Friday Five: 5 Books to Celebrate Indigenous Sovereignty
November is Indigenous Heritage Month, but what’s more important is that we amplify Indigenous voices and perspectives throughout the year. Therefore, the first Friday Five of December gives you carefully curated selections that delve into the heart of Indigenous stories, offering readers a chance to connect, understand, and celebrate the strength of Indigenous sovereignty. Each book is a gateway to a world of wisdom, heritage, and the indomitable spirit of Turtle Island and Mother Earth’s children.
Let's keep the flame of acknowledgment burning bright as we delve into narratives celebrating Indigenous experiences, not just in November. These pages inspire, educate, and foster a deep connection to the Native land we stand on. As a guest in the southeastern Cherokee lands, I aim to walk kindly and intentionally on Mother Earth. After all, we all belong to the land, and we belong to one another.
Decolonization is a journey and, like all forms of love, is an active choice. I hope you embark on this mission with me. Let’s learn and deconstruct to do a world of good alongside one another. Our first step is to celebrate Indigenous Sovereignty daily, intentionally, and with care.
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Image of Kaitlin B. Curtice’s book, Living Resistance, surrounded by a navy border.
1. My mother bought me my first Kaitlin B. Curtice’s book in 2017. It was her book, Glory Happening, a devotional with daily prayers. My mother had the opportunity to hear Kaitlin speak and exclaimed that we had so much in common. She went on to tell me that the very spirit Kaitlin carried in a room: beautiful, fierce, passionate, and kind, which was a gift I, too, shared with her. I was a little skeptical because I had left the church and felt very comfortable with that decision, but I fell in love with Kaitlin’s words nonetheless.
My mother is right. Kaitlin and I have so much in common. We’re rock climbers, deeply spiritual people, writers, mothers of two boys and profoundly, deeply in love with Mother Earth. Even better, Living Resistance is the book my soul craves. Her line, “I am always arriving,” is what I will say to myself whenever I am hit by life’s lows. If you are a recovering perfectionist, a people pleaser, or a church dropout who still deeply honors God, Kaitlin has the wisdom you need. Decolonization, like love, is an active choice and Kaitlin gives you the “how to” on living resistance.
I’ve added her book, Native, on my to-be-read (TBR) list and her children’s book, Winter’s Gift, is wrapped currently under my tree. Perhaps you need all of the above and more.
Image of Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book Braiding Sweetgrass surrounded by a navy border.
2. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer is the embodiment of storytelling and science. As a science and engineering professional, I know all too well that these worlds ask us to hide our humanity so as not to impact the data. Still, this is the very ideology that makes problematic behavior in these programs. Stories not only help us in our understanding, but they also show us how the design and interaction with nature influence our understanding. Dr. Kimmerer is the very reason I know why two of my Appalachian favorites, wild asters and goldenrods, grow together. Therefore, to have the most incredible sense of the big picture and understand the details and ecosystems we live, we also need to know these answers. You can just read Braiding Sweetgrass to find out. Gathering Moss is also a favorite. Fun fact: I once replanted moss from a potted plant I was given in my yard. Shortly afterward, I found a sweet little frog napping from the summer heat underneath the moss blanket. It felt like the most precious moment, as if I had entered the world of a kid’s literature book. I immediately thanked and sent energy and prayers to Dr. Kimmerer for her words of wisdom. What a joy to behold and read these two works!
When we explore Mother Nature’s beauty, we need stories to better our understanding and science to do justice as we interact with the ecosystems within Mother Nature. Dr. Kimmerer is our reminder of how and embodiment of both.
Image of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book, Women Who Run with Wolves, surrounded by a navy border.
3. If my heart had a song or, I suppose I should say, book, it would be Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book, Women Who Run with Wolves. Goodness, doesn’t the title make your heart giddy with joy and delight? Storytelling is living resistance; Clarissa’s stories will help you understand why. She speaks directly to your heart’s desire for freedom and liberation. She rebrands and reclaims the description of the wild so that it is solely on your terms and needs to be your whole, authentic self. It is a book I cannot keep on my shelf because I feel a tug and need to pass on her wisdom often. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés is the spirit mama you need. She empowers your dangerous old woman and teaches you to stand proudly in danger. Read more for her wise wisdom and guidance.
One day, I hope I have the immense pleasure of meeting Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. On that glorious day, I plan to give her a sachet of tobacco and a copy of my work, Creating Your Wild and Precious Life. My words to her would be, “Thank you for teaching me to dance with the wolves. I love myself more because of you.”
Image of Angeline Boulley’s book, Firekeeper’s Daughter, surrounded by a navy border.
4. Oh my gosh, y’all, this Young Adult read is AMAZING. In Firekeeper’s Daughter, Angeline Boulley gives us the hero our teen heart has always needed, Daunis Fontaine. Daunis is fierce, wise, talented, and loves her family dearly. We meet her in a whirlwind of grief as she sets out to track down those behind the murders of her loved ones. However, the story behind their losses has her stumbling into the drug endemic within her community, and suddenly, the plot gets complicated and quickly!
Boulley weaves the ceremony of culture through suspense, grief, and overcoming. This work is beautiful, heartbreaking, and wondrous. My heart beat fast, and I think I finished it within 48 hours. Even better? Boulley has a second book coming out, Warrior Girl Unearthed! I am so thankful for round two with the powerful, energy-giving, Firekeeper family.
Trigger Warning: Does contain sexual violence.
Image of Adrienne Keene's book, Notable Native People, surrounded by a navy border.
5. Adrienne Keene’s Notable Native People is exactly what your coffee table and home library need. The key takeaway: Indigenous folks are not just people of the past but also people of the present and folks of the future. Indigenous youth are taught to make decisions with seven generations in mind. How beautiful a sentiment. How much would society gain if we considered such a thought before making a decision? Think about such harms we could avoid if we turned away from capitalistic, patriarchal influences of power and greed and instead towards mindful, cognizant, focused decision-making. Hope can feel so far away in a time where, once again, genocide, erasure, and harm are surrounding us but as I gaze, read, and learn about the folks in Keene’s book, I am very much reminded that hope can never be defeated. We belong to one another.
This book was a gift presented to me by my dear friend, Dr. Tiffany Smith, and I am so thankful to her and Dr. Keene for this work. I have spent many hours admiring, learning, and celebrating these notable folks. You will, too.
