plants to life with narratives that explain their uses, meaning, and history.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Braiding Sweetgrass

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.” Source: Milkweed

The People Have Never Stopped Dancing

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“In this first major study of contemporary Native American dance, Jacqueline Shea Murphy shows how these concert performances are at once diverse and connected by common influences. Illustrating how Native dance enacts cultural connections to land, ancestors, and animals, as well as spiritual and political concerns, Shea Murphy challenges stereotypes and offers new ways of recognizing the agency of bodies on stage.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

The Fourth Eye

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The Fourth Eye brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars to provide a critical and comprehensive account of the intricate and complex relationship between the media and Māori culture. Examining the Indigenous mediascape, The Fourth Eye shows how Māori filmmakers, actors, and media producers have depicted conflicts over citizenship rights and negotiated the representation of Indigenous people.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Here is real food—our indigenous American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish. Locally sourced, seasonal, "clean" ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking are nothing new to Sean Sherman, the Oglala Lakota chef and founder of The Sioux Chef. In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, Sherman shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful, at once elegant and easy.

Sherman dispels outdated notions of Native American fare—no fry bread or Indian tacos here—and no European staples such as wheat flour, dairy products, sugar, and domestic pork and beef. The Sioux Chef's healthful plates embrace venison and rabbit, river and lake trout, duck and quail, wild turkey, blueberries, sage, sumac, timpsula or wild turnip, plums, purslane, and abundant wildflowers. Contemporary and authentic, his dishes feature cedar braised bison, griddled wild rice cakes, amaranth crackers with smoked white bean paste, three sisters salad, deviled duck eggs, smoked turkey soup, dried meats, roasted corn sorbet, and hazelnut-maple bites.” Source: Birchbark Books

Modern Native Feast

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Native American cuisine comes of age in this elegant, contemporary collection that reinterprets and updates traditional Native recipes with modern, healthy twists. Andrew George Jr. was head chef for Aboriginal foods at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver; his imaginative menus reflect the diverse new culinary landscape while being mindful of an ages-old reverence for the land and sea, reflecting the growing interest in a cuisine that is rapidly moving into the mainstream to become the "next big thing" among food trends. Andrew also works actively at making Native foods healthier and more nutritious; his recipes are lighter, less caloric, and include Asian touches, such as bison ribs with Thai spices, and a sushi roll with various cooked fish wrapped in nori. Other dishes include venison barley soup, wild berry crumble, sea asparagus salad, and buffalo tourtiere.” Source: Arsenal Pulp Press

Posted on

February 15, 2022

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Indigenous Policy, Politics and Activism Reading List 2021

spesweviwridriclitrauespuuadruwujihuthacrijowosomijeclifrewr — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 18:28:00 +0000

Indigenous Policy, Politics and Activism Reading List 2021

spesweviwridri… (not verified) November 2, 2021

AIPI Blog

Indigenous Policy, Politics and Activism Reading List 2021

The American Indian Policy Institute has launched the Indigenous Leadership Academy (ILA) application! The application is now live and will remain open until November 15, 2021. Click here to start the application process.

Being that we are now in November, which is recognized as Native American Heritage Month, the Labriola National American Indian Data Center (Labriola Center) student archivist, Elizabeth Quiroga, and I decided this reading list would focus on Indigenous policy, politics, and activism. This list was very hard to narrow down. We tried to stick to the same criteria that no book is more than $40 (US) and all books can be found at the Arizona State University library. Whenever possible, we link the books to the publisher and the Labriola Center, some of which are available through Open Stack.

I asked a few people what book they would recommend for an Indigenous policy, politics, and activism list and the book that kept coming up was “Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.” I own and have read other books by Vine Deloria, Jr. but not this one. Many of the people who recommended this book said it was an easy book to follow and understand in order to grasp the baseline knowledge of what Indian policy is. I’ve added this book to my personal reading list and am looking forward to learning from it.

Student Archivist, Elizabeth, writes, It was difficult narrowing down the book list for this post, a topic we often discuss with other peers in the Labriola Center is on the politics, policies, and activism that surrounds and comes out of our communities. A topic often brought up when we share the different circumstances and issues that our communities face is the issue of movement memory. Most students educated in the United States public school system are not educated on activism history, particularly Indigenous activism. It is with book lists like this, and safe spaces like Labriola, where we can reintegrate movement memory into helping our generation navigate these changing times. To get a glimpse into international Indiengous politics and activism I’d recommend reading “Speaking of Indigenous Politics: Conversations with Activists, Scholars, and Tribal Leaders,” a collection of interviews with J. Kehaulani Kauanui’s radio show ’Indigenous Politics: From Native New England and Beyond.’

We hope you enjoy the list we curated on Indigenous policy, politics, and activism. Happy reading!

Indigenous Policy, Politics, and Activism Reading List 2021:

Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“In his new preface to this paperback edition, the author observes, "The Indian world has changed so substantially since the first publication of this book that some things contained in it seem new again." Indeed, it seems that each generation of whites and Indians will have to read and reread Vine Deloria’s Manifesto for some time to come, before we absorb his special, ironic Indian point of view and what he tells us, with a great deal of humor, about U.S. race relations, federal bureaucracies, Christian churches, and social scientists. This book continues to be required reading for all Americans, whatever their special interest.” Source: University of Oklahoma Press

We All Go Back to the Land: The Who, Why, and How of Land Acknowledgements

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Land Acknowledgements often begin academic conferences, cultural events, government press gatherings, and even hockey games. They are supposed to be an act of Reconciliation between Indigenous peoples in Canada and non-Indigenous Canadians, but they have become so routine and formulaic that they have sometimes lost meaning. Seen more and more as empty words, some events have dropped Land Acknowledgements altogether.

Métis artist and educator Suzanne Keeptwo wants to change that. She sees the Land Acknowledgement as an opportunity for Indigenous peoples in Canada to communicate a message to non-Indigenous Canadians—a message founded upon Age Old Wisdom about how to sustain the Land we all want to call home.” Source: University of Toronto Press

Speaking of Indigenous Politics: Conversations with Activists, Scholars, and Tribal Leaders

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“On her radio program Indigenous Politics, J. Kēhaulani Kauanui talked candidly and in an engaging way about how settler colonialism depends on erasing Native peoples and about how Native peoples can and do resist, bringing Indigenous activism to the mainstream. Collected here, these conversations speak with clear and compelling voices about a range of Indigenous politics that shape everyday life.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Keeping the Campfires Going: Native Women's Activism in Urban Communities

Electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The essays in this groundbreaking anthology, Keeping the Campfires Going, highlight the accomplishments of and challenges confronting Native women activists in American and Canadian cities. Since World War II, Indigenous women from many communities have stepped forward through organizations, in their families, or by themselves to take action on behalf of the growing number of Native people living in urban areas. This collection recounts and assesses the struggles, successes, and legacies of several of these women in cities across North America, from San Francisco to Toronto, Vancouver to Chicago, and Seattle to Milwaukee. These wide-ranging and insightful essays illuminate Native communities in cities as well as the women activists working to build them.” Source: University of Nebraska Press

The Zapatistas' Dignified Rage: Final Public Speeches of Subcommander Marcos

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“For over two decades, Mexico’s Zapatista indigenous movement has stood as a beacon of hope for activists around the world working against economic exploitation and government oppression. Subcommander Marcos was their military leader and spokesperson, a poetic advocate who was, for many, almost indistinguishable from the movement he championed. On May 25, 2014, in the town of La Realidad, deep in the Zapatistas’ heartland, Subcommander Marcos delivered a speech before thousands of supporters in which he declared that he would henceforth “cease to exist,” a change that made way for the movement’s indigenous members to assume a more prominent role.” Source: AK Press

Braiding Legal Orders

Electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Implementation in Canada of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a pivotal opportunity to explore the relationship between international law, Indigenous peoples' own laws, and Canada's constitutional narratives.” Source: McGill-Queen’s University Press

Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The Navajo Nation court system is the largest tribal legal system in the world. Justice Raymond D. Austin considers the history and implications of how the Navajo Nation courts apply foundational Navajo doctrines to modern legal issues. In addition to detailed case studies, Justice Austin provides a broad view of tribal law, outlining how other indigenous peoples can draw on traditional precepts to control their own futures.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

The Third Space of Sovereignty

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The Third Space of Sovereignty offers fresh insights on such topics as the end of treaty-making in 1871, U.S. citizenship in the 1920s, native politics during the civil rights era, and the current issues surrounding casinos. Kevin Bruyneel shows how native political actors have effectively contested the limits that the United States has imposed on their ability to develop economically and politically on their own terms.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

The Beginning and End of Rape

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The Beginning and End of Rape makes available the powerful writings in which Sarah Deer, who played a crucial role in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013, has advocated for cultural and legal reforms to protect Native women from endemic sexual violence and abuse. These essays point to the possibility of actual and positive change in a world where Native women are systematically undervalued, left unprotected, and hurt.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Anti-Indianism in Modern America: A Voice from Tatekeya's Earth

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Cook-Lynn says that the Indian Wars of Resistance to the nineteenth- and twentieth-century colonial effort to seize native lands and resources must be given standing in the face of the ever-growing imperial narrative of America--because the terror the world is now witnessing may be the direct consequence of events which began in America's earliest dealings with the natives of this continent. Cook-Lynn's story examines the ongoing and perennial relationship of conflict between colonizers and indigenous people, and it is a story that every American must read.” Source: University of Illinois Press

Posted on

November 2, 2021

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Professional Etiquette

tlmorri3 — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 22:55:00 +0000

Professional Etiquette

tlmorri3 September 1, 2021

AIPI Blog

Professional Etiquette

The American Indian Policy Institute is creating an Indigenous Leadership Academy! If you would like to stay connected with us sign up for our email list here.

When I was eleven years old my dad took me and my younger sister to a “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” at his company. When we arrived we were given name tags. Since I am right handed, I took the name tag and placed it over my heart on my left side. Initially, I didn’t think anything of my decision until one of my dad’s colleagues approached me with a valuable piece of advice. He said, “If you are right handed, your name tag needs to be on your right side. That way when you shake hands with someone they can see it clearly as you lean in for a hand shake, rather than having to search for your name on your left side.” I quickly switched my nametag to the right side after. That small piece of advice made a huge impact on me as a child, and is something I still remember in professional settings today. That was the first piece of etiquette that was taught to me by someone other than my parents, or a family member.

Oftentimes when people hear the word “etiquette” they think of dining. There is a business side to etiquette and a Tribal side to it as well. I gave the above example as business etiquette. Tribal etiquette is something that is specific to a Tribe that an outsider may not know. One generalized rule of etiquette for Tribes is how to address Tribal council members. Please do not address a Tribal council member by their first name (even if you are on a first name basis with them). Always address them by their title and last name. For example, Chairman/President Last-Name or Councilman/Councilwoman Last-Name. This is a sign of respect they have earned by being elected into office by their fellow Tribal members.

I’m still learning tips on etiquette. Etiquette is a great tool to add to your leadership toolkit. Once you have the basics of etiquette down it will be much easier to keep learning. Remember, a little bit goes a long way. Always be respectful, kind, and polite.

Henana, pidamaya ye (that is all, thank you). Kristen

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September 1, 2021

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Indigenous Education Reading List 2021

spesweviwridriclitrauespuuadruwujihuthacrijowosomijeclifrewr — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 20:58:00 +0000

Indigenous Education Reading List 2021

spesweviwridri… (not verified) August 27, 2021

AIPI Blog

Indigenous Education Reading List 2021

Have you heard? The American Indian Policy Institute is creating an Indigenous Leadership Academy. To stay in the loop, please sign up for our email list here.

Arizona State University recently started their Fall 2021 semester. With all the new school year excitement the Labriola National American Indian Data Center (Labriola Center) student archivist, Elizabeth Quiroga, and I decided that this reading list would focus on Indigenous education. We have children’s, young adult, and adult books on this reading list. Whenever possible, we link the books to the publisher and the Labriola Center, some of which are available through Open Stack.

Not all of the books are easy reads, in fact, most of the books deal with the trauma of boarding/residential schools. Many of these books discuss the resiliency of Indigenous people and what leadership in Indian education looks like. Being from the Twin Cities, “Survival Schools” is the book that I revisit often. The book focuses on two survival schools, the Red School House and Heart of the Earth/ Oh Day Aki. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet former students of these schools and hear their stories.

Elizabeth writes, These books help the reader appreciate the difficult journey made by Indigneous people both in the past and those who continue to decolonize academia today. As a young Indigenous student, wanting to create change in academia seems daunting, however these books put into perspective what it means to decolonize and indigenize education. That’s why I enjoyed reading “American Indian Stories of Success: New Visions of Leadership in Indian Country”, it is an inspiring read that humanizes Indigenous leaders, their stories and their successes.

We hope you enjoy the list we curated on Indigenous education. Happy reading!

Indigenous Education Reading List 2021:

We are Water Protectors

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption--a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.” Source: Birchbark Books

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.” Source: Lerner Publishing Group

Secret Path

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Secret Path is a ten song digital download album by Gord Downie with a graphic novel by illustrator Jeff Lemire that tells the story of Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack, a twelve-year-old boy who died in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School fifty years ago.

Chanie, misnamed Charlie by his teachers, was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to return home. Chanie’s home was 400 miles away. He didn’t know that. He didn’t know where it was, nor how to find it, but, like so many kids—more than anyone will be able to imagine—he tried.

Chanie’s story is Canada’s story. We are not the country we thought we were. History will be re-written. We are all accountable. Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of Canada’s history—the long suppressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system—with the hope of starting our country on a road to reconciliation. Every year as we remember Chanie Wenjack, the hope for Secret Path is that it educates all Canadians young and old on this omitted part of our history, urging our entire nation to play an active role in the preservation of Indigenous lives and culture in Canada.” Source: Red Planet Books & Comics

Free to be Mohawk: Indigenous Education at the Akwesasne Freedom School

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Akwesasne territory straddles the U.S.-Canada border in upstate New York, Ontario, and Quebec. In 1979, in the midst of a major conflict regarding self-governance, traditional Mohawks there asserted their sovereign rights to self-education. Concern over the loss of language and culture and clashes with the public school system over who had the right to educate their children sparked the birth of the Akwesasne Freedom School (AFS) and its grassroots, community-based approach. In Free to Be Mohawk, Louellyn White traces the history of the AFS, a tribally controlled school operated without direct federal, state, or provincial funding, and explores factors contributing to its longevity and its impact on alumni, students, teachers, parents, and staff.” Source: University of Oklahoma Press

Survival Schools

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“In 1972, motivated by prejudice in the child welfare system and hostility in the public schools, AIM organizers and local Native parents started their own community school. The story of these schools, unfolding through the voices of activists, teachers, and families, is also a history of AIM’s founding and community organizing—and evidence of its long-term effect on Indian people’s lives.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

The Seeds We Planted: Portraits of a Native Hawaiian Charter School

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“The Seeds We Planted tells the story of Hālau Kū Māna, one of the only Hawaiian culture-based charter schools in urban Honolulu. Against the backdrop of the Hawaiian struggle for self-determination and the U.S. charter school movement, Noelani Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua reveals a critical tension: the successes of a school celebrating indigenous culture are measured by the standards of settler colonialism.” Source: University of Minnesota Press

Power and Place: Indian Education in America

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“Power and Place examines the issues facing Native American students as they progress through schools, colleges, and on into professions. This collection of sixteen essays is at once philosophic, practical, and visionary. It is an effort to open discussion about the unique experience of Native Americans and offers a concise reference for administrators, educators, students and community leaders involved with Indian Education.” Source: Red Planet Books & Comics

Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“While the success of higher education and student affairs is predicated on understanding the students we serve, the reality is, where the Native American population is concerned, that this knowledge is generally lacking. This lack may be attributed to this population’s invisibility within the academy – it is often excluded from institutional data and reporting, and frequently noted as not statistically significant – and its relegation to what is referred to as the “American Indian research asterisk.”

The purpose of this book is to move beyond the asterisk in an effort to better understand Native students, challenge the status quo, and provide an informed base for leaders in student and academic affairs, and administrators concerned with the success of students on their campuses.” Source: Stylus Publishing LLC

Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education

Physical & electronic access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“This volume offers new perspectives from Indigenous leaders in academic affairs, student affairs and central administration to improve colleges and universities in service to Indigenous students and professionals. It discusses and illustrates ways that leadership norms, values, assumptions and behaviors can often find their origins in cultural identities, and how such assumptions can affect the evolvement of colleges and universities in serving Indigenous Peoples. It contributes to leadership development and reflection among novice, experienced, and emerging leaders in higher education and provides key recommendations for transforming higher education” Source: Routledge

American Indian Stories of Success: New Visions of Leadership in Indian Country

Physical access: Click here to view the book at the ASU library

“American Indian Stories of Success documents life lessons from the leaders who started the first tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), the American Indian College Fund, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and all those who worked to pass monumental legislation to further the development of Indian education. This book gives insight into the struggles and obstacles that Native education leaders faced in tribal politics, state and local governments, federal agencies, and academic accrediting agencies. Through it all, a resounding theme of determination, respect, and humility guided these leaders to rise up and call on the resiliency of our ancestors to make the hard decisions in order to direct the action needed.” Source: Monte Randall