Native American Schools

Like thousands of Aboriginal children in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school. These institutions endeavored to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family and eloquently articulates her own path to healing.

A biography of Jim Thorpe, the Native American sports icon and Olympic champion, that “goes beyond the myth and into the guts of Thorpe’s life, using extensive research, historical nuance, and bittersweet honesty” (Los Angeles Times), by the bestselling author of the classic biography When...

A hilarious, action-packed journey for young readers (8-12) and Minecraft fans who love history with a side of chaos! Why kids (and parents!) love this book: Humorous Historical Fiction: Learn Indigenous cultures while laughing. Time Travel Adventure for Kids: Thrilling, imaginative plot full of surprises. Educational Entertainment: Introduces real First Americans' lifeways, regions & traditions. Strong, Comical Characters: Relatable Stan, Brave Mia, boastful Zaumy & clumsy Creepy bring the fun. Perfect for Reluctant Readers: Fast-paced, engaging, non-stop action, tons of funny pictures & ...

Learn the true stories of Indian boarding school students and their families in this important historical book for young readers. This in-depth history examines letters to and from boarding schools, all compiled and edited by Dr. Brenda J. Child. Firsthand accounts reveal how profoundly entire...

In 1903, over 300 Indian children from across America lived at the Fort Shaw Indian Boarding School in a remote, isolated valley in Montana. Among the children were a handful of teenage girls, many who had only lived in tepees. They quickly learned to play basketball and resoundingly crushed all opponents, including men's and women's university teams. After the games, the girls recited Shelley and Longfellow, played mandolins and violins, sang, danced, and pantomimed.

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian...

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick! From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms. Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago; “home”...

After the Indian wars, many Americans still believed that the only good Indian was a dead Indian. But at Ganado Mission in the Navajo country of Northern Arizona, a group of missionaries and doctors - who cared less about saving souls and more about saving lives - chose a different way and persuaded the local parents and medicine men to allow them to educate their daughters as nurses. In this detailed history, Jim Kristofic traces the story of Ganado Mission on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

The New York Times bestselling author of the book club classics The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything returns with a sweeping and “richly detailed story of a woman caught between two cultures” (Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author) inspired by the real life of Crow...

A groundbreaking and deeply personal exploration of Tribal enrollment, and what it means to be Native American in the United States “Candid, unflinching . . . Her thorough excavation of the painful history that gave rise to rigid enrollment policies is a courageous gift to our understanding of...

Why don’t our schools work? Eve L. Ewing tackles this question from a new angle: What if they’re actually doing what they were built to do? She argues that instead of being the great equalizer, America’s classrooms were designed to do the opposite: to maintain the nation’s inequalities...

A sweeping history of Native Americans’ fraught relationship with United States citizenship and their efforts to protect tribal sovereignty. Only Native Americans have held the political identity of being citizens of nations within a nation. After the American Revolution, they had to decide...

She lost her husband, her security, her social standing—and two of her children. Yet Elizabeth Ann Seton transformed personal tragedy into one of the most enduring legacies in American Catholic history. Born into a prominent New York family, Elizabeth seemed destined for a comfortable life. Instead, financial ruin, illness, widowhood, and spiritual upheaval forced her to begin again. Her search for truth led her into the Catholic Church, even though conversion cost her friendships, income, and acceptance. What followed was extraordinary. As a mother raising five children, Elizabeth ...

Unearth the foundational chapter of the life of the man proclaimed "the greatest athlete in the world." Dive deep into the compelling, yet often overlooked, formative years of James Francis Thorpe, a towering figure in American sports history whose journey began amidst profound personal loss and cultural upheaval in Indian Territory. This meticulously researched book, Jim Thorpe: The Early Years: Roots and Resilience, is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the deep Jim Thorpe early life influences that forged his indomitable spirit and unmatched athletic prowess. Born on May ...

A spine-tingling and terrifying roadtrip across America as four ragtag activists repatriating the bones of a Blackfeet boy sent to the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School battle terrible supernatural forces in this follow-up to The Only Good Indians. From the bestselling, multiple-award...

Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood...

The past never stays buried—and every family has another story waiting to be discovered. One year after inheriting a lakeside cottage in Beulah, Michigan, Grace Dorsch has finally found a place to call home. But when an urgent message summons her back to Detroit, a long-hidden branch of her family tree sends her on an unforgettable journey to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Joined by friends old and new, Grace travels north to Naubinway, where questions about her uncle's Chippewa family, a missing child sent to a Native American boarding school, and long-forgotten family ties await answers. ...

Winner of the U.P. Notable Books Award (2025) The impact of Indian boarding schools has been devastating for generations of Native Americans, and the aftershocks continue to affect their descendants today. Michigan was home to three: in Baraga, Harbor Springs and Mt. Pleasant. The last to close was Holy Childhood School of Jesus, in Harbor Springs, in 1983. Sharon Marie Brunner set out to intensively study the family history and boarding school experience of nine Native American survivors who attended either the Mt. Pleasant or Harbor Springs institutions. Each faced problems linked to the ...

Big Family High School is a poignant and timely coming-of-age story about identity, loss, and the journey to self-discovery. Jason’s world is turned upside down when his family is torn apart and he and his sister are placed into foster care. Relocated to a new city with a new family, Jason is forced to leave behind everything he knew—his loved ones, his home, and his sense of belonging. But the hardest revelation is yet to come: Jason discovers that his entire life has been a lie—he is Indigenous. This shocking truth triggers a profound identity crisis that sends Jason spiraling out ...

Daniel McCarter never asked to be a hero. He just wanted his grandpa back. Now he's lost in a world fueled by imagination. One minute, he's rummaging through Grandpa's keepsakes with his little sister Alex and snarky cousin Brent. The next, they're tumbling into a realm where giants farm impossible crops, werecat ladies stalk the forest, and the villainous Dadnabbers kidnap children to power their secret factory hidden deep in the Smokies. To find his way home, Daniel must master something he never knew he'd inherited: Grandpa's gift as a Story Weaver, someone whose words can reshape ...