If this is something you’re interested in, but you’re not sure where to start, then this article has all the information you need.
On this list, you will have the chance to meet some famous Indigenous authors from around the world, and experience lots of different books from dystopian thrillers to novels about the natural world.
You will meet authors from the U.S., Egypt, and Australia.
This is written by Sally Morgan’s daughters. Sally Morgan was the author of one of the most popular books by Indigenous authors.
Her children have picked up where she left off.
This is a collaborative effort from Indigenous authors Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina.
These are siblings who both have Palyku heritage.
These are a group of aboriginal people who come from the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
This is a fantastic young adult thriller that contains themes of grief, hope, and justice.
Plot
This novel follows the story of Beth Teller after her death.
Her Dad is feeling overwhelmed with grief, and he is the only person who has been able to see and hear Beth after her accident.
Beth’s father has a mystery to solve that will hopefully remind her that his father should reconnect with the living, instead of being stuck in the past.
He is a detective, and a case takes him to a remote Australian town, where the witness speaks in riddles.
Beth and her father attempt to unravel the mystery, and they uncover a story that is under the surface of this small town.
Pros
A fantastic storyline with great themes running through the novel
This book, by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, is a great mixture of traditional knowledge and academic knowledge.
It brings together the author’s knowledge as a botanist and her knowledge as a member of the Potawatomi Nation.
The essays in this book are great for shining a light on the beauty of ecological consciousness in relation to the climate change disasters that we are currently facing.
Kimmerer’s knowledge and interest in the natural world are ingrained in her culture and it was inspired and encouraged by her parents.
Although Kimmerer was raised in upstate New York, she was raised with lots of focus on her Potawatomi heritage.
Kimmerer highlights that the awakening of the ecological consciousness requires an acknowledgment of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.
Plot
This book is made up of a series of essays that are related to science and lore.
She highlights our relationships with nature and acknowledges the role of nature as the oldest teacher of humankind.
Pros
Exceptional book conveying the beauty of the natural world
Contains lots of indigenous wisdom
Cons
Some people find that this book is not very gripping
This is a fantastic novel that is very eye-opening when it comes to Indigenous authors. This story is very heart-wrenching.
It was written by Alan Duff who is both a novelist and a newspaper columnist.
He is from Rotorua in New Zealand, and he has both Ngáti Túwharetoa (Máori) and Ngáti Rangitihi descent.
Duff spent some years in a housing neighborhood funded by the state, but his later childhood was spent linking with a Máori aunt and uncle in Whakarewarewa.
This novel has been turned into an acclaimed film since its release and it is one of the most important indigenous novels that explores the clash between tolerance and tradition.
Plot
In this novel, you see the Hekes struggle through alcoholism, violence, and poverty. The Hekes are an urban Máori family.
This harrowing story shows a Maori woman struggling to keep her family together.
It explores the Maori tradition and the wounds that have been left behind.
Dark Emu is one of the best books by Bruce Pascoe.
He is one of Australia’s most controversial Indigenous writers, as well as one of the most popular!
This novel was released in 2014, and since then it has sparked debate across the world.
His revelations had large amounts of cultural implications.
He has encouraged those reading his work to consider that the things they have been told are not necessarily true, instead deeming them ‘convenient lies’.
Dark Emu, which is a bestseller in Australia, has also won lots of awards.
It won the Book of the Year Award and the Indigenous Writer’s Prize in the 2016 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards.
Plot
In this novel, he refutes the claim that the Aboriginals lived in hunter-gatherer societies before they were colonized by the United Kingdom.
He presents evidence to back up his claim by drawing upon old historical and geological records in order to highlight that Aboriginal people across Australia were cultivating grain crops and storing harvests long before the British invaded!
These are all of the main features of an agricultural society.
This novel is written by David Treuer who grew up on the Ojibwe reservation.
This is located in Minnesota. He then trained as an anthropologist.
In his novels, Treuer draws upon his academic knowledge and his heritage.
He writes both fiction and nonfiction Indigenous books. These novels celebrate the preservation of Native communities.
It shows the horrors that the Native people have experienced both in the past and present are very difficult, but that the Native people shine through with stories of resilience, reinvention, and transformation.
This book highlights the very important history of the Native people and the formation of the new identity that they hold.
Plot
In the novel The Heartbeat Of Wounded Knee, he retells the past of Native Americans in an engaging and entertaining way.
It runs from the 1890 massacre that occurred at Wounded Knee through to the present.
This book was translated into English from Arabic. The author, Miral Al-Tahawy, is an Egyptian writer.
She grew up in the Bedouin culture, which is a very conservative culture. Her family belongs to the al-Hanadi tribe.
She is the first novelist to present this culture beyond the use of very problematic stereotypes.
Through her work, she has drawn attention to the struggles of Bedouin women who would otherwise not be noticed in the mainstream.
This is her fourth novel, which was published in 2010. It was translated into English in 2011.
Plot
This story follows Hind, an aspiring writer who experiences flashbacks and finds that her memories of the Bedouin village show up in every corner of her new life.
Louise Erdrich is a very well-known Indigenous author. She has won many awards for her novels, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this novel.
This novel explores the best and worst parts of humankind, including the peaks and valleys of life, and the pain and pleasure of love and loss.
Plot
The Night Watchman is based on the true story of Erdich’s grandfather, who was part of the fight against Native dispossession.
Pros
Very powerful stories
Cons
It is quite slow, to begin with
Buyer’s Guide
If you are looking for fantastic books by Indigenous authors, then you’ve come to the right place.
Above, you have 15 different, remarkable books by Indigenous authors.
Some of the novels on this list are non-fiction or mostly non-fiction.
This means that they are based on facts, and are not fictitious stories.
Some of these may include essays. Some of the novels on the list are fiction novels.
They use the history and culture of the Native communities and base some fictitious stories around them.
Indigenous Community
If you are looking to read a book that is from a particular Indigenous community, then you should do some research into this.
If you want to learn more about Indigenous Australian people, then you should look for some books that have been written by or about this community.
History
Some of the novels by Indigenous authors will have a large amount of history in them.
This will mean that you can learn as you read the novels.
Whether you already know some history, but want to know more, or you are just starting your journey into Indigenous literature, then you should consider the amount of history in these novels.
If you are interested in the history of these cultures, as well as how they fit into the world now, you should definitely look for an Indigenous author who includes history in their novels!
Writing Style
Lots of Indigenous authors write in a very poetic way, or they write songs and poetry.
If you prefer reading prose, then you should consider looking for a book that is written in this way.
In contrast, if you like to read poetic work, then you should consider looking for an author who writes in this way.
The way that a story is written can have a huge impact on the way that you digest it, so this is a very important thing to consider.
Characters
If you enjoy reading and learning about characters in a novel, then you will want to ensure that the Indigenous novel that you have chosen has good characterization.
Depending on what you prefer, you should make sure that you are choosing a novel that suits you best so that you can learn and enjoy the art.
Final Thoughts
This novel has highlighted the 15 most remarkable books by Indigenous authors. There are many amazing authors out there from Indigenous backgrounds.
After reading this list, you should now have plenty of books that you can read by Indigenous authors!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Indigenous Mean?
The definition of Indigenous is the earliest known inhabitants of a place. Usually, the places have since been colonized by a more dominant group.
Are There Many Indigenous Authors?
There are lots of Indigenous authors out there. Some of these authors are on the list above, but there are many more than haven’t been mentioned.
Some Indigenous authors are very successful, but some are not so successful and may not get their work published or seen by many. The novels on this list are books by the more popular Indigenous author.
Noah Burton works as a Librarian full time, and is a blogger in his spare time. His goal is to write compelling recommendations for all of the most popular books he can find, from science fiction to romance.
With a passion for books, a drive to find new reads to get stuck into, and a love for sharing book recommendations with others, Noah can help you find the next novel for your bucket list.
