May the fire in you keep burning: Get cozy with some Indigenous reads

We are in the full swing of autumn verging on winter, and that means it’s time to get cozy with some great reads.

We’ve been celebrating Native American Heritage Month, and have a few newer books that explore Indigenous culture and history.

One such book, Our Way: A Parallel History is a collection of essays by different Native scholars.

The focus of these writings are people and places, rather than dates and events, so that readers can catch a glimpse into the human side of Native history, including Indigenous Alaskans and Hawaiians. Sources of these essays are expertly documented, and include transcripts of oral stories, papal bulls, congressional treaties, and more.

For a delicious exploration, Sara Calvosa Olson brings us Indigenous Californian recipes for the modern kitchen in Chimi Nu’am, which means “Let’s eat!” in the Karuk language.

Olson makes unexpected ingredients and new culinary techniques approachable for any home and family. Some of the recipes included are acorn crepes, smoked salmon, and cooked nettles.

While the recipes are wonderful, this title also covers the foodways (eating habits and practices) of Native Californians, then and now. The photos are a beautiful treat as well.

Indigenous Firsts is the kind of book that you can pick up, flip to any page, and read a short entry, and then come back to for another piece of knowledge later on.

Yvonne Wakim Dennis has gathered over two thousand trailblazers’ and history makers’ stories in this collection. The chapters are divided into arts, sports, sciences, and more, so find surprises by flipping through it or take a more focused approach.

In the mood for some investigative journalism? Or how about a thrilling legal expose?

Enjoy both in By the Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle.

The author covers the battles that led to the 2020 Sharp v. Murphy Supreme Court case, which regranted the largest acreage of land back to an Indigenous group to date. This real-life courtroom drama also involved a gripping 1999 murder case that revealed that the Muscogee Nation’s reservation had never officially been dissolved — which meant the land had been taken from them in 1866.

Filled with twists and turns, this is a great choice for book clubs.

Finally, Carrie Lowry Shuettpelz brings us Indian Card: Who Gets to Be Native in America.

We are taken on the journey of what is required when navigating blood quantum laws created by the federal government. Shuettpelz points out that the U.S. Census shows far more people identifying as having Native heritage than the number of enrolled tribal members.

There is also the issues of “Pretendians” (people pretending to be Indian) and the difficulties presented by the shifting meaning of identity.

In addition to finding these great titles, drop by to pick up more books and movies for all ages to enjoy during your holiday trips.

Clothing & Toy Swap set for Dec. 6

You can also join us for our upcoming Clothing & Toy Swap in partnership with the city of La Mesa on Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a grocery bag of gently used clothes, accessories, and toys, and take some “new” goodies home with you.

Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Find out more at sdcl.org/lamesa.

All storytimes at the La Mesa Library will be on a break through the end of the year, but join us for family play time instead.