Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center

Blonde Indian: An Alaska Native Memoir by Ernestine Hayes

Ernestine Hayes is a Kaagwaantaan woman and a Tlingit storyteller and, in this memoir, she offers a story that describes the past, present and future of what it means to grow up Native American. Filled with anecdotes, descriptions and histories that are unique to the Tlingit community, this book shows how going back—in nature and in life—allows movement forward.

Killing the Indian Maiden: Images of Native American Women in Film by M. Elise Marubbio

This book examines the portrayal of Native American women in film through a discussion of thirty-four Hollywood films ranging from the silent period to the present day. Marubbio discusses the sacrificial role of what she terms the “Celluloid Maiden”—a young Native woman who allies herself with a white male hero and dies as a result. Some of the films discussed are Cecil B. DeMille’s The Squaw Man, Charles Warren’s Arrowhead, Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man and Michael Apted’s Thunderheart.

Native Hubs: Culture, Community, and Belonging in Silicon Valley and Beyond by Renya K. Ramirez

Many Native Americans live in cities where they’re not afforded full access to tribal programs and resources provided to Native Americans living on reservations. Ramirez, a scholar and a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, investigates how urban Native Americans negotiate what she calls a “transnational existence”. Ramirez focuses on Silicon Valley and how activities and gatherings help urban Native Americans reinforce bonds of social belonging and forge intertribal alliances.

Taking Assimilation to Heart: Marriages of White Women & Indigenous Men in the United States & Australia, 1887-1937 by Katherine Ellinghaus

This study of interracial marriages uncovers the striking difference between the policies of assimilation endorsed by Australia and those encouraged by the United States. White Australians emphasized biological absorption in which indigenous identity would be dissolved through interracial relationships. White Americans promoted cultural assimilation by attempting to alter the lifestyles of indigenous people. This book discusses how this difference led to differences in humanitarian reforms, education policies and social mobility in the two countries.

Where People Feast: An Indigenous People’s Cookbook by Dolly & AnnieWatts

For 12 years Dolly and Annie Watts ran the Liliget Feast House in Vancouver. This fine dining establishment received rave reviews, including a four-star rating from The New York Times. This cookbook focuses on Native cuisine of the Pacific Northwest and contains traditional and modern recipes utilizing seafood, game, fruits and vegetables. The book includes 16 full-color photographs and over 150 dishes that can be easily replicated at home.