Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
Every October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates Native American peoples while commemorating their histories and cultures. To honor the holiday, the GW English Department has compiled a short-list of books written by Native American authors!
- Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo). Based on the oral traditions and ceremonial practices of the Pueblo and Navajo people, Silko’s award-winning novel follows Tayo, a half-Pueblo half white man after he returns from World War II.
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d’Alene). Alexie’s semi-autobiographical novel follows fourteen-year-old “Junior” as he lives with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation, while simultaneously attending an all-white public high school off of the reservation.
- There There by Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho). There There follows a large cast of Native American characters in Oakland, California as they struggle with various challenges, from depression to the difficulty of living with their Native American identity.
Let’s take this day as an opportunity to expand your understanding and learn something new! Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
By: Leila Wargotz B.A. English ‘23
