The Native Publishers Reclaiming Indigenous Storytelling

Native publishers are critical in preserving and amplifying Indigenous perspectives. While narratives about Indigenous peoples often focus on the devastating impacts of colonization—death, disease, grief, and addiction—these publishing programs create space for the full spectrum of the Native experience, including our distinct humor, joy, and triumphs.

I’m the director of California Indian Publishing at Heyday, an independent nonprofit based in Berkeley. Founded in 1974, we have a long history of publishing Native literature, hosting cultural events, and doing outreach in the community. We’ve published everything from beautifully illustrated children’s books to cookbooks on Indigenous foodways, to important historical memoirs. I am the editor for our quarterly magazine, News from Native California, devoted to the vibrant cultures, arts, languages, histories, social justice movements, and stories of California’s diverse Indian peoples. This magazine has a little bit of everything—news stories, essays, interviews, poetry, and artwork. It can even be a little gossipy for those in-the-know about California tribal communities. 

The following list showcases publishers who get it right, allowing Indigenous writers to tell our stories in our own voices:

Great Oak Press

Ten years ago, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians founded Great Oak Press to amplify and center Native voices and to grow and preserve Indigenous culture and knowledge. The tribally owned publisher mainly publishes academic titles, but they also print books for children and teens. 

Abalone Mountain Press

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman-owned publishing house, operating on the traditional lands of the Akimel O’odham. They’re a indigiqueer, trans, non-binary, Black Indigenous, and feminist-friendly press with a goal of being a space where Native voices can flourish authentically and unapologetically.. Their books cover a wide range of genres including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. 

Malki Museum Press

At 60 years old, Malki Museum is the oldest nonprofit museum founded by Native Americans on a California Indian reservation.  Their books focus on the First People of Californiaand vary from academic works to guides on the best local hiking trails and usages of local plants. 

Orca Book Publishers

Orca Book Publishers is an independently-owned Canadian publisher of popular and acclaimed children’s books. They publish more than 80 books a year for all ages and in multiple Indigenous languages including Anishinaabemowin, Diné, Inuktituk, and Plains Cree. 

Native Northwest Art by Indigenous Artists

Native Northwest is a Canadian organization that sells everything from stationery and housewares to children’s books and clothing. Based in Vancouver, their mission statement places emphasis on authenticity and respect and they source all their art, merchandise, and literature from Native artists. 

Kamehameha Publishing

One of the oldest publishers on this list, Kamehameha Publishing amplifies Hawaiian voices, focusing on ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian knowledge), and kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian perspectives). Since 1888, they’ve provided engaging educational content across print and digital media, ranging from archival recovery to contemporary voices. 

Theytus Books

Located in Syilx territory on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Theytus Books is the oldest Indigenous publishing house in Canada. First Nations-owned and operated, Theytus supports Indigenous authors, illustrators, and artists. Their name, which means “preserving for the sake of handing down” in Salish, symbolizes the documentation of Indigenous life using literature.

Medicine Wheel Publishing

Founded by Teddy Anderson (Yeíl S’aghi), an adopted member of the Carcross Tagish First Nations, Medicine Wheel Publishing specializes in books that provide a moral and cultural education, partnering with Indigenous authors and elders to ensure accuracy and respect. Their Orange Shirt Society campaign raises awareness of the lasting impact of Indian Residential Schools on generations of Native peoples. Their award-winning books are published in bookstores across Canada and the U.S. and they’ve  gifted over 15,000 books to Indigenous schools and communities. 

Arvaaq Press

Based in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Inhabit Media is an Inuit-owned company with the goal of preserving and promoting the stories, knowledge, and talent of the Inuit. Since 2006, they’ve encouraged both Inuit and non-Inuit residents to share their stories and oral histories, with a focus on traditional knowledge and language preservation. Most books are available in English as well Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun, bringing stories to readers in both the North and the South.

Kegedonce Press

Founded in 1993 by Anishinaabe writer Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Kegedonce Press has been publishing Indigenous Canadian literature for over 30 years. Based in Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario, they’ve published books by some of the most acclaimed contemporary Native writers including Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Cherie Dimaline, and Richard Van Camp. Their aim is to support Indigenous professionals in all stages of book production, including illustration, design, editing, and printing. 

Native Voices Books

Community-owned Native Voices Books, along with their imprint 7th Generation, offers fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Their works showcase the diversity of Native American Nations on Turtle Island and emphasize healthy sustainable living. The press has been located on The Farm, an intentional community, in Summertown, Tennessee since 1978.

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