Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of the Native American community. The library is marking the occasion with a series of programs and book discussions and hope you'll join us. We also invite you to explore our collection of indigenous authors and stories. Read on for book recommendations and to learn more about upcoming events!

PROGRAMS

• Preschool Craft: Native American-inspired Art
  • Thursday, November 9, 3:30-4:30PM at Twin Hickory Library
  • Best for ages 3-5.  Create your own piece of art inspired by classic picture books featuring Indigenous characters.

• Historically Speaking: The English Pocahontas
  • Thursday, November 9, 7-8PM at Libbie Mill Library
  • John Pagano, Historical Interpretation Supervisor at Henricus Historical Park, will present research from his recently published book, The English Pocahontas: Ten Essential Questions. Deconstructing the romanticized view of this Pocahontas, this book examines the stressors she would have experienced before her untimely death, and her legacy that continues to be studied over 400 years later. Books will be available for purchase and signing. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, and held in partnership with Henrico County Recreation and Parks, History Division.

• Feel Good Films
  • Monday, November 13, 10AM-1PM at Twin Hickory Library
  • Indian Horse (2017, NR, 101 Min.)  Saul Indian Horse, a young Canadian First Nations boy, is torn from his family and committed to a residential school. At school, Saul is denied the freedom to speak his Ojibwe language or embrace his heritage. He finds salvation in the unlikeliest of places- the hockey rink. His hockey ability leads him to bigger and better opportunities, but no matter how far he goes, his past is close behind.

• Elementary Art Club: Paper Cup Weaving
  • Wednesday, November 15, 3-4PM at Fairfield Library
  • Using paper cups and yarn, learn to weave and create your own woven basket.

• Indigenous Basket Making
  • Wednesday, November 15, 4:30-6PM at Twin Hickory
  • Learn more about the arts and culture of regional tribal communities through this talk and basket-making workshop led by Eastern Woodland Revitalization.

• Indigenous Arts Workshop
  • Tuesday, November 21, 6:30-8PM at Libbie Mill Library
  • Learn about the arts and culture of regional tribal communities through this talk and traditional arts workshop led by Eastern Woodland Revitalization.

BOOK DISCUSSIONS

• Libbie Mill LGBTQIA Book Discussion
  • Wednesday, November 1, 7-8PM, Libbie Mill Library & via Webex
  • A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt

• Glen Allen Book Discussion
  • Thursday, November 2, 7-8PM, Glen Allen Library
  • Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

• Libbie Mill Forever Young Book Discussion
  • Wednesday, November 8, 7-8PM, Libbie Mill Library
  • Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

• Tuckahoe Afternoon and Evening Fiction Book Discussion
  • Thursday, November 9: 1-2PM and 7-8PM at Tuckahoe Library
  • When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky by Margaret Verble

• Libbie Mill Afternoon and Evening Book Discussion
  • Wednesday, November 15: 1-2PM and 7-8PM at Libbie Mill Library
  • We Had A Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedyby Kliph Nesteroff.

• Varina Evening Book Discussion
  • Monday, November 20, 7-8PM at Varina Library
  • This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

• Not Just for Kids
  • Tuesday, November 28, 7-8PM at Tuckahoe Library
  • Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth

COLLECTION

EASY (Picture Books)

• A Day with Yahyah by Nicola Campbell
• All Around Us by Xelena González (also available on Hoopla)
• Birdsong by Julie Flett (also available on Hoopla)
• The First Blade of Sweetgrass: A Native American Story by Suzanne Greenlaw
• Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (also available on Hoopla)
• Grandma’s Tipi: A Present-Day Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson (also available on Hoopla)
• Johnny’s Pheasant by Cheryl Minnema
• My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom (also available on Hoopla)
• Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco
• Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

KIDS

• A Man Called Horse: John Horse and the Black Seminole Underground Railroad by Glennette Tilley Turner (also available on Hoopla)
• The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson (Book 1 of the Misewa Saga series)
• Do All Indians Live in Tipis? Questions and Answers from the National Museum of the American Indian by National Museum of the American Indian
• Ella Cara Deloria: Dakota Language Protector by Diane Wilson
• The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills (also available on Hoopla)
• Heroes of the Water Monster by Brian Young
• Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock
• Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensée
• Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
• The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson (also available on Hoopla)

TEENS

• Borders by Thomas King
• The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Life in Native America by David Treuer
• Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith (also available on Hoopla)
• Marvel Voices: Heritage by Weshoyot Alvitre (also available on Hoopla)
• Mascot by Charles Waters
• The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson (also available on Hoopla)
• Surviving the City series by Tasha Spillett-Sumner (also available on Hoopla)
• This Indian Kid: A Native American Memoir by Eddie Chuculate (also available on Hoopla)
• Thunderous by M.L. Smoker (also available on Hoopla)
• Voices of the People by Joseph Bruchac

ADULTS

• A Calm and Normal Heart by Chelsea T. Hicks (also available on Hoopla)
• Cherokee America by Margaret Verble
• Màgòdiz : A Novel by Gabe Calderón (also available on Hoopla)
• Making Love with the Land: Essays by Joshua Whitehead (also available on Hoopla)
• Moon of the Crusted Snow: A Novel by Waubgeshig Rice (also available on Hoopla)
• Native American Spiritualism: An Exploration of Indigenous Beliefs and Cultures by L.M. Arroyo
• Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty (also available on Hoopla)
• The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk
• The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well by Chelsey Luger (also available on Hoopla)
• Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (also available on Hoopla)