GoodMinds.com

05/24/2026

Featured book from The Indigenous Peoples series. The Seneca : People, Culture, and History.
Author Dr. Faye Lone, Tonawanda Seneca First Nation is a member of the Hawk Clan.

Strong kinship, rich stories, and lasting traditions—that’s the Seneca Nation. In this engaging nonfiction book for young readers, discover more about the people, places, and practices that connect Seneca communities across the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn how the Seneca people thrive today by safeguarding their language, maintaining customs, and honoring their heritage through ceremonies and council gatherings. Through interactive activities and engaging features—including maps, timelines, recipes, and stories—Seneca author Dr. Faye Lone offers young readers a window into the past, present, and future of this enduring culture.

For more:
Hardcover: https://www.goodminds.com/collections/indigenous-peoples-series-hc
Paperback:https://www.goodminds.com/collections/indigenous-peoples-series-pb

05/22/2026

New Release - Shards of Silence (HC).
Author and filmmaker Brian Lee Young is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. Brian earned his BA in film studies at Yale University and his MFA in creative writing at Columbia University. His debut middle grade duology, Healer of the Water Monster and Heroes of the Water Monster, were American Indian Youth Literature Award winner and honor books respectively.

In his first YA novel, award-winning author Brian Lee Young (Diné) bridges the generational divide between a Navajo teen at an elite prep school and his great-grandmother’s experience at a federal boarding school for Indigenous students. The book is an eye-opening call for community healing and a profound coming-of-age story.

Even if it hurts to leave behind his friends and family in Navajo, New Mexico—especially his great-grandmother, Mildred—Derrick knows his scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sagefield Academy is totally different from life on the rez: His new classmates vacation in Europe and take study drugs. Derrick wants to stick to caffeine, but handling sports, school, and a twenty-page term paper, all while dodging comments about his hair and heritage, feels straight-up impossible.

Back home, Másání Mildred’s health is fading quickly. On the phone, she begs Derrick to leave Sagefield. When he realizes her fear comes from her time in federal Native boarding schools, he knows he’s finally found the term paper theme he believes in: carrying her voice into the future.

Derrick will need to shatter a steadfast generational silence to untangle his great-grandmother’s memories--though her story might change him, and his family, forever.

To order: https://www.goodminds.com/collections/fiction-for-all-ages/products/shards-of-silence-hc

05/22/2026

New Release - Truly Tribal : Contemporary Indigenous Tattooing (HC).

Dion Kaszas is a Nlaka'pamux ancestral skin marker and born-again Coyote. He has been at the forefront of Indigenous tattooing in Canada since 2012. Within this role, he trains and mentors the next wave of revivalists. He has curated two major exhibitions highlighting Indigenous ancestral skin markers and their ancestral practices, including Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest, at the Bill Reid Gallery, and True Tribal: Contemporary Expressions of Ancestral Tattoo Practices, at the Museum of Vancouver. In 2024, he launched the Transformative Marks podcast, which journeys through the world of Indigenous tattooing, amplifying the voices of ancestral skin markers, Indigenous tattoo artists, and cultural tattoo practitioners. In 2019, he began developing Nlaka'pamux Blackwork, a contemporary customary practice rooted in his ancestors' visual language and his understanding of ceremonies that celebrate and enhance the lives of all human beings. Dion's ancestors marked their skin for a multitude of reasons, each a spiritual act intended to guide and influence the wearer's life path. These reasons included coming-of-age ceremonies, marking spiritual quests, and beautifying themselves. Today, he tattoos so the coming generations have a living, vibrant tattooing tradition informed by their ancestors' teachings, methods, and imagery.

After generations of colonial suppression, Indigenous tattooing practices have experienced a resurgence led by artists and informed by community stories, protocols, and Elders. In Truly Tribal, eighteen Indigenous ancestral skin markers from Nations and cultures around the world come together to discuss their reclamation of tattoos as tangible reminders of their communities’ enduring rights, relationships, and responsibilities.
Alongside over 250 stunning photos of their work, practitioners within this anthology discuss restoring a tradition that has survived colonial erasure, including the revival of ancestral tattoo designs, symbols, and motifs; the re-envisioning of meaning and protocols; and the refashioning of ancestral application methods, such as the use of bone tools and pigments alongside contemporary tools and inks. Their expert academic analysis and heartfelt storytelling respond with authenticity to a global awakening of cultural mark-making practices, offering teachings that can be shared while acknowledging that some ancestral inheritances are not for public consumption. This beautiful anthology embodies the phrase, “about us, from us, for us.”
With contributions from: Missy Dunn-Mahan, Julia Mageʼau Gray, Donita Vatuinaruku Hulme, Dion Kaszas, Yasbelle Kerkow, Terje Koloamatangi, Mel Lefebvre, Nolan Malbeuf, Jerrid Lee Miller, Jacqueline Merritt, Sheri Osden Nault, Julie Paama-Pengelly, Natalia Roxas, Nathalie Standingcloud, Gordon Sparks, Anne Spice, Dulcie Stewart, and Nahaan.

To order: https://www.goodminds.com/collections/non-fiction-for-all-ages/products/truly-tribal-contemporary-indigenous-tattooing-hc

05/19/2026

New Release - Woolly Dog Warms His Family (HC). Coast Salish Tales 4.

Andrea Fritz is a Coast Salish artist and storyteller from the Lyackson First Nation of the Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking Peoples on the west coast of Canada. She studied West Coast Native art with Victor Newman, a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw master artist. Andrea strives to express her People’s history and all our futures using her art. She focuses on animals and places of the West Coast and our intricate relationships with them. Andrea works in the mediums of acrylic on canvas and wood, serigraph, vector art and murals. She has had numerous gallery shows and participates in community-based art pieces. She is the author and illustrator of the Coast Salish Tales series. Andrea lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Indigenous artist and storyteller Andrea Fritz tells the tale of a Salish woolly dog who goes on an adventure over land and sea to gather natural fibers to keep his human family warm.

Sqwiqwmi’ the young Salish woolly dog has a nice warm coat, and he wants to help protect his people from the cold and wet West Coast winters too. He sets out to pick the cozy fluff that grows on the nearby fireweed, but the plants are bare this time of year. Guided by a friendly shrew and a wise eagle, Sqwiqwmi’ journeys across the Salish Sea and into high mountains, collecting goat's wool and nettle stalks—and even some of his own fur!—that his family will spin and weave into beautiful, warm blankets.

In this original story set in Coast Salish Traditional Territory, author and artist Andrea Fritz uses Indigenous storytelling techniques and art to share the culture and language of the Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking Peoples. This book contains 12 Colour illustrations. Audience: Ages 3-5.

https://www.goodminds.com/products/woolly-dog-warms-his-family-hc-coast-salish-tales-4

05/19/2026

Featured Book - Kitcikisik (Great Sky): Tellings That Fill the Night Sky.

Pawaminikititicikiw, Wilfred Buck, is an Ininew/Cree, Knowledge and Dream Keeper of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation of Northern Manitoba. He is the author of Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star stories, and I Have Lived Four Lives, a memoir. Kitcikisik (Great Sky): Tellings That Fill the Night Sky features Indigenous Star Knowledge and is the second edition of Tipiskawi Kisik.

The stars of the Big Dipper are the focus of Kitcikisik (Great Sky) Tellings That Fill the Night Sky. In this book we hear of Mista Muskwa (Great Bear), Mikisiw Mikwun Atik (Eagle Staff), Mistatim (Horse) and Ocik (Fisher). Cree and Cree syllabics, images, diagrams, constellation maps, original artwork are included in Kitcikisik.

https://www.goodminds.com/products/kitcikisik-great-sky-tellings-that-fill-the-night-sky

05/19/2026

Featured Book - Spirit Shadow (HC).
Written by Ginger Reno is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, her desire to learn about Cherokee history and culture has naturally spilled over into her writing. Illustrated by Mary Lupton a citizen of the Cherokee Nation from Oklahoma City.

An Indigenous child discovers her heritage in this story about the power of our ancestors and the way they guide and shapes us, even when we don’t know it yet.

Willa has always had two shadows. One at her feet and another that’s been quietly beside her since the night of her birth. Always just out of reach.

Until Mom and Willa take a trip to Diligwa, a replica of an ancient Cherokee village. And it’s here among wattle and daub houses and brown hands crafting, Willa realizes that Spirit is her ancestors, beckoning her to claim her Cherokee heritage. For Willa to join a Nation over 400,000 strong.

Beautifully told, Spirit Shadow is a powerful tale about reclaiming culture and finding your way home. Lovingly illustrated by debut illustrator Mary Lupton, each spread is a feast for the eyes. Filled with nods to Cherokee beadwork and weaving as well as Cherokee syllabary, Willa’s story is suffused with love and tenderness. The book ends with a moving conclusion for children everywhere to embrace their own ancestors. Back matter includes a note about Diligwa and the Cherokee Nation. Audience: Ages 4-8.

To see inside:https://www.goodminds.com/products/spirit-shadow-hc

05/18/2026

05/16/2026

Discover exciting new reads and rising Indigenous authors in an evening with local Indigenous bookstore, GoodMinds. Throughout the evening, we'll discuss a curated collection of contemporary voices and powerful classics. You're sure to leave with plenty of book recommendations for your summer reading.

Come browse, sample and celebrate Indigenous literature in this welcoming space for all readers.

📅 Wednesday, May 20, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
📍Onondaga Community Hall
♦️ Teens & Adults
🆓 FREE offsite event
🔗Register today! https://ow.ly/befK50Z0q2U

05/16/2026

New Release - Stories Are the Heart of the World (HC).

Award-winning author Laurel Goodluck who was raised in the San Francisco Bay comes from an intertribal background; is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation; and is an Alaskan Native Citizen of the Tsimshian Tribe. She writes picture books with modern themes that reflect Native children’s cultural experiences and everyday life, showing they have a unique and powerful perspective. Her books include Forever Cousins, Rock Your Mocs, She Persisted: Deb Haaland, Too Much, Yáadilá!: Good Grief!, and Fierce Aunties!.

Nicole Neidhardt is a Diné (Navajo) multi-disciplinary artist and award-winning illustrator. Nicole’s Diné identity is the heart of her practice, and she is continually dreaming for Indigenous futures. Nicole holds an MFA from OCAD University in Toronto and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has illustrated the books Circle of Love, What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me: Deb Haaland’s Historic Inauguration, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, and Stories Are the Heart of the World.

When we begin our lives, stories help us understand who we are.

Drawing on tribal Nations’ traditions including Mandan-Hidatsa and Navajo/Diné, this lyrical picture book carries us through the milestones of a beloved child’s life, from birth and their first laugh to entering young adulthood and understanding their place in the community and the world.

Each ceremony that marks a special moment comes with a story—and each story reminds us of the beauty and responsibility to the land we call home, the powerful ancestors who came before us, and the amazing people we can grow up to be.

Indigenous author-illustrator duo, the award-winning Laurel Goodluck and rising star Nicole Neidhardt have gorgeously captured the rituals and stories that shape our lives. Audience: Ages 4-8.

To see inside:
https://www.goodminds.com/products/stories-are-the-heart-of-the-world-hc

05/16/2026

Featured Book - Wisdom Weavers : Explore the Ojibwe Language and the Meaning of Dream Catchers.
Author James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw is a descendant of Turtle Mountain. Illustrated by Marcus Trujillo, a tribal member with the Pueblo of Laguna in affiliation with the Village of Paraje.

Follow a day in the life of a young, mixed heritage Ojibwe child and learn key words and phrases from the Ojibwe language in this enchantingly illustrated children's book.

In Ojibwe culture, a dream catcher (izhi'on) protects people, especially children, from harm by catching bad dreams in its web and allowing good dreams to pass through the feathers hanging at the bottom. Wisdom Weavers introduces children to the Ojibwe language from an Indigenous perspective.

International speaker, author, and creator of Ojibwe Word of the Day, James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw, presents a selection of words and phrases throughout the day while his son learns about the Ojibwe tradition of the dream catcher.

This inspiring story features a total of 73 words and phrases to learn in Ojibwe, introduced throughout the visually captivating and representative scenes showing an average day in an Ojibwe family from illustrator Marcus Trujillo.

Created with children ages 6 to 11 (beginner- to mid-level readers) in mind, Wisdom Weavers is an engaging and accessible way for children to discover the Ojibwe language and learn key phrases and words like:
How to welcome the morning - Mino-giizhigad
How to say I love you - Gizhawenimin
How to be grateful - Miigwech
How to make an offering - Biindaakoojige
School - Gikinoo’amaadiiwigamig
Tree - Mitig
Backpack -Bimiwanaan
Sun - Giizis
And more!

Also featuring a brief history of the Ojibwe people and language and a culturally accurate how-to guide for making a dream catcher at home, Wisdom Weavers immerses young people in a vibrant traditional culture while helping to keep the Ojibwe language and customs alive. Audience: Ages 6-11.

https://www.goodminds.com/products/wisdom-weavers-explore-the-ojibwe-language-and-the-meaning-of-dream-catchers

05/16/2026

Every year National Indigenous Peoples Day is recognized on June 21st. Celebrate with must-have Indigenous books from GoodMinds.com.

Featuring our Nuttah and Kitchi series, written by Indigenous author and educator Sandra Samatte, Ojibwe - Saulteaux - from Skownan First Nation Treaty 2 Territory, and illustrated by Julian Grafenauer, Ojibwe from Rolling River First Nation.

Come celebrate and explore with Nuttah and Kitchi on June 21st, the first day of summer as they experience all the exciting fun-filled activities and events that take place on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

A new companion activity book is now available! Nuttah & Kitchi National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration Activity Book: Indigenous Teachings and Fun Activities for Everyone!

Learn more about National Indigenous Peoples Day and the upcoming National Truth and Reconciliation Day Sept 30, with these beautifully illustrated activity books for children.

Please visit our online catalogue to order: https://www.goodminds.com/collections/indigenous-education-press