November is Native American Heritage Month, and this is a list we've been looking forward to putting together all year. These are books by First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Native American writers that we keep recommending to anyone who'll listen, all from the independent presses we're lucky to work with.
Some of them are brand new. Others have been on school reading lists for years and are still going strong. You'll find a picture book about a cat who might be a moose, poems built from the Nez Perce language, a hockey story, a truly creepy ghost story, and a few novels you'll want to talk through with someone when you finish. Wherever you start, we hope you find a new favorite author.
Picture Books|Nonfiction|Poetry & Short Fiction|Young Adult|Adult Fiction
Picture Books
For reading aloud, curled up together. A few are bilingual, so you might pick up some new words along the way.
Makade Asin / Black Stone by Darcy Whitecrow, illustrated by Maya McKibbin (Groundwood Books)
Ojibwe and Dakota, Seine River First Nation
A boy wakes up from a nightmare, and his Mishoomis tells him that to face his fears, he'll need to find the black stone. What follows is a vision quest through jungle, ocean, and desert, drawn in bold comic-book panels and told in English and Anishinaabemowin. A lovely pick for any kid working up the courage to try something scary. New this year.
Mooz / Moose by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Groundwood Books)
Anishinaabe, Wasauksing First Nation
Mooz means moose in Anishinaabemowin. Mooz is also, technically, a cat. But she races like a hare and caws like a jay, so who's to say? Kids love guessing along, and you'll both know the Anishinaabemowin animal names by the last page. New this year.
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett (HighWater Press)
Norway House Cree Nation
A little girl asks her grandmother why she wears such bright colors, keeps her hair long, and speaks Cree. Her grandmother's answers tell of residential school, and of the small, brave ways she and the other children held on to who they were. Gentle enough for young readers, and it will stay with the grown-ups too.
Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? by Bernelda Wheeler (HighWater Press)
Cree, Assiniboine, and Saulteaux; George Gordon First Nation
A boy wears his new moccasins to school, and his classmates want to know everything: where they came from, who made them, and how. Every answer leads back to his Kookum. The repeating rhythm makes it a great one for little ones to chant along with.
Nonfiction
For when you want the whole story, told by the people who lived it.
Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis & Inuit Issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel (HighWater Press)
Métis
Blood quantum, the Sixties Scoop, the Indian Act: if you've ever nodded along to a term you didn't quite understand, this is your book. Chelsea Vowel explains it all plainly, with plenty of heart and humor, and this brand-new second edition runs from first contact right up to today.
American Indian Stories & The Language of String by Zitkala-Ša (Aunt Lute Books)
Yankton Dakota
Zitkala-Ša wrote these pieces more than a hundred years ago, about growing up on the Yankton reservation, being sent away to boarding school, and finding her voice as an activist. They still read like they could have been written yesterday. This new edition is the perfect excuse to finally pick her up.
Poetry & Short Fiction
Small pieces that stay with you long after you close the book.
distant water by Beth Piatote (Milkweed Editions)
Nez Perce
Beth Piatote's first poetry collection takes its name from the Nez Perce word for ocean, and you can feel the language moving through every line. Read it slowly, and maybe out loud. New this year.
procession by Katherena Vermette (House of Anansi Press)
Red River Métis
Before you meet Katherena Vermette the novelist further down this list, meet Katherena Vermette the poet. These poems move from an '80s prairie childhood to raising kids of her own, and they're as warm as they are honest.
Arctic Dreams and Nightmares by Alootook Ipellie (Inhabit Media)
Inuk
Alootook Ipellie paired twenty short stories with his own striking pen-and-ink drawings, moving between Inuit legend and modern Arctic life. When it first came out in 1993, it was one of the very few books by an Inuk writer in Canada. We're so glad it's back.
Young Adult
Blizzards, spirits, first loves, and finding the nerve to be yourself.
The Haunted Blizzard by Aviaq Johnston, illustrated by Athena Gubbe (Inhabit Media)
Inuk, from Igloolik, Nunavut
A girl gets a surprise snow day, brushes off an Elder's warning, and heads home alone through the storm. Big mistake. This graphic novel is genuinely creepy, so maybe don't read it during an actual blizzard. For ages 12 and up.
Those Who Run in the Sky by Aviaq Johnston (Inhabit Media)
Inuk, from Igloolik, Nunavut
Pitu is a young shaman in training when a freak blizzard strands him on the sea ice and sweeps him into the spirit world, home to red-eyed wolves and creatures waiting under the ice. Can he make it back to his family? This was Aviaq Johnston's debut, and you'll find two more of her books on this list.
Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones (Annick Press)
Cree-Métis
Shane is grieving his little sister, trying to hold his family together, and keeping his relationship with his best friend David a secret. Adam Garnet Jones adapted it from his own award-winning film, and it's honest, tender, and hopeful. Please note: the story deals with suicide.
Between the Pipes by Albert McLeod (HighWater Press)
Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, with Métis ancestry
Chase is thirteen, the goalie for his hockey team, and scared his teammates will figure out who he really is. With help from an Elder and a Two-Spirit mentor, he starts to find his footing. A great pick for young hockey fans, and for anyone who's ever felt like they had to hide.
Adult Fiction
Big, moving family stories. You may want to clear your weekend.
Leave Our Bones Where They Lay by Aviaq Johnston (Inhabit Media)
Inuk, from Igloolik, Nunavut
Every solstice, Jupi treks to a remote cliff to tell a story to Kipik, an ancient being his family has served for generations. Now he's getting old, and the only one who can take his place is a granddaughter he barely knows. Eerie, sad, and beautiful, from the author of The Haunted Blizzard. New this year.
The Break by Katherena Vermette (House of Anansi Press)
Red River Métis
One night, Stella looks out her window and sees someone hurt on the empty field behind her house. From there, the people in her family's life take turns telling what happened, and what led up to it. It's a hard story, but it's full of love, and you won't want to put it down.
In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier (HighWater Press)
Métis
Sisters April and Cheryl are taken from their family as kids and sent to separate foster homes. As they grow up, one embraces her Métis identity and the other tries to hide it. Readers have loved this book for more than forty years, and this anniversary edition adds a new foreword by Katherena Vermette.
An Ordinary Violence by Adriana Chartrand (Spiderline)
Mixed-race Native writer from Winnipeg
Dawn moves back to her hometown just as her brother gets out of prison, and he's brought an unsettling new friend with him. Part family drama, part horror story, and the scariest things in it are people. Read it with the lights on.
Thank you for reading along with us this month. If one of these books ends up meaning something to you, we'd love to hear about it. And here's to reading Indigenous authors long after November, too.
A Few Notes in the Margins
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Native American Heritage Month?
Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November in the United States. It honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples, and reading Native authors is one of the simplest ways to take part.
What should I read for Native American Heritage Month?
Start with whatever you love to read. For history and context, try Indigenous Writes by Chelsea Vowel or American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Ša. For fiction, try The Break by Katherena Vermette or Leave Our Bones Where They Lay by Aviaq Johnston. For poetry, try distant water by Beth Piatote.
Are all of these books by Indigenous authors?
Yes. Every book on this list is written by a First Nations, Métis, Inuit, or Native American author. We checked each author's background against publisher and author sources, and we name each author's nation or community where they share it.
Why does this list include authors from Canada?
Indigenous nations, languages, and families span Turtle Island, including the land now called Canada. This list celebrates Native American writers alongside First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers, many of whom publish with independent presses in Canada.
What are good Native American Heritage Month books for kids?
For young children, try Mooz / Moose, Makade Asin / Black Stone, When We Were Alone, or Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? For middle grade and teen readers, try Between the Pipes, Those Who Run in the Sky, or the graphic novel The Haunted Blizzard.
What new books by Indigenous authors came out in 2026?
New this year: Makade Asin / Black Stone by Darcy Whitecrow, Mooz / Moose by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, distant water by Beth Piatote, Leave Our Bones Where They Lay by Aviaq Johnston, and new editions of Indigenous Writes and American Indian Stories.
Happy reading!