Native Americans

American Indian Healing Arts: Herbs, Rituals, and Remedies for Every Season of Life by E. Barrie Kavasch and Karen Baar.
History and uses of Native American healing practices. Examines major stages of an individual’s life from different tribal perspectives. Describes rituals and the herbs, fungi, and other materials used for rites of passage, illness prevention, and healing. Contains more than sixty easy to prepare Native American-inspired recipes. RC 48564.

American Indian Myths and Legends selected and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz.
A wide-ranging anthology of one hundred sixty tales from one hundred tribes, including accounts of the creation, of heroes and monsters, of war and the warrior code, of love and passion, and of trickery and humor. RC 22217.

American Indians of the Southwest by Bertha P. Dutton.
Survey of the history, traditions, contemporary life, and economic conditions of various tribes of the American Southwest. Covers the major divisions of the Pueblo, Athabascan, Ute, Paiute, and Rancheria peoples. RC 21704.

Apaches: A History and Culture Portrait by James L. Haley.
Rejecting the romantic view of Native Americans as noble savages, a historian integrates Apache history and culture in this well documented book. He examines the drama of Apache history against the backdrop of Apache religious beliefs, courtship rites, friendship customs, secret myths and medicines, and charismatic clan leaders. RC 16622.

The Apaches: Eagles of the Southwest by Donald E. Worcester.
A history of the Apache tribes of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico from the post-Conquest era of the Spaniards until modern times. The main focus is on the nineteenth century; the era of the Apaches' sometimes splintered but always determined resistance to the white intruders. Covers such tribes as the Mescaleros, Mimbrenos, Chiricahuas, Coyoteros, Tontos, Pinalenos, and individual leaders such as Cochise, Victorio, Geronimo, Chato, Nachez, and others. RC 15926.

Black Elk Lives: Conversations with the Black Elk Family by Esther Black Elk DeSersa.
This companion to Black Elk Speaks (RC 22552) records the reminiscences of his granddaughters and family members concerning the Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk and his son Ben. The family recalls their years growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation, their traditions, and how Black Elk’s legacy still affects them. RC 51948.

Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux as told through John G. Neihardt. 
The autobiography of an Oglala Sioux warrior and hunter who, because of his visions and psychic experiences, becomes the tribe's medicine man. RC 22552.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown.
Based upon the records of treaty councils and the actual words of Native American leaders such as Geronimo, Chief Joseph, and Crazy Horse. This history of the Native Americans from 1860 to 1890 covers the thirty critical years during which the West was won and the civilization of the Native Americans was lost. RC 20462, BR 8720.

Cherokees of the Old South by Henry Thompson Malone.
The Cherokees became the most civilized of the Native American tribes, with their own government, written language, and tribal newspaper. This is an analysis of their social history and their place in the white man's world. WOD 251.

Cheyennes and Horse Soldiers: The 1857 Expedition and the Battle of Solomon's Fork by William Y. Chalfant.
On July 29, 1857, in what is now northwest Kansas, the United States First Cavalry, commanded by Colonel E.V. Sumner, with sabers held aloft charged a battle line of Cheyenne in full war regalia. This account of the first major battle between the United States Army and the Cheyenne represents a microcosm of the greater struggle between the two cultures. RC 31204.

Chief William McIntosh: A Man of Two Worlds by George Chapman.
Chief McIntosh was a man of two worlds; his mother was a Creek and his father a Scottish army captain. His story is also that of the people of the Creek Nation as they struggled to hold onto their land. Although McIntosh believed their struggle was futile, he was forced to make choices that resulted in tragic consequences for himself and his family. RC 30702.

The Comanche Code Talkers of World War 2 by William C. Meadows.
Chronicle of the Comanche Code Talkers’ European military service. Follows the group through recruitment, training, active duty, and postwar lives. Compares it with such other code talking programs as those of the Navajo in World War 2 and the Oklahoma Choctaw in World War 1. Discusses cultural factors and American military attitudes. RC 59031.

Cochise: Chiricahua Apache Chief by Edwin Russell Sweeney.
Nineteenth century warrior Chief Cochise fought the oppression of his people, who dwelled in the area that is now southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and the Sierra Madre. His enemies were first Spain, then Mexico, and finally the United States after Americans executed his brother. Sweeney’s research reveals the many facets of Cochise’s character, from brutal warrior to caring patriarch. Civilization of the American Indian series. RC 34429.

Crazy Horse, the Strange Man of the Oglalas: A Biography by Mari Sandoz.
A hero tale of a great Indian chief. Traces the life story of the Oglala Sioux chieftain from boyhood to his death in 1877. RC 14430.

Crow Dog: Four Generations of Sioux Medicine Men by Leonard Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes.
Family history of the Brule Native American clan named Crow Dog. Leonard Crow Dog, spiritual leader of the American Indian Movement at the second siege of Wounded Knee in 1973, traces his lineage to the first Crow Dog, Jerome, who was a leader of the Ghost Dance of 1889 and comrade of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Crow Dog also describes Lakota rituals and ceremonies. RC 43645.

Dine´: A History of the Navajos by Peter Iverson.
A cultural history of the largest Native American nation in North America. Describes their Southwest origins bounded by four sacred mountains and their evolving lifestyle through the start of the twenty-first century. Discusses their adaptability as a means of survival, focusing on the final 150 years. RC 58526.

The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter.
Memoir of an orphaned boy who was raised in a log cabin by his Cherokee grandparents in Tennessee during the Great Depression. Some strong language RC 58621.

The Elder Brothers by Alan Ereira.
The Kogi, or Elder Brothers, are a self-isolated tribe in the mountains of Colombia who consider themselves to be the guardians of the Earth. They broke tradition and allowed Ereira to film their centuries-old, simple way of life in order to inform the Younger Brothers that modern customs and behaviors are destroying the Earth and must be abandoned. Contains violence. RC 35157.

Geronimo: The Man, His Time, His Place by Angie Debo.
Portrayal of the Apache war leader as a victim of white history. After his final surrender, Geronimo developed into a kindly, enterprising old man and appeared in Wild West shows. RC 11145.

God Gave Us This Country: Tekamthi and the First American Civil War by Bill Gilbert.
Gilbert chronicles the life of the great Shawnee leader known to many as Tecumseh. Born in 1768, Tekamthi was responsible for uniting the various tribes in what Gilbert calls the "first" American civil war, as they fought the white man for the right to retain their lands in the "Old Northwest." RC 32115.

Grandmothers of the Light: A Medicine Woman’s Sourcebook by Paula Gunn Allen.
Allen retells and explains twenty-one spiritual stories culled from the oral histories of various Native American tribes. These selections, which include creation legends, illustrate the gynecocratic values held by the tribes. Also discussed are the steps a woman passes through to become a medicine woman: the ways of the daughter, householder, mother, gatherer, ritualist, teacher, and wise woman. RC 34434.

Here Come the Navaho: A History of the Largest Indian Tribe in the United States by Ruth Underhill.
A colorful account of the history and culture of the Navaho people, both before and after white settlers occupied their land. This study was originally prepared by a noted scholar for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the early 1950s and recently reprinted. RC 24442.

The Indian Medicine Man by Robert Hofsinde.
Describes the work of the powerful and greatly respected medicine men of six different tribes. Tells how they used prayers, herbs, prophecies, and even tricks and sham to cure their people. RC 12699.

Indians of the Pacific Northwest: A History by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown.
Surveys the Native Americans of the entire Northwest, including more than 100 tribes in 15 language groups, focusing on Native American/white contacts and conflicts between 1750 and 1900. A detailed narrative of intertribal fighting, battles with the whites, rivalry among religious groups who came to civilize the Native Americans, and some attempts to exterminate them. RC 17883.

Indians of the Southeast: Then and Now by Jesse Burt and Robert B. Ferguson.
Conveys the religion, languages, lifestyle, food, games, dance, and music of the first Americans of the Southeast. Also tells of the arrival of the Europeans and the changes that took place as the Native Americans were outnumbered. RC 14782.

The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living by Joseph Marshall.
Twelve traditional tales and allegories told by Lakota elders to impart tribal wisdom on ethics and character. Each story illustrates a virtue such as humility, respect, sacrifice, and honesty. In The Story of the Thunders a jealous first wife tells how foolishness can lead to wisdom. RC 54552.

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes.
Mary Crow Dog relates her experiences as a Native American woman. Born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, she grew up without a father, and without running water, plumbing, electricity, radio, or television. She describes her early hopelessness and rebellion, her participation in the American Indian Movement, and her pride in the revival of the traditions of her heritage. RC 32089.

Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear.
Standing Bear outlines the customs and beliefs his tribe adhered to in the late nineteenth century. He praises the Sioux or Lakota methods of child rearing and education as well as their relationship with the earth, other species, and each other. Using his own and others’ experiences, Standing Bear illustrates and laments the forced erosion of his native culture. RC 34807.

The Last Americans: The Indian in American Culture by William Brandon.
Summarizes the history of the Native Americans and emphasizes the diversities of their cultures, from the Mayan to the Hohokan of Arizona. RC 15432.

Medicine Woman by Lynn V. Andrews.
This is an autobiographical account of Lynn Andrew's search for identity in a Native American culture. A search for a Native American marriage basket turns into a spiritual journey that tests Lynn's faith and changes her life. The account also celebrates the role of women in Native American culture. Sisterhood of Shields, Book 5. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. RC 29374.

My People, the Sioux by Luther Standing Bear.
First published in 1928. Standing Bear lived from 1868 to 1939. He taught, acted, and wrote four books about his life and his people. He writes of his youth on the reservation, his respect for his father, his schooling, and his adult experience in the white man’s world. A champion of Native American rights and the preservation of tribal culture, Standing Bear concludes with a plea for citizenship for the Sioux people. RC 34481.

Native American Religions: An Introduction by Denise Lardner Carmody and John Carmody.
The Carmodys describe the traditions of Native Americans from the eastern woodlands, Far North, Plains, Southwest, and Far West of North America. They also cover the beliefs of natives of Mesoamerica and South America. Each chapter has the same format, offering historical background and discussing views on nature, self, spirituality, and ultimate reality. RC 40260.

The Navajo Code Talkers by Doris A. Paul.
History of the Navajos’ development of a radio transmissible code for the United States military that remained unbreakable throughout World War 2. Explains why the code confused the Japanese enemy forces. Contains the Navajo communicators’ personal accounts of action in the field under fire. RC 55315.

Navaho Folk Tales by Franc Johnson Newcomb.
These seventeen related Navaho tales were first collected by the author for her children, but the stories appeal to adults as well. The tale explain how "The People," as the Navaho refer to themselves, ascended to the Fifth World--the present--bringing with them some knowledge, magic, or skill to make this a better world. These are stories of creation and of Navaho respect for all forms of life.RC 33343, BR 8716.

Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa.
First published in 1901. Fourteen Dakota tales originally told in the Lakota language are retold here in English. Some characters, such as Iktomi, the spider fairy who plays tricks on other animals, appear in several stories. Some tales have a moral twist, while others portray Native American culture and traditions. RC 34791, BR 8880.

On the Rez by Ian Frazier.
Combines personal observation with history, travelogue, and social commentary to portray the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota. Describes the residents, their heroes, daily routines, and other activities. Contains an account of SuAnne Big Crow, an athlete who died at seventeen. RC 49313.

One Vast Winter Count: The Native American West before Lewis and Clark by Colin G. Calloway.
Traces the history of America’s native peoples from the Appalachians to the Pacific until 1800. Describes constant environmental changes with development of a corn-growing agriculture, introduction of horses, acquisition of guns, and decimation from disease, among other factors. Also discusses continuing conflicts due to inter-tribal feuding and European penetration. History of the American West series. RC 58263.

The Osage in Missouri by Kristie C. Wolferman.
Traces the history of the Osage from its origins to its forced departure from Missouri. Demonstrates the ways in which the Osage culture changed with each new encounter of the Osage with Europeans. Missouri Heritage Reader series. WOD 486.

Pueblo Nations: Eight Centuries of Pueblo Indian History by Joe S. Sando.
Cultural history written by a man from Jemez Pueblo reveals the literary and spiritual heritage of the peoples of the southwestern United States. Provides an account of their origins; discusses developments since the Spanish conquest and the impact of the United States on the society’s survival. Includes biographical sketches of nine distinguished members of the Pueblo nation. RC 47541.

Run toward the Night Land: Magic of the Oklahoma Cherokees by Jack Frederick Kilpatrick.
This collection of Cherokee incantations and the procedures for their use covers such things as hunting and fishing, controlling the weather, love, revenge, and "divining" how things will go in the future. WOD 249.

A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh by Allan W. Eckert.
The five-time Pulitzer Prize nominee chronicles the life and times of the great eighteenth century Shawnee leader. Written in the form of a novel, this narrative biography details Tecumseh’s birth in 1768, his early life as a proficient hunter and respected warrior, his heroic efforts to unite all Native American tribes against the encroaching white men, and his death in battle in 1813. RC 36764.

Susan La Flesche Picotte, M.D.: Omaha Indian Leader and Reformer by Benson Tong.
Biography of an Omaha woman, who was born in a tepee in 1865 and graduated from medical college in 1889. As a promoter of social causes and a physician for the Office of Indian Affairs, she practiced Western medicine but remained sensitive to her heritage, effectively bridging the two cultures. RC 53697.

Talking to the Ground: One Family’s Journey on Horseback across the Sacred Land of the Navajo by Douglas J. Preston.
Chronicles a family’s adventure through the southwestern desert along the legendary trail of the Navajo deity "Monster Slayer." Along the way, the author describes the history of the territory, the Anasazi and Navajo cultures, the harsh climate, and rugged terrain. RC 45065.

Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership by R. David Edmunds.
An account of the life of Shawnee leader Tecumseh in his youth and warrior days provides a lively synopsis of this episode in American history. Forefather of the twentieth century Native American movement, Tecumseh is considered one of the outstanding Native American leaders in history. RC 22050.

These Were the Sioux by Mari Sandoz.
Description of the customs, beliefs, and practical wisdom of the Sioux by a gifted Nebraska writer who loved and admired them from childhood. RC 13283.

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle.
Ehle discusses the history of the Cherokee nation and the political and social factors contributing to the 1838 forced march that came to be known as the Trail of Tears. His sympathetic account covers the adaptation of the Cherokees to European values prior to the migration of 12,000 Cherokees from their eastern homelands. RC 42034, BR 7849.

The Ways of My Grandmothers by Beverly Hungry Wolf.
A young Blackfoot woman records the ancient ways of the women of her tribe, the Blood People of the Blackfoot nation. Wolf recounts personal history, tribal history, legends, and myths, in a tribute to her people. RC 18352.

The Western Abenakis of Vermont, 1600-1800: War, Migration, and the Survival of an Indian People by Colin G. Calloway.
History of a Native American tribe in New England whose obscurity helped it to survive. The social structure was one of family groups banding together for hunting seasons rather than a strong central group. Migration was done on a small scale by families, avoiding the attention of outsiders. The author pieced together information from scarce remaining documentation. Civilization of the American Indian series. RC 42384.

Wigwams Evenings: Sioux Folk Tales Retold by Charles A. Eastman and Elaine Goodale Eastman.
Charles Eastman, who is a mixed-blood Sioux, and his wife, Elaine, have collected these twenty-seven tales that offer a sampling of his tribe's values. Narrated by Smoky Day, an old storyteller, and representing generations of Plains society, these folktales suggest "the essence of what it is to be a decent, thoughtful, and respectable human being." RC 32745, BR 8440.

The Wind Won’t Know Me: A History of the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute by Emily Benedek.
In northern Arizona, the Hopi reservation is surrounded by the much larger Navajo reservation. Ownership of much of the land originally decreed as Hopi in 1882 has become the subject of great controversy. Benedek gives a brief history of both tribes, describes the laws and lawsuits that have fueled the dispute and the government’s handling of the ordeal, and depicts a year in the lives of those affected. RC 37758.