Native Women's History: Books for Kids

Tallchief

Meet Native women who include include a champion in the fight against tuberculosis, an Olympic wheelchair racer, the first female Cherokee Chief, a wilderness ranger, award-winning authors, and a prima ballerina.

For more great titles and activities, see the Trailblazers project from Reading Rockets' Start with a Book project!

At the Mountain's Base

Woman on a mountain holding strings connected to the base of the mountain
Illustrated by: Weshoyot Alvitre
Age Level: 3-6

At the mountain's base sits a cabin under an old hickory tree. And in that cabin lives a family -- loving, weaving, cooking, and singing. The strength in their song sustains them through trials on the ground and in the sky, as they wait for their loved one, a pilot, to return from war.

With an author's note that pays homage to the true history of Native American U.S. service members like WWII pilot Ola Mildred "Millie" Rexroat, this is a story that reveals the roots that ground us, the dreams that help us soar, and the people and traditions that hold us up.

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior
Illustrated by: Bridget George
Age Level: 6-9, 9-12

Indigenous women have long cared for the land and water, which in turn sustains all life on Earth ― honoring their ancestors and providing for generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water. But then came Anishinaabe elder Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn Peltier.

Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story

Painting of Buffalo Bird Girl
Age Level: 6-9

Product Description: This fascinating picture book biography tells the childhood story of Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born around 1839. Through her true story, readers will learn what it was like to be part of this Native American community that lived along the Missouri River in the Dakotas, a society that depended more on agriculture for food and survival than on hunting. Using as a resource the works of Gilbert L. Wilson, who met Buffalo Bird Woman and transcribed her life's story in the early 20th century, award-winning author-illustrator S. D.

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
Illustrated by: Natasha Donovan
Age Level: 6-9

Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross's journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher to pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. In addition, the narrative highlights Cherokee values including education, working cooperatively, remaining humble, and helping ensure equal opportunity and education for all.

Keeping the Rope Straight: Annie Dodge Wauneka's Life of Service to the Navajo

Keeping the Rope Straight: Annie Dodge Wauneka's Life of Service to the Navajo

Annie Wauneka devoted her life to helping her people. Inspired by the example of her father, Annie immersed herself in tribal politics and became a leader in the battle against tuberculosis. Annie melded traditional Diné (Navajo) culture with the modern world and brought about unprecedented improvements in the healthcare and education available to her people. Her years of service earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the title "Our Legendary Mother" from the Diné Nation.

Native Athletes in Action (Native Trailblazers)

Native Athletes in Action (Native Trailblazers)

"Along with well-known figures such as Jim Thorpe and National Hockey League hit man Jordin Tootoo, Schilling introduces Olympic wheelchair racer Cheri Becerra-Madsen, speed skier Ross Anderson, ice dancer Naomi Lang, and eight other less-familiar Native American athletes of the present and recent past. Most of the portraits are based on personal interviews; all include tribal affiliations, career notes (sometimes in boldface), brief sidebars, and small, black-and-white action photos." — Booklist

Native Defenders of the Environment

Native Defenders of the Environment

Product Description: From the Native Trailblazers series comes a book with the stories of twelve brave people who work tirelessly to save our environment. Readers will learn about Grace Thorpe, who worked to keep Native reservations from becoming nuclear waste dumps; Tom Goldtooth, the director of the Indigenous Environmental Network; and Ben Powless, a founding organizer of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition.

Native Musicians: In the Groove

Native Musicians: In the Groove

Product Description: From the melodic sounds of a classical guitar or the wailing of an electric guitar to country music and punk rock, these musicians deliver. They offer a wide selection of musical styles as diverse as the music industry itself. Read about the lives of these outstanding performers who represent the fresh new sounds from Native Americans and Canadians today. Featured musicians and groups include flutist Mary Youngblood, Canadian country recording artist Shane Yellowbird, Four Rivers Drum, and Crystal Shawanda.

Native Women of Courage

Native Women of Courage
Age Level: Middle Grade

Product Description: Native Women of Courage profiles ten outstanding women leaders in the Native community. All of these successful, trailblazing women are stellar role models who have raised the profile of indigenous culture in North America. From heroines of the past to women making history today, this exciting work of non-fiction reminds readers of the extraordinary contributions of Native American women to our daily lives and to our country's social fabric.

Native Writers: Voices of Power

Native Writers: Voices of Power

Product Description: Learn about the life events and aspirations that shaped the voices of ten influential Native writers, whose novels, short stories and plays encompass the soul of Native life. Learn how these writers draw from personal experience to create situations and characters that are entertaining and poignant. Featured writers include: Sherman Alexie, Marilyn Dumont, Joseph Boyden, Louise Erdrich, Joseph Bruchac, Tomson Highway, Maria Campbell, N. Scott Momaday, Nicola Campbell, and Tim Tingle. Native Trailblazers Series.

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present
Illustrated by: Ciara Sana
Age Level: Middle Grade

Celebrate the lives, stories, and contributions of Indigenous artists, activists, scientists, athletes, and other changemakers in this beautifully illustrated collection. From luminaries of the past, like nineteenth-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis—the first Black and Native American female artist to achieve international fame—to contemporary figures like linguist jessie little doe baird, who revived the Wampanoag language, Notable Native People highlights the vital impact Indigenous dreamers and leaders have made on the world.

Peggy Flanagan: Ogimaa Kwe, Lieutenant Governor

Illustration of Peggy Flanagan
Illustrated by: Tashia Hart
Age Level: 6-9

Peggy Flanagan is the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. This is the second-highest office in the state. She is the first Native woman to hold such a high elected statewide office in the United States. Her whole life she knew that the school system doesn't tell American Indian stories in a true way. Peggy is working hard to change how Native peoples' stories are told and to make life better for all Minnesotans. Minnesota Native American Life Series.

Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez

Young woman sculpting a pot
Illustrated by: Aphelandra
Age Level: 6-9

The most renowned Native American Indian potter of her time, Maria Povika Martinez learned pottery as a child under the guiding hands of her ko-ōo, her aunt. She grew up to discover a new firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny, and made them ― and Maria ― famous. This inspiring story of family and creativity, co-authored by Martinez's eldest great-grandchild, illuminates how Maria's belief in sharing her love of clay brought success and joy from her New Mexico Pueblo to people all across the country.

Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman

Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman
Illustrated by: Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Age Level: 6-9

When Sharice Davids was young, she never thought she’d be in Congress. And she never thought she’d be one of the first Native American women in Congress. During her campaign, she heard from a lot of doubters. They said she couldn’t win because of how she looked, who she loved, and where she came from. But everyone’s path looks different and everyone’s path has obstacles.

She Persisted: Deb Haaland

She Persisted: Deb Haaland
Illustrated by: Alexandra Boiger, Gillian Flint
Age Level: 6-9

As a child of two military parents, Deb Haaland moved around a lot when she was young before finally settling in Albuquerque to be near family. But she persisted, studying hard and eventually earning a law degree. An enrolled member of the Pueblo Laguna nation, Deb was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, where she represented New Mexico's 1st District. In 2021, when the Senate confirmed her as President Biden's secretary of the interior, she became the first Native American in history to become a cabinet secretary.

She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller
Illustrated by: Alexandra Boiger, Gillian Flint
Age Level: 6-9

The descendant of Cherokee ancestors who had been forced to walk the Trail of Tears, Wilma Mankiller experienced her own forced removal from the land she grew up on as a child. As she got older and learned more about the injustices her people had faced, she dedicated her life to instilling pride in Native heritage and reclaiming Native rights. She went on to become the first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina

Painting of Maria Tallchief
Illustrated by: True Kelley
Age Level: 6-9

Maria Tallchief shares the story of her childhood and path to becoming America's first prima ballerina. Growing up on the Osage Indian reservation, Maria was a gifted pianist and dancer, but at the age of twelve, her father told her that she must choose between dance and music. Maria chose ballet, changing the course of her life and the face of classical ballet in America.