Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day

All day every day, with links to books by Indigenous authors we love and websites where you can learn more.

Books We’ve Shared, Authors We’ve Interviewed

Bebikaan-ezhiwebiziwinan Nimkii: The Adventures of Nimkii, written by Stacie Sheldon and translated by Margaret Noodin. Stacie and Margaret were part of our 2020 Small Press Author Reading Series before Hidden Timber picked up the book to print a 2nd edition. In this interview, meet Stacie and Margaret and hear about their journey to publishing this book.

Carry: a memoir of survival on stolen land, written by Toni Jensen, who also appeared in our Small Press Author Reading Series in 2021.

Weweni: poems in Anishinaabemowin and English, written by Margaret Noodin, whom I interviewed back before I was publisher here at Hidden Timber Books. This interview was the beginning of a wonderful relationship in friendship and in collaboration. If you ever get a chance to meet Margaret or hear her read (or sing!), don’t miss it!

Bloodlines: Odyssey of a Native Daughter by Janet Hale. Okay, this isn’t one that shows up in any interview I’ve done or our Small Press Author Reading Series, but it’s a book I’ve read that changed my perspective and granted me insight I was missing. It’s out of stock right now, at least at Bookshop.org, but if you find it in your public library, it’s well worth keeping for a while and paying the fine.

Books by Indigenous Authors, Curated by Elissa Washuta on Bookshop.org. I just found this store on Bookshop — A years-long project in process, this list includes so many great books. And she has also built a list of YA & Children’s books by Indigenous authors. Here you’ll find a bit of information about Washuta’s own publications, plus you’ll see one of our own books listed!

And Speaking Of ….

Our catalogue is small, but we’ve had the opportunity to work on three very cool projects, all bilingual books in Ojibwemowin and English and all perfect for learning the language and culture of the Great Lakes Indians.

Bebikaan-ezhiwebiziwinan Nimkii: The Adventures of Nimkii (2nd edition) by Stacie Sheldon, with new pages and illustrations. Nimkii is no longer with us, but her spirit is honored in this book that tells of her adventures and the seasons, as seen through the Ojibwe culture and understanding.

Nenookaasi Mawadishiwe: Hummingbird Visits by Erin Leary, author and illustrator, who set out to write this book as a final project in an Ojibwe Language course. It has since turned into a beautiful children’s book, translated by Margaret Noodin.

Nanaboozhoo Babaamosed: Nanaboozhoo Went Walking and Other Stories from Grand Portage, a collection of several traditional Ojibwe stories. The stories were first transcribed and published individually in the 1970s by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Now, the stories are bound together in one volume, which includes original artwork sketched for each story.

Websites to Explore and Learn More

Interested in the language, traditional music and stories? Visit Ojibwe.net. Check out their Resources page with links to even more books on language and traditions (including college programs).

Stop over at Future Cache, the art exhibit by Andrea Carlson at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), which tells the stories of “the Cheboiganing (Burt Lake) Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians who were violently burned from their land in Northern Michigan on October 15, 1900.” From the website:

Presented alongside are paintings of imagined decolonized landscapes and a symbolic cache of provisions. Future Cache implicitly asks those who have benefited from the legacies of colonization to consider where they stand and where to go from here and seeks to foster a sense of belonging for displaced Indigenous peoples fighting for restitution.

This exhibit is on display until June 2025, so if you’re near the university, you must see it first-hand.

Visit the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary online, which is a lot more than just a dictionary!

There are plenty of books and people and places I have missed here.

Drop a comment and share one of your own resources for learning more about or participating in recognizing the role of Indigenous people in our nation’s history and culture.