Indigenous Identity

WHEN INDIAN BECAME BLACK The Bureaucratic Reclassification of Indigenous Identity into Blackness by Mark Anthony Perkins What happens when a people remain—but the government record stops calling them who they were? When Indian Became Black examines one of the most consequential and difficult problems in American genealogy and Indigenous history: the changing governmental classification of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities within colonial, state, and federal records. Drawing from census schedules, vital records, laws, court proceedings, Indian agency files, tribal records, ...

Finalist for the 2026 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction A Time Must-Read Book of 2025, An NPR Books We Love Most pick, A Tribal College Best Native Studies Book of 2025, and a 2026 Great Reads from Great Places Pick From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal...

This book is written for those who seek the truth—not only about history but about how identity, law, and power intersect to shape our lives today. Whether you are a descendant of those reclassified, an advocate for justice, a legal scholar, or a curious student, this book invites you to question what you’ve been taught about race, rights, and recognition in America. The term paper genocide is not metaphor—it is a documented legal reality with generational consequences. It is about the loss of not just legal status, but of community, ancestry, and belonging. My hope is that by ...

Separated by a century, one woman shapes her future while the other searches for her family’s past. This captivating story was inspired by a true account of the unlikely convergence of strangers from different backgrounds in the West in the 1800s. INDIGENOUS weaves together contemporary and historical threads to explore identity, heritage, connections to traditions and land, and the complex relationships among people as they struggle to find understanding. The novel promises to engage and inspire readers with a slice of America's often-untold history. New Mexico Territory 1877 Isabel, an ...

Belonging is one of the most universal human needs, yet for many mixed-race Indigenous people, it can feel uncertain or contested. Tlingit author Alyssa London grew up with this tension, knowing who she was while sensing that others viewed her identity as something to debate. In We Are Still...

A historical non-fiction book set in California during its transformation from indigenous tribes to American statehood. Discover the rich tapestry of California's past in "Tribes and Priests Early California." This captivating exploration takes you from the ancient traditions of indigenous tribes through the tumultuous changes brought by Spanish colonization and the American gold rush. Experience the vibrant history that shaped California's unique identity, filled with ambition, cultural clashes, and the relentless pursuit of economic prosperity. The narrative intricately weaves together ...

“Both the author and the narrator succeed notably in this funny, trenchant debut novel. William DeMeritt uses all his acting skills plus a strong narrative delivery to portray the wide cast of characters who live in this audiobook.” — Kirkus "It's a roller coaster of a tale and [William]...

In an era in which "resistance" has become tokenized, popular Indigenous author Kaitlin Curtice reclaims it as a basic human calling. Resistance is for every human who longs to see their neighbors' holistic flourishing. We each have a role to play in the world right where we are, and our everyday acts of resistance hold us all together.

What if the story you were taught was incomplete? For centuries, the history of Black and Indigenous people in the Americas has been filtered through colonial systems designed to divide, erase, and control. Names were changed. Identities were reclassified. Entire communities disappeared from official records—not because they vanished, but because recognition was taken from them. We Were Already Here explores the often-overlooked connections between Black and Indigenous peoples and examines how race, identity, and belonging were reshaped through colonization, law, and documentation. This ...

From an acclaimed novelist, a first-of-its-kind, deeply personal, and moving oral history of a generation of trans and gender nonconforming elders of color—from leading activists to artists to ordinary citizens—who tell their own stories of breathtaking courage, cultural innovations, and...

"A rich, many-faceted book." -- The New York Times A classic work of Native American literature by the bestselling author of Ceremony Leslie Marmon Silko's groundbreaking book Storyteller, first published in 1981, blends original short stories and poetry influenced by the traditional oral tales...

A forgotten legacy. A name erased from history. The voice of the first mestizo. A mysterious descendant of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche contacts the author to examine an ancient family manuscript. Within its pages lies the memory of Martín Cortés Malintzín —knight of the Order of Santiago and captain in the Spanish Tercios— who at last decides to tell his story in his own voice. Trained in the courts of King Charles I and his son Philip II, Martín rose to honor and glory before returning to New Spain, where his name would awaken suspicion and fear. Soldier, courtier, and heir to ...

“An important part of American history told with a clear-eyed and forceful brilliance.” —National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson “We Refuse to Forget reminds readers, on damn near every page, that we are collectively experiencing a brilliance we've seldom seen or imagined…We...

Are you ready to uncover the rich and untold stories of Black Indians—a community whose unique heritage combines the deep roots of both African and Native American cultures? In 103 Amazing Facts About Black Indians: Celebrating the Rich History, Culture, and Contributions of African-Indians, embark on an eye-opening journey through the fascinating world of Afro-Indigenous identity and the legacy of Black Native Americans. This insightful guide takes you deep into the African American Indigenous heritage, showcasing the profound impact of African American slavery and its complex ...

In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?

Drawing on a rich family archive as well as the anthropological work of her late great-grandmother, Sasha taq??blu LaPointe explores themes ranging from indigenous identity and stereotypes to cultural displacement and environmental degradation to understand what our experiences teach us about...

Researcher and lecturer Carl Lorenz Cervantes explores the timeless wisdom, ancestral worldviews, and spiritual tools of Filipino psychology and culture—and offers Indigenous ways of knowing for all readers, Filipino and non-Filipino alike. Drawing from folklore, language, ethnography, and...

A poignant and heart-wrenching coming-of-age story that follows the friendships, hopes, fears, and struggles of a group of Native high school students from Winnipeg, Manitoba’s North End, illuminating what it's like to grow up in the heart of an Indigenous city WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S...

What if the story of one country could unlock the secrets of our shared human journey? From the depths of the Amazon to the heights of political upheaval, Brazil is not just a nation—it’s a mirror. A mirror that reflects colonization and resistance, slavery and survival, empire and reinvention. In The History of Brazil, Eleanor Whitcombe invites you into a sweeping, emotionally resonant exploration of a land where contradictions collide and transformation never stops. ✔ Discover how a Portuguese outpost became the seat of a European empire ✔ Uncover the brutal logic behind the ...

They Lied to Us First: Reclaiming Truth Beyond the Bible and the Quran is a bold and unflinching exploration of how colonial religions reshaped African spirituality, identity, and cultural memory. In this revolutionary work, Zeamie Emanuel dismantles centuries of theological programming and reveals how Christianity and Islam were used not only to control land and labor—but to colonize the very soul. Drawing on historical context, spiritual philosophy, and cultural critique, this book exposes the roots of ideas like “eternal rest,” “fornication,” “sin,” and “salvation,” ...