Textbooks, Nonfiction, Biography
A,B
Ancona, George. Powwow. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1993. Unpaged. Photos by the author.
A photo essay on the pan-Indian celebration called a powwow, this particular one being held on the Crow Reservation in Montana.
Beals, Frank Lee. Chief Black Hawk. Chicago: Wheeler Publishing Co., 1943. 251 pages. Illustrated by Jack Merryweather.
"One of the most famous of all Indians was Black Hawk, war chief of the Sauk nation."
Benton-Banai, Edward. The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway. St. Paul, MN: Red School House, 1988.
Benton-Banai is an Ojibwa. "This book is recognized among Indian authorities and historians as the first written form of the sacred teachings of the Midewiwin religion and its relationship to Ojibway folklore."
Bonvillain, Nancy. The Huron. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. 111 pages.
Examines the history, culture, and changing fortunes of the Huron Indians who made their home between Lake Huron and Lake Ontario.
Braine, Susan. Drumbeat...Heartbeat: A Celebration of Powwow. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1995. 48 pages. Photos by the author.
Braine is a member of the Assisiboine Tribe of Montana. The text and photographs in this book emphasize the Northern Plains style of dancing.
Brindze, Ruth. The Story of the Totem Pole. NY: Vanguard Books, 1951. 64 pages. Illustrated by Yeffe Kimball.
Story of the pole's origin, its uses, and even how to read its strange and colorful decorations.
Bronson, Ruth Muskrat. Indians are People, Too. NY: Friendship Press, 1944. 184 pages.
Written for young people to give them insight into Native Americans by a Cherokee woman who worked for the BIA.
C,D
Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1994. 265 pages.
Bruchac is an Abenaki Indian. New curriculum of hands-on activities based on Native American stories.
Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1991. 266 pages.
Environmental lessons interwoven with the cultural heritage of Native Americans for 5 to 12 year olds.
Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1988. 209 pages.
This book features a collection of North American Indian stories and related hands-on activities designed to inspire 5 to 12 year olds.
Caduto, Michael J. and Joseph Bruchac. Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1994. 146 pages.
"Children are naturally curious about the night and its nocturnal inhabitants. Capitalizing on this curiosity this book provides an integrated approach to teaching using the mystery and fascination of an unknown world, combined with Native American stories, to stimulate young people."
Chaput, Donald. Michigan Indians; A Way of Life Changes. Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale Educational Publishers, 1970. 71 pages.
Shows how Europeans changed the Indian way of life. Profusely illustrated.
Cleland, Charles E. A Brief History of Michigan Indians. Lansing, MI: Michigan History Division, 1975. 38 pages.
Hopes to promote a deeper respect and interest in the heritage of Native Americans.
Clifton, James. The Potawatomi. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 98 pages.
Examines the history, changing fortunes, and current situation of the Potawatomi Indians. Includes a picture essay on their crafts.
Cooper, Michael L. Indian School: Teaching the White Man's Way. NY: Clarion Books, 1999. 103 pages.
Examines the purpose and daily routine of the Indian schools and tells the personal story of several young students.
D'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar P. D'Aulaire. Pocahontas. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1946. Unpaged picture book.
"In the year 1607 the first Englishmen came sailing across the ocean to settle the part of the new world they called Virginia after their virgin queen Elizabeth. They might all have perished if it had not been for the help they got from the Indian princess Pocahontas. This is her story."
Deur, Lynne. Nishnawbe: A Story of Indians in Michigan. Spring Lake, MI: River Road Publications, 1981.
Textbook for younger children.
Dowd, James Patrick. Thunders Speak: Biographies of Nine Special Original People. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1999. 178 pages.
Nine Native American biographies, several from the Great Lakes area.
Drake, Francis S. Indian History for Young Folks. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1927. 454 pages.
A period view of white civilization defeating the savage
E,F
Echo-Hawk, Roger C. and Walter R. Echo-Hawk. Battlefields and Burial Grounds: The Indian Struggle to Protect Ancestral Graves in the United States. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1994. 80 pages.
"Describes the efforts of Native Americans to rebury ancestral human remains and grave offerings held by museums and historical societies, with particular emphasis on the Pawnees and their struggle to reclaim their dead."
Ellis, Edward S. The Life of Pontiac the Conspirator, Chief of the Ottawas. Together with a Full Account of the Siege of Detroit. NY: Beadle & Co., 1861. 102 pages. [Beadle's Dime Biographical Library]
"Not quite a hundred years since, Detroit was held in a state of siege by the Indians for a period of fifteen months. Connected with the remarkable event were thrilling conflicts between the hostile parties, disastrous defeats and successful victories, all of which are given here." Based on Francis Parkman's book.
Ellis, Edward S. Thrilling Adventures among the American Indians. Chicago: John C. Winston, 1905. 240 pages.
"Full of exciting and thrilling adventures...all of them true and interesting."
Erickson, Sue. Chippewa Treaties: Understanding and Impact. Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, 1994. 20 pages. 2nd ed.
A resource for younger readers. It is hoped the publication will introduce the reader to Anishinaabe history and culture as well as the modern day exercise of treaty rights and resource management.
Fazzini, Lillian Davids. Indians of America. Racine, WI: Whitman, 1935. 96 pages.
Small format pictures on every page with a paragraph or two of text. Brief information on many tribal groups including Chippeways and Ojibwas said to be two separate groups.
Fleischer, Jane. Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas. [n.p.]: Troll Associates, 1979. 48 pages.
A simplified biography of Pontiac for young readers.
G,H,I
Georgiady, Nicholas et al. Michigan's First Settlers: The Indians. Milwaukee, WI: Franklin Publishers, 1967. 31 pages.
Written for school children covering the prehistoric period to the present.
Gordon, H. R. Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas: A Tale of the Siege of Detroit. NY: E.P. Dutton, 1897. 300 pages.
A biography of the Ottawa chief who led the Indians in attacking Fort Detroit in the 1760s.
Greene, Carol. Pocahantas: Daughter of a Chief. Danbury, CN: Children's Press, 1988.
"A brief biography of the American Indian princess who as a young girl befriended John Smith, saving him from death at the hands of her father, and later was very helpful to the colonists at Jamestown". She was of the Powhatan group.
Greenman, Emerson. The Indians of Michigan. Lansing, MI: Michigan Historical Commission, 1961. 46 pages.
Indians of Michigan from the period preceding the historic era down to modern times.
Gringhuis, Dirk. Moccasin Tracks: A Saga of the Michigan Indian. Lansing, MI: Publications of the Museum, Michigan State University, Educational Bulletin no. 1, 1974. 32 pages.
Divides early Michigan history into eight periods and documents the Indians in each period from 11,000 B.C. to 1830 A.D.
Hassell, Sandford W. Know the Navajo. Published and distributed by the author, 1949. 42 pages. Illustrated by Paul Pringle.
A compilation of the author's observations.
Hilts, Len. Quanah Parker. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987.
Life of Parker, a Comanche, who led his people in battle for homeland and on the reservation.
Hinsdale, W.B. The First People of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI: George Wahr, 1930. 178 pages.
Textbook. "The First People of Michigan, were, of course, the Indians. An attempt is made in the chapters of this volume, to set forth some of their characteristics and social traits."
Holbrook, Florence. Hiawatha Alphabet. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1910. Unpaged picture book. Illustrated by H. D. Pohl.
An alphabet book based on the story of Hiawatha.
Holling, Holling Clancy. The Book of Indians. NY: Platt & Munk, 1935. 125 pages. Illustrated by H.C. and Lucille Holling.
"The tribes of Indians are so many that if we tried to tell about them as tribes everyone would be hopelessly lost. Instead, we take the Indians as a whole and divide them into different types of Indians living in different kinds of country."
Hollman, Clide. Pontiac, King of the Great Lakes. NY: Hastings House Publishers, 1968. 151 pages.
"Pontiac's fight for the rights of his people as one of the most significant events in the early history of our country. Clide Hollmann provides a fascinating and scrupulously accurate account of Pontiac's war and portrays the great chief as a leader and a man.
Hunt, W. Ben. The Golden Book of Indian Crafts and Lore. NY: Simon and Schuster, 1954.
War bonnets and dozens of other costumes, beadwork decoration, pouches, drums and tom-toms, peace pipes, and totem poles - this book shows you with many patterns and diagrams how to make these and many more Indian objects. Its directions for doing ritual dances and the background information about other lore enable you to get the feel of Indian life."
Indian and Eskimo Children. Washington, DC: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1966. 49 pages.
"There is much we all can learn from the Indians and Eskimos. They are proud people, with fine traditions and arts and beliefs. We hope this picture book helps children everywhere to know each other better."
K,L
Kellogg, Harold and Delaine Kellogg. Indians of the Southwest, with photographs taken by the author. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1936. Unpaged.
This book tells about several kinds of Indians who have lived or still live in the Southwestern part of the United States.
Knapp, Mary Tekakwitha B. Pow Wow at Old Arbe Croche. Grand Rapids, MI: Blueberry Trail, 1987. 28 pages.
"Come back to the late 1940's to the historic Holy Cross Powwow at Cross Village, Michigan as seen through the eyes of a child."
Krensky, Stephen. Children of the Earth and Sky. NY: Scholastic, 1991. 32 pages.
"Native American children started helping their families at early ages. This book includes five stories about the experiences of the Hopi, Comanche, Mohican, Navajo, and Mandan children."
Krensky, Stephen. Children of the Wind and Water: Five Stories about Native American Children. NY: Scholastic, 1994.Illustrator: James Watling. 32 pages.
This book includes five stories about the experiences of the Muskogee, Dakota, Huron, Tlingit, and Nootka children.
Kvasnicka, Robert M. Hole-in-the-Day. [n.p.] Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993. 32 pages. Illustrated by Rick Whipple.
A biography of Hole-in-the-Day, Chief of the Mississippi bands of the Chippewa in Minnesota, who was known for his intelligence, bravery, and oratory skills.
Liptak, Karen. North American Indian Ceremonies. NY: Franklin Watts, 1992. 63 pages.
Describes a variety of Indian tribal ceremonies and rituals, including those for war and peace, hunting and gathering, and healing.
M,O
Memoir of John Arch, A Cherokee Young Man. Compiled from Communications of Missionaries in the Cherokee Nation. 2nd ed. Boston: Massachusetts Sabbath School Union, 1832. 33 pages.
"The subject of this memoir was converted from heathenism through the preaching of American missionaries, and died in the faith and hope of the Gospel. The reader will find in his history a proof of the excellent influence which missionaries may be expected to exert, wherever they are sent among the benighted millions of pagans."
Miller, Jay. Native Americans: A New True Book. Danbury, CN: Children's Press, 1993. 45 pages.
Describes the culture, leadership, and structure of various tribes of Native Americans. Miller is a Delaware Indian.
Mitchell, John and Tom Woodruff. Indians of the Great Lakes: An Illustrated History for Children. Suttons Bay, MI: Suttons Bay Publications, 1994. 47 pages.
"As the twenty-first century approaches, Indians of the Great Lakes are regaining the power to determine their own future. As they work to create an Indian vision of tomorrow, they seek to balance their success in the modern world with the traditions of their ancient cultures."
Moody, Ralph. Geronimo, Wolf of the Warpath. NY: Random House, 1958. 186 pages. Illustrated by Nicholas Eggenhofer.
"Geronimo is a landmark in American history. He will long be remembered as the last Indian leader who tried, through warfare, to turn back the tide of white civilization.
Morcomb, Margaret E. Red Feather, A Book of Indian Life and Tales. Chicago: Lyons & Carnahan, 1838. 128 pages.
"In this reader the author has undertaken to portray the life of a forest Indian boy of the New England and Middle Colonies, and she has taken great pains to make it true to Indian life. The dress, food, houses, games, and costumes are those of the Eastern wood Indians whom our forefathers knew at the beginning of the 17th century."
Ojibway Indians Coloring Book with Drawings by Chet Koziak. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society, 1979. Unpaged coloring book.
Drawings show how the Ojibway lived around the mid 1800's.
Osinski, Alice. The Chippewa: A New True Book. Chicago: Children's Press, 1987. 45 pages.
Presents a brief history of the Chippewa Indians describing their customs and traditions and how they are maintained in the modern world.
Otto, Simon. Grandmother Moon Speaks. Lansing,MI: Thunder Bay Press, 1995. 98 pages. Illustrated by James McCann.
Otto is Chippewa/Odawa and McCann is Odawa. The book combines essays about the author's personal experiences, Indian history, wise discussions about the important elements of life as a Native American in modern America, and beautiful tales of Indian legends about the very beginnings of time.
P,R
Payne, E. George and Howard R. Driggs. Red Feather's Home Coming; A Book of Indian Life for Fourth and Fifth Grades. Chicago: Lyons and Carnahan, 1927. 186 pages.
"The authors have attempted to give a true picture of the Indian in his home life, his community doings, his work, his play, as well as his adventures coming from these activities."
Pevar, Stephen L. The Rights of Indians and Their Tribes. ACLU Handbook for Young Americans. NY: Puffin Books, 1997. 225 pages.
A history of federal Indian policy precedes a discussion of topics related to the legal rights of American Indians, including treaties; tribal self-government, hunting, fishing, and gathering rights; and criminal jurisdiction in Indian country.
Polack, W. G. Shegonaba: A Tale of Mission Work Among the Chippewas. [n.p.]: Book and Art Publishing Co., 1900. 94 pages.
Missionary work among the Chippewa in the Central Michigan area.
Powell, Suzanne. The Potawatomi. NY: Franklin Watts, 1997. 63 pages.
Describes the history and customs of the Potawatomi people.
Rankin, Ernest H. The Indians of Gitchi Gumee. Marquette County Historical Society, 1966. 23 pages.
"This brief treatise on Indians has been prepared to meet the needs of children from the ages of eight to eighty-eight. It makes no pretense of being exhaustive of the subject for the story of the Indians, their culture and customs, is far too broad and extensive to be covered in a very few pages."
S,T
Seattle, Chief. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle. NY: Dial, 1991. Unpaged picture book. Illustrated by Susan Jeffers.
A Suquamish Indian Chief describes his people's respect and love of the earth, and concern for its destruction.
Seelye, Elizabeth Eggleston. Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet. Chicago: M.A. Donohue, 1906. [1878]. 332 pages.
"In this work we have related for the general reader one of the most romantic passages in American history. We have especially sought to interest young people in the history of the country through the curiosity that everybody feels about aboriginal life and exciting adventure."
Seymour, Flora Warren. The Indians Today. Chicago: Benj. H. Sanborn & Co., 1926. 235 pages.
"This book is an effort to awaken the interest of our boys and girls in the Indian of the twentieth century."
Siegel, Beatrice. Indians of the Northeast Woodlands. NY: Walker, 1992. 96 pages.
Describes the way of life of the Woodland Indians of the Northeast before the arrival of the white man. Also discusses what happened to these Indians and where they are today."
Shemie, Bonnie. Houses of Bark: Tipi, Wigwam and Long House: Native Dwellings. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1990. 24 pages. Illustrated by the author.
Native tribes built many sizes and styles of bark dwellings. How all of these were constructed is made clear with detailed drawings.
Shemie, Bonnie. Mounds of Earth and Shell. Native Sites: The Southeast. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1993.24 pages. Illustrated by the author.
"The mounds are proof that advanced cultures existed in ancient America that deserve our attention and respect.." Clear drawings of these mounds.
A Story About Peter Greensky and his Church. Written by Toni Berry, Wendy Doyal, Leah Howard, Robert Morgidge, Marsha Neumann, and Paul Schomberger. Artwork by Vivi Woodcock. Boyne City, MI: Boyne Valley Printing Co., 1984. 15 pages.
Written by five Boyne City middle school students and their instructor. Based on legend and documents.
Tanner, Helen. The Ojibwa. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1992. 119 pages.
Examines the culture, history, and changing fortunes of the Ojibwa Indians.
V,W
Voight, Virginia F. Pontiac, Mighty Ottawa Chief. Champaign, IL: Garrard, 1977. 80 pages. Illustrated by William Hutchinson.
"A biography of the Ottawa patriot and war chief who united the Great Lakes tribes against the British, laying siege to Detroit in 1763 in a culmination of what has come to be known as Pontiac's conspiracy."
Walker, Louise Jean. Woodland Wigwams. Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale School Supply, n.d. 121 pages. Illustrated by Elna L. MacMullen.
"The author has tried to present in an easy, readable style, some background information about the Indians of Michigan that will interest the young reader."
Wilbur, C. Keith. The Woodland Indians. Old Saybrook, CN: Globe Pequot Press, 1995. 102 pages.
Focusing mainly on the period from 1000 B.C. to 1500 A.D. tells of leadership, religion, warfare, celebrations and agriculture. Created for readers in Grades 5 through 10.
Wilson, E. N. The White Indian Boy: The Story of Uncle Nick among the Shoshones. NY: World Book Company, 1919.
"As a story of the days when the Indian tribes still roamed the plains, this book will have for boys and girls all the interest of a tale of adventure."