Indigenous Identity

Before Martha’s Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, journalist Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous.

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 ...

In Native American DNA, Kim TallBear shows how DNA testing is a powerful - and problematic - scientific process that is useful in determining close biological relatives. But tribal membership is a legal category that has developed in dependence on certain social understandings and historical contexts, a set of concepts that entangles genetic information in a web of family relations, reservation histories, tribal rules, and government regulations.

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 ...

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.

The author is contacted by a supposed descendant of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche to review and transcribe a family document of great historical importance. Thus begins this captivating historical novel based on the memoirs of Martín Cortés, the Mestizo. Set in the magnificent Spanish Golden Age, Martín finds himself immersed in the court of King Carlos I and his heir, the future King Felipe II, participating in pivotal events that shaped both the newly founded Viceroyalty of New Spain and the European continent. Immerse yourself in this fascinating biographical story that unravels the...

In Maharlika: In Search of Identity, the author masterfully delves into the tensions and dynamics shaping leadership, community, culture, power, and governance within a nation perpetually yearning for Indigenous authenticity, spiritual identity, and transformative growth. Drawing on an alternative view of history, this compelling narrative challenges conventional perspectives, daring readers to confront the colonial frameworks that have long shaped collective thought, self-perception, and imagination. The book invites readers to rediscover the pre-colonial past through the lens of ...

In We Refuse to Forget, award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle tells the extraordinary story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full citizens. Thanks to the efforts of Creek leaders like Cow Tom, a Black Creek citizen who rose to become chief, the U.S. government recognized Creek citizenship in 1866 for its Black members. Yet this equality was shredded in the 1970s when tribal leaders revoked the citizenship of Black Creeks, even those who could trace their history back generations—even to Cow Tom himself.

Robbie Robertson’s journey from Toronto’s Yonge Street clubs to the world’s grandest stages is one of the most remarkable sagas in modern music. Born Jaime Royal Robertson in 1943 to a Mohawk mother and Jewish father, he grew up surrounded by traditions of storytelling, resilience, and rhythm. That cultural inheritance shaped the way he approached guitar and songwriting, giving rise to one of the most distinctive voices in twentieth-century rock. This definitive biography follows Robertson year by year, tracing how a boy entranced by blues records became the architect of The Band’s ...

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,” ...

Growing up in Yakima, Washington, Noe Álvarez worked at an apple-packing plant alongside his mother. A university scholarship offered escape, but as a first-generation Latino college-goer, Álvarez struggled to fit in. At 19, he learned about a Native American/First Nations movement called the Peace and Dignity Journeys, epic marathons meant to renew cultural connections across North America. He dropped out of school and joined a group runners, all fleeing difficult beginnings. Telling their stories and his own, Álvarez writes about a four-month-long journey from Canada to Guatemala.

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?

Using his family farm and story as the foundation of his yarning, a young, entrepreneurial, farming Worimi man leaps into the discussion of agriculture on this land on which we live, its past, but more importantly, its future

She walks between tradition and tomorrow—can love help her find her way? Seventeen-year-old Sky Redbird knows what’s expected of her: honor her Ojibwe roots, help her family, and keep her dreams close to the chest. But ever since her father’s death, the balance between honoring the past and facing the future has grown harder to keep. When her summer plans are upended and she’s sent to live with her aunt on the reservation, Sky meets Cole—a city-raised teen with a complicated past and his own ties to the land. At first, they clash like fire and ice. But through shared memories, ...

El libro revela el Amor Universal y Cósmico del Sendero Rojo. El Sendero Rojo es la filosofía/cosmovisión/religión de las tribus/pueblos indígenas nativos de América del Norte y del Sur. Esta cosmovisión promueve la integración con la Madre Tierra y el cosmos para lograr la armonía dentro de la Existencia en eterna evolución.

Settler capitalism has been so effective that the very identities of Indigenous people have been usurped, misconstrued, and weaponized. In Who Gets to Be Indian?, scholar and writer Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville Confederated Tribes) explores how ethnic fraud and the commodification of Indianness has resulted in mass confusion about what it means to be Indigenous in the United States.

Tradition. Music. First love. And the courage to stand between worlds. Sixteen-year-old Mariah Yazzie has always felt the beat of two hearts—one rooted in her Diné (Navajo) heritage and the other chasing the rhythm of modern life. When she returns to her grandmother’s reservation for the summer, she expects dust, chores, and boredom—not a chance to rediscover who she really is. Then she meets Aiden: thoughtful, talented, and quietly proud of his culture. Together, they navigate the summer’s vibrant powwows, late-night drum circles, and the stories passed down through generations. ...

Leo Malone. Running from his past. Running into trouble. In Martinique, Leo Malone meets Taylor Hoffman, a young man who could be his identical twin. Whey they run afoul of a local gangster, Taylor is murdered and Leo assumes his identity to sneak safely out of the country and back to Los Angeles. But when Taylor’s estranged parents meet Leo at the airport, mistaking him for their son, Leo’s best-laid plans spiral out of control. Full of surprising twists and turns, Too Much in the Son is part Agatha Christie, part Elmore Leonard, with a dash of David Mamet and served with a Larry David...