Indigenous Voices and Histories
Throughout history, the stories of the peoples indigenous to North America have often been told through the lens of colonizers, whose narratives were used to justify the genocide of this land’s fist peoples. These dominant accounts have too often erased Indigenous voices, misrepresented cultures, and overlooked the resilience and depth of Indigenous communities. Indigenous Heritage Month offers a crucial opportunity to shift the focus and center the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples themselves. By engaging with books, films, podcasts, and cultural spaces created by Indigenous authors, filmmakers, and artists, we can begin to dismantle the colonial narratives and gain a more authentic understanding of the diverse cultures, histories, and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples. This non-exhaustive collection of resources invites you to explore many different Indigenous perspectives, offering a richer, more accurate portrayal of their ongoing presence and contributions to the world.
Books
“Written by University of Washington alum Owen L. Oliver, the Indigenous Walking Tour is your pocket-sized guide to the Indigenous art and structures located around the UW Seattle campus. Oliver’s lyrical and poetic writing helps visitors and guests to experience the Indigenous knowledge systems rooted in the natural landscape with connections to language and sacred history.”
July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the youngest child, disappears. She is last seen by her brother, Joe, sitting on a rock at the edge of a berry field, a memory that will haunt him for years. In Maine, Norma, an only child from an affluent family, grows up with emotionally distant parents. Troubled by recurring dreams that feel like memories, she gradually senses there’s a family secret. Determined to uncover the truth, she spends decades searching for answers.
Full-Metal Indigiqueer is an inspired, inventive poetry collection that melds the practices of queer poetics and Indigenous futurisms into a truly unique experience. Whitehead employs a digital Trickster character named Zoa, whose perspective we follow through each of his poems. Zoa tells his stories while also confronting popular figures of both past and present, from Shakespeare to Lana Del Rey, to decolonize and re-member Indigenous pasts and futures. Whitehead’s use of the area of the page, technological language and formatting, and fierce insistence on creating space melds into a collection that is recommendable without question.
Buffalo is the New Buffalo is a collection of short stories centered in what author Chelsea Vowel specifically identifies as Métis futurisms. Each of her stories includes an “exploration” directly afterwards, explaining her experience in writing them and what perspectives or community memories she pulled on as her inspiration. Trickster spirits met on buses, buffalo bursting out of gallery paintings – Buffalo is the New Buffalo creates futures in which Indigenous beliefs and knowledge become one-and-the-same with “everyday life”, a powerful anti-colonial positioning on the goals of (non)fiction.
Joy Harjo is a Muscogee Nation member and served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019 to 2022. Her work reaches across several poetry pieces and other art forms – An American Sunrise is one of her most notable collections of poetry. Harjo draws upon lived experience and shared memory in exploration of erased histories, fully animating the extraordinary and the past in the process. The intermingling of past and future, there and here, is well worth experiencing through her painting with words.
Movies and TV
“A murder mystery surrounding members of the Osage tribe unfolds in 1920s America. The Native-American tribe, who reside in Oklahoma, were targeted after oil was discovered on their ancestral land. The case marks one of the first major investigations by the new Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and shines a light on the notorious J. Edgar Hoover.”
This movie wasn’t without it’s controversies, for one very thoughtful prespective read Devery Jacob’s thread
I HAVE THOUGHTS. I HAVE STRONG FEELINGS.
— Devery Jacobs (@kdeveryjacobs) October 23, 2023
This film was painful, grueling, unrelenting and unnecessarily graphic.
A thread. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/THxucE9TkZ
“After losing their star player, a high school basketball team rooted in Native American culture must unite to keep their state championship dreams alive.”
“Young Native American man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains.”
“Two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds bond during a summer herding sheep on their grandmother's ranch in Arizona while learning more about their family's past and themselves.”
“Poet Layli Long Soldier crafts a searing portrait of her Oyate’s connection to the Black Hills, through first contact and broken treaties to the promise of the Land Back movement, in this lyrical testament to resilience of a nation.”
“Documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history, a little-known story built around the incredible lives and careers of the some of the greatest music legends.”
At times surreal, painful, and all-too-real, Reservation Dogs was a show that challenged the conventions of storytelling on TV without pulling any punches. The comedy series follows four Native American teenagers growing up on a reservation in eastern Oklahoma, blending humor with hard-hitting themes of identity, loss, and resilience. It broke new ground by centering Native experiences and perspectives, offering a refreshingly authentic portrayal of life on the reservation while defying typical TV stereotypes.
“Two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford and Reagan Wells, find themselves at a crossroads -- quite literally -- when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wake-up call.”
Podcasts
2 Crees in a Pod, hosted by Terri Cardinal and Amber Dion
“2 Crees in a Pod, unapologetically creates space for Indigenous resurgence and stories. Honoring Indigenous helping practices and education.”
Matriarch Movement, hosted by Shayla Oulette Stonechild
“On Matriarch Movement, host Shayla Oulette Stonechild sets out to amplify Indigenous voices from Canada to Turtle Island and beyond.”
Youtube Series
“Hosted by comedian and actor Tai Leclaire, A People's History of Native America is a series that explores the current social climate in Native America, diving deep into the history of tribal nations and the external factors that have shaped their contemporary circumstances.”
Local spaces
“The gallery is committed to respectfully sharing artwork made exclusively by Native peoples. Since it’s inception, it’s become the leading venue for both traditional and contemporary artists of the Northwest Coast, Alaska and the Arctic. Steinbrueck Native Gallery, located near Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, features Fine Art of the Northwest Coast from emerging and established artists. We pride ourselves on representing indigenous artists who create sculpture, masks, boxes, prints, jewelry and more. We are dedicated to enhancing and cultivating the appreciation and awareness of the cultural art and traditions of the region.”
“Located in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, Stonington Gallery exhibits an exciting collection of contemporary masterworks of the Pacific Northwest Coast and Alaska. Serving Seattle since 1979, the gallery is respected for the depth and quality of its collection, exceptional customer service, and knowledgeable staff. For visitors wishing to understand the character of Seattle and the wider Northwest Coast, our gallery is a rich cultural introduction, and proof of the vibrant, living Indigenous cultures and artists of our region. Our mission is to provide the ideal environment for the presentation, enjoyment, and understanding of premier contemporary art of the Pacific Northwest Coast and Alaska.”
“The Duwamish Longhouse is a traditional cedar post and beam structure designed in the Puget Salish Longhouse style as collaboration between the Duwamish Tribe and project architect Byron Barnes, a member of the Montana based Blackfeet Tribe. The Longhouse - as in ancient times - is the site where tribal business is conducted and cultural and educational events are held. In addition, the Duwamish Tribe wants to share its Longhouse with the public to reinforce its cultural and social traditions. Monthly special events as well as ongoing workshops, demonstrations and lectures will be available to the public. School tours will provide children with an introduction to the Duwamish Tribe and Salish People.“
“The Suquamish Museum preserves and displays relics and records related to the Suquamish Tribe, including artifacts from the Old Man House and the Baba'kwob site. It is located on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Washington state and was founded in 1983. The museum currently occupies a facility opened in 2012.”
“In addition to future rotating exhibitions from artists, the gallery is anchored by permanent displays of monumental objects including a 35-foot canoe, welcome figure, totem poles, and house posts.Co-curators Betty Pasco (Suquamish), Pat Courtney Gold (Wasco), Evelyn Vanderhoop (Haida), Lou-ann Neel (Kwakwaka’wakw), Alison Marks (Tlingit), and RYAN! Feddersen (Okanogan and Lakes) selected works from the Burke Museum’s collections and created new pieces inspired by their reflections on artistic heritage. They come from communities across the Pacific Northwest and represent both diverse artistic backgrounds and generational experiences. This gallery represents not only their interests in the rich artistic traditions of our region, but also their own journey as artists.”
“Seattle's First Native-Owned Cafe & Food Truck. Native Indigenous foods made from scratch, by hand.”
Local orgs
Mother Nation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers social and cultural healing services for Native women that nurture, create stability, and inspire growth through sisterhood. We provide cultural healing circles, homeless prevention, mentorship, workshops, and training to transform the journey of Native women into natural leadership and restore the cultural strength of Native people in the world.
“Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits (SUNN) collaborative serves the Seattle-King County area, a region that is home to a thriving and vibrant Native community encompassing a rich blend of Tribal cultures, multi-generational families, and individuals with many talents and professions.”
“Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was founded in 2008 when Louie Gong (Nooksack)—an artist, activist and educator widely known for merging traditional Coast Salish art with influences from his urban environment to make strong statements about identity—started customizing shoes in his living room. Now the first Native-owned company to ever produce wool blankets, Eighth Generation is a proud participant in the global economy.”
“Urban Native Education Alliance was founded in 2008 to engage all generations to serve and empower Native youth through education, culture, and tradition.”
“Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre (RES) exists to empower American Indian and Alaska Native youth to express themselves with confidence and clarity through traditional and contemporary performing arts.”