The publishing world – and audiobook publishing in particular – is growing more diverse, and there are now many recorded books both created and voiced by Indigenous, First Nations and American Indian authors and narrators. Here are some outstanding listens for you to try:
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, read by Chief Jake Swamp. The traditional thanks prayer of the Six Nations, said in gratitude to the precious and rare gift of the natural world, from the moon and the stars to the tiniest blade of grass, and read in English and in kaniakehaka (Mohawk).
An American Sunrise: Poems, by Joy Harjo, read by the author. Well, not just read: three time poet laureate Harjo performs, intones, and sings her captivating songs of tribulation and loss, and of the grounds for compassion, hope and progress in the midst of challenging times.
Earthkeeper: Reflections on the American Land, by N. Scott Momaday, read by the author. With resonant calmness and wisdom, Momaday reflects on his life and the lifeways of his Kiowa ancestors, drawing hope out of darkness and continuity out of change.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King, read by Lorne Cardinal. King serves up an idiosyncratic, unapologetically frank look at American history through the eyes of the first Americans, read with just the right hint of wry humor by First Nations actor Cardinal.
Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance, by Joseph Marshall III, read by the author. The prolific Lakota elder and storyteller taps into a wellspring of tradition to deliver inspiration and comfort for all who must suffer and endure. This is one of several audiobooks written and read by Marshall.
Keeper ‘n Me, by Richard Wagamese, read by Deneh’Cho Thompson and Sam Bob. After having been chewed up and spit out by the big city, Garnet Raven decides to return to the Ojibwe Indian reserve where he was born, and where the cockeyed wisdom of a tribal elder sets him straight on what really matters here on earth.
Find these and many other audiobooks on our list of Indigenous Voices, in the library catalog.
~ Posted by David W.
Leave a Comment