Native American Studies
A guide for a variety of Native American topics.
About
What should I know about Native languages and literature?
Many Native languages are dying and need to be preserved. Indigenous authors are using literature to keep their language, tribal stories, and experiences alive. Native American language and literature courses are available at many colleges and tribal institutions.
How can I help preserve the remaining Native tongues?
Participate in Native language courses, immerse yourself in tribal dictionaries, speak with others who know the language, use social media to share new words and expressions, and teach others what you know. Preservation can't happen overnight, but the chances of a language staying alive can improve one person at a time.
Language Resources
- Native Languages of the AmericasView a tree of and learn more about the Indigenous languages currently spoken.
- Languages of the United StatesSee a list of all active and endangered languages that are currently spoken in the United States.
- Indigenous Language InstituteThe Indigenous Language Institute provides vital language related service to Native communities so that their individual identities, traditional wisdom, and values are passed on to future generations in their original languages.
- National Coalition of Native American Language Schools & ProgramsThe National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs (National Coalition) advocates for the use of Indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in our community-led schools and programs.
- DuolingoLearn Navajo using Duolingo, an online way to learn new languages.
- Listen to Natives Speak in Their Own TonguesThis short video centers around several Natives speaking in their tribal tongue.
- Top 10 Indigenous Languages in the United StatesLists the top 10 Indigenous languages spoken in the U.S. as of 2015.
- Map of Indigenous Languages of North AmericaThis site includes numerous maps that track Native languages in North America.
Literature Resources
- Native American Literature: BritannicaExplores the characteristics of Native American literature among a variety of regions and tribes.
- 10 Essential Native American Novels to ReadExplore 10 classic Native American novels.
- Using Native American Literature in the ClassroomPresents tips for including Native American children's books in the K-12 classroom without misrepresenting.
- GoodMinds - First Nations, Metis, and Inuit BookstoreAll the books sold on this website are related to Indigenous people and topics.
- First Nations Reading ListA list of books to read if you want to learn more about the Indigenous experience.
- Native American Literature Study Guideshe Native American literature resources collected here include extensive annotated bibliographies by genre, discussion questions to accompany several popular literary works by and about American Indians, and one critical review.
- Index of Native American AuthorsView an extensive index of Native American authors and what they've written.
- Native American WritersA Wikipedia page that lists Native American writers in a number of genres.
Check Out These Library Books!
Crossing Mountains: Native American Language Education in Public Schools by Call Number: EBOOK (Click on the link and use Lionmail credentials to access.)ISBN: 9780759121249Publication Date: 2012"Crossing Mountains" provides important insights about integrating Native-language learning into public education. Using case studies of school districts on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, Phyllis Ngai argues that carefully designed and inclusive Native-language programs can benefit communities and students regardless of ethnic identity.The Languages of Native North America by
Call Number: NAC PM 108 L35ISBN: 052129875XPublication Date: 1999This book is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the native North American languages. These several hundred languages show tremendous genetic and typological diversity, and offer numerous challenges to current linguistic theory. The book includes an overview of their special characteristics, descriptions of special styles, a catalog of the languages that details their locations, genetic affiliations, number of speakers, and major structural features, and lists published material on them.
Dine Bizaad: Speak, Read, Write Navajo by Call Number: NAC PM 2007 G68ISBN: 0964418916Publication Date: 1995A course that teaches the Navajo language.
Papago, Pima, & O'Othham to English Dictionary by Call Number: NAC PM 2123 Z5 1983ISBN: 0816508267Publication Date: 1983A dictionary for the Papago, Pima, and O'Othham languages.
Western Apache Dictionary by Call Number: NAC E 99 A6Publication Date: 1972A dictionary for the Western Apache language.
The Routledge Introduction to Native American Literature by Call Number: EBOOK (Click on the link and use Lionmail credentials to access.)ISBN: 9781351807517Publication Date: 2020This book will introduce indigenous perspectives and traditions as articulated by indigenous authors whose voices have been a vital, if often overlooked, component of the American dialogue for more than 400 years.Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by
Call Number: NAC PN 511 J96 2018ISBN: 9781771121767Publication Date: 2018Part survey of the field of Indigenous literary studies, part cultural history, and part literary polemic, "Why Indigenous Literatures Matter" asserts the vital significance of literary expression to the political, creative, and intellectual efforts of Indigenous peoples today.
Blue Horses Rush In by Call Number: NAC PS 3570 A56ISBN: 0816517282Publication Date: 2002The book marks a major accomplishment in American literature for its successful blending of Navajo cultural values and forms with the English language, while at the same time retaining the Navajo character.
Native American Women Writers by Call Number: EBOOK (Click on the link and use Lionmail credentials to access.)ISBN: 9780585266725Publication Date: 1998Provides brief biographical information on eleven Native American women writers and discusses their work through critical excerpts. Includes a bibliography of works written by each featured author.
Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems by Call Number: NAC PM 238.65 E37ISBN: 0670868736Publication Date: 1996This eloquent new anthology gives a vivid insight into the world of Native Americans. The chants, prayers, and songs in these pages vibrate with wisdom, joy, and terrible sadness.
House Made of Dawn by Call Number: NAC PS 3563 M65ISBN: 0060916338Publication Date: 1989A young Native American, Abel has come home from a foreign war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his father's, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world - modern, industrial America - pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, claiming his soul, goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust. And the young man, torn in two, descends into hell.