November 16 – Our list of books by Indigenous thinkers
EXPLORE
As part of Native American Heritage Month 2020, the CSW Library is celebrating a wide array of Indigenous thinkers--experts in environment and justice, resistance movements, historical and political context, and the lived experience of Native people in the United States. You may have seen some of these books displayed prominently in independent bookstores, across Internet lists, and floating around social media. Perhaps this month will push you to pick one up and experience the wealth of ideas and knowledge that Indigenous peoples contribute to the landscape of our country. Often ignored by mainstream media, think tanks, and policy makers, these titles are examples of why our country needs to uplift, recognize, and understand how the original stewards of this land are still here.
Enjoy the permanent collection here. And a reminder: all of our physical displays have a virtual presence, as well.
DID YOU KNOW…
As part of Native Heritage Month, did you know that two of our faculty/staff are Indigenous? Find out a bit about their identities, citizenship, and favorite Native authors and books
Your Library Director, Jenna Wolf, is a citizen of Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. You may have noticed this nation has recently seen some increased media attention this summer; the US Supreme Court upheld our tribe’s assertion that the entire eastern half of Oklahoma is the nation’s reservation lands and was never ceded to the state; it marks a monumental victory for Native Sovereignty.
Her favorite Native author is Waubgeshig Rice. His debut novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, should be devoured in one sitting and is one of the best representations of Indigenous resiliency, hope, and familial joy.
Interested in reading Moon of the Crusted Snow? Swing by the library for a copy.
Your Director of Community Programs for Equity and Inclusion, Jordan Clark is a citizen of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah. The “story” of Thanksgiving is one many have heard of, but do they know that the Wampanoag were the original inhabitants of the land of southeastern New England, and have one of the largest collections of written documents by Indigenous Peoples in the United States? And that one of the first books ever printed in the United States was at Harvard University and was the Bible in Wôpanâak. That book was used to revitalize the Wompanoag language in this century.
Jordan says if you read anything by a Native author, it should be The Last Pow Wow by That Native Thomas and Steven Paul Judd.
Interested in reading The Last Pow Wow? Swing by the library for a copy.
EXPLORE
The CSW Library occasionally asks members of our community (faculty, staff, and students) what they are reading, love to read, and a bit about their reading life in an effort to share recommendations and to engage with our wide community of readers. Each feature includes a Q & A with the community member and a series of recommended titles.
For Mia Vittimberga ‘22, an important part of developing a reading life is carving out time. Mia gives advice around how to nurture reading as a habit, shares some picks that span a wide-range of themes, talks about how to use Goodreads to discover new books, and reminds us all its ok to dislike a book--or even two, equally.
Want to be featured in a CSW Reading Spotlight? Email library@csw.org or reach out to Jenna directly at jwolf@csw.org. We’d love to hear from you.
READ
Each week, the CSW Library will highlight one new title to our collection in our BOOK OF THE WEEK feature to help you choose (or not choose) your next read.
ELATSOE by DARCIE LITTLE BADGER
QUICK TAKE
Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. This is Elatsoe’s world.
GOOD TO KNOW
WHERE TO CHECK IT OUT
This title is available for check out in our physical collection, as well as available digitally in ebook.
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.