The following titles are available in sets of approximately fifteen copies; sometimes more. Those with an asterisk * have a study guide to accompany the title. Please call (801) 359-9670 to check availability. We invite you to select books from the following themes. (Some titles may be found in more than one category.)

Native American Voices

* Ceremony – (Leslie Marmon Silko, 1977) Tells the story of how a young mixed-blood Laguna Indian returning from World War II finds his own identity through a rediscovery of Laguna traditions, his relationship with the land, with storytelling, and with American Indian values.

* The Crown of Columbus – (L. Erdrich & M. Dorris, 1991) To her amazement, Vivian Twostar, a single Native American working mother and a very pregnant anthropologist of uncertain tenure, has found Columbus’ legendary lost diary buried among forgotten papers in the basement of the Dartmouth Library. Lured by the wild promise of redeeming the past, characters are plunged into a harrowing race against time and death that changes all their lives forever.

Desert Wife– (Hilda Faunce, 1928) In this compelling narrative, the wife of an Indian trader adjusts to life in the desert of the Navajos before World War I. A revealing portrayal of the land and the people, and exploration of the racial differences still confronting us today.

A History of Utah’s American Indians – (Forrest Cuch, ed., 2000) In consultation with local scholars, members of each of the state’s six official tribes recount their past and reflect on their present. Brought together for the first time, these stories allow for new understanding of Utah’s native people.

The Journey of the Diné – (Ellen G. Callister, Robert Maryboy, 2004) Learn about the Navajo people, the Dine, in this beautifully presented book.   In simple, direct, and lyrical prose, the authors describe the Dine past, their traditional beliefs, their legends, and their intimate, mystical relationship with the earth.  With full color illustrations by Dine artist, Robert Maryboy, The Journey of the Dine helps readers understand the complex spirit of Navajo people.

* Laughing Boy – (Oliver La Farge, 1929) This love story, haunting in its poignancy, dramatizes a Native American culture struggling to survive amid the corruptions of an alien civilization.

Listening Woman – (Tony Hillerman, 1978) This exceptional mystery set in the four corners region is full of excitement as well as sensitivity to the landscape and the Navajo culture.

* Love Medicine – (Louise Erdrich, 1984) Presents a collection of narratives by the members of several Chippewa families as they struggle to make sense of the death of one member of their community by recounting their own personal struggles for identity.

* Mean Spirit – (Linda Hogan, 1990) Brings to life one particularly traumatic moment in the history of Oklahoma’s Osage Indians, the oil boom years of the 1920s and 30s that followed the allotment period; through the experiences of Grace Blanket and those of her relatives and friends, readers are introduced to both the atrocities of that historical period and to the overwhelmingly powerful strength of traditional culture.

* Reservation Blues – (Sherman Alexie, 1996) Funny, tragic, sometimes raw, Alexie’s novel dispels stereotypes and myths of life on a contemporary Spokane Indian reservation.

The Wisdom of Native Americans – (Kent Nerburn, ed, 1999) Original speeches and teachings of 19th and 20th century Native Americans reveal beliefs on how to raise children, be a responsible person, and live in accord with nature. A rich resource of wise solutions to contemporary problems.

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