American Indian Literature

To find books on a topic or to aid you in your research, try browsing a local library catalog. All of the books listed below are available through Haskell Indian Nations University library.

Use search terms such as “Native American Literature,” “Indigenous Literature” and “American Indian Literature."

You'll find other search terms listed under the "American Indian Literature" tab.

To find contemporary authors and books, check out independent bookstores such as Birchbark Books owned by author Louise Erdrich.

Leatherdale, Mary Beth, and Lisa Charleyboy, eds. #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women. Toronto: Annick Press Ltd., 2017.

Written and compiled by American Indian women, this collection contains poems, non-fiction writing, and more. Authors confront difficult issues and give a voice to the marginalized.[i] Though aimed at a teen audience, this book is for anyone interested in the addition of new perspectives and voices to the American Indian literary canon. #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women can be purchased online and researchers may find it through their local library system.

Lincoln, Kenneth. Speak Like Singing: Classics of Native American Literature. Albuquerque, NM: University of Mexico Press, 2007.

Speak Like Singing: Classics of Native American Literature focuses on the ways that prose and poetry overlap and explains how history and tradition are still present in contemporary American Indian stories.[ii] This book contains examples of works by well-known writers until the year 2007, and would be useful to researchers interested in the intersection of literature and lyrics. Researchers can purchase this item through the University of Mexico Press. It can also be purchased online or borrowed from a library.

Regier, Willis G., ed. Masterpieces of American Indian Literature. 2nd ed. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2005.

This collection covers works by American Indian authors spanning the writing of George Copway in 1847 to John Neihardt in 1932[iii] and may interest readers who want to study some of the earliest American Indian writing in English. This book is available at many libraries and is sold by the University of Nebraska Press.

Purdy, John L., and James Ruppert, eds. Nothing But the Truth: An Anthology of Native American Literature. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

[i] Amazon.com, Inc. “#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women.” Amazon. Accessed October 21, 2018. http://a.co/d/8zNWEJx.

[ii] University of New Mexico Press. “Speak Like Singing.” University of New Mexico Press. Accessed October 21, 2018. https://unmpress.com/books/speak-singing/9780826341709.

[iii] University of Nebraska Press. “Masterpieces of American Indian Literature.” Bison Books. Accessed October 21, 2018. https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-books/9780803289970/.

Tatonetti, Lisa. The Queerness of Native American Literature. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2014. 

The author of The Queerness of Native American Literature examines traditional American Indian literature through queer perspectives rather than cisgender perspectives and explores themes such as feminism, gender, and sexuality, including “Two-Spirit,” third-gender, individuals.[i] This text would benefit researchers who are interested in studying American Indian literature in relation to these themes. Researchers can find this source in print to check out at many libraries. Copies are also available for purchase from the University of Minnesota Press and other booksellers.

Portner, Joy, and Kenneth M. Roemer, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Native American Literature. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 

The Cambridge Companion to Native American Literature contains historical essays, including a timeline that spans from 1772 until 2004, non-fiction prose, poetry, and essays about well-known American Indian authors.[ii]  This volume includes indexes of potentially useful secondary sources. This book is available to purchase online and local public and university libraries may carry a copy.

Gruber, Eva. Humor in Contemporary Native American Literature: Reimagining Nativeness. Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2008.

Humor is an effective tool used to satirize and draw attention to important issues. This book focuses on the use of humor in American Indian writing, how humor can influence identity and subvert stereotypes and clichés.[iii]  This source is useful for students interested in examining well-known American Indian literature through this particular lens. This book may be available at a local library. Researchers wishing to own their own copy will find it for sale through online retailers.

McClinton-Temple, Jennifer, and Alan Velie, eds. Encyclopedia of American Indian Literature. New York, NY: Facts on File, 2007.

The first edition of this encyclopedia lists information about American Indian authors and literature by name and title in alphabetical order and encompasses written literature up until the year 2006.[i] This encyclopedia could lead users to first and secondary sources, as well as additional information about an author or their work. Copies of this encyclopedia may be on the shelves at a local library or they may be found to purchase online.