If there’s one thing that we love to talk about on the Books are Good Medicine podcast, it’s a good book! In today’s special episode, we welcome Minnesota State Senator Mary Kunesh, a descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. As a former library media specialist for nearly 20 years, she has a lot of experience reading and selecting books for different grade levels. Senator Kunesh joins us to share a list of great Native books she enjoys, wants to read or recommends for school-aged children.

Local Native authors Art Coulson (Cherokee) and Nicholas DeShaw (Bois Forte Ojibwe) sit down with Allison to talk about their children’s books. Art is the author of 20 books, graphic novels and plays, and Nicholas has written fiction for all ages, from sci-fi to picture books. They are also passionate about Indigenous lacrosse, a topic they each have covered in their writing. In this episode, Art and Nicholas discuss the importance of Native representation in children’s literature, the value of graphic novels, lacrosse, tips for aspiring writers and illustrators, and more.

Books for middle schoolers often center on themes of adventure and friendship, while students in these grades are also developing problem-solving skills and discussing more complex topics in social studies and English language arts. In this episode, Allison and Odia share their picks for the top Native American books that every middle school library should have.

The top Native American books for elementary schools were covered in a previous episode. Stay tuned for another episode on book recommendations for high schools!

The Indigenous Peoples Task Force strengthens the wellness of Native communities in Minnesota using methods that are based in Indigenous values and ways of knowing. One important way they do this is by returning to first medicines and connecting people to Indigenous healing traditions that have been passed down through generations. In this episode, Odia and Allison sit down with Suzanne Nash (Bois Forte Ojibwe) and Nathan Berglund (Oglala Lakota, Northern Cheyenne) to talk about honoring tobacco as a sacred plant, the importance of smudging ceremonies and more.

Love is often deeply intertwined in Native American cultures with a sense of community, connection to family, respect for nature and kinship with all living things. Often expressed through caring for one another and the earth, love takes many forms. In this episode, Allison and Odia reflect on how themes of love are reflected in Native books and share some of their top recommended reads.

For many Native American tribes, winter is a season of storytelling and traditional stories are reserved for these colder months. Winter provides a time for rest and reflection when elders can share oral narratives with younger generations. For the Ojibwe people, traditionally snow must be on the ground to begin telling sacred stories. In this episode, Allison and Odia discuss the significance of winter stories and share some of their favorite winter books.

The representation of Native Americans in media has historically often been inaccurate and inadequate, but recent years have seen an increase in Native voices and topics reflected in journalism. Media can be a powerful way to teach students and provide real-world examples for learning. How do you do it effectively?

In this episode, Allison sits down with journalism leader Shirley Sneve (Ponca Tribe) to discuss using news coverage as a resource in the classroom. Shirley is the vice president of broadcasting with ICT News (formerly Indian Country Today) and senior producer with IndiJ Public Media

In this special bonus episode, Allison catches up with her colleagues at the 2024 International Conference of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums to hear what books by Native authors or about Native topics they recommend, and what titles they are hoping to read soon. They also share their advice for educators who want to better represent Native culture and issues in the classroom.

Odia and Allison sit down with Ojibwe writer and Minneapolis poet laureate Heid E. Erdrich. Heid is the city’s first-ever poet laureate, has written several books and taught writing for many years. She is the author of seven collections of poetry, the most recent of which is “Little Big Bully.” Heid has also curated exhibits, produced short films and installations, and spoken at many events. In this episode, she shares highlights about her work, what being a poet laureate means and her brand-new book “Verb Animate.”

Chris La Tray is a Métis storyteller, a descendent of the Pembina Band of the mighty Red River of the North and an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. He is also a Montana poet laureate. His latest book, “Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home,” was published by Milkweed Editions in August 2024. In this episode, Odia visits Chris at Open Book in Minneapolis, where they talk about his life, family, writings and journey to learn about his Native heritage.

 “Looking For Smoke” is a young adult thriller that casts a light on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis and its impact on the lives of those affected by it. This is a serious issue in both the U.S. and Canada, where Native women are the victims of violent crime far more often than women of any other group. In this episode, Allison and Odia talk with author K.A. Cobell (Blackfeet Nation) about her debut novel, its complex characters and the importance of bringing ongoing awareness to the MMIW crisis. 

Content warning: This book contains violence and other mature content.

Ribbon skirts are unique and handmade, holding significant historical and traditional meaning for Indigenous women. These skirts are worn by Native women in many settings, including traditional ceremonies and other special events. In this episode, Allison and Odia talk with educator and seamstress Rachel King (Red Lake Nation) about the meaning and significance of ribbon skirts and how they play an important role in contemporary Indigenous expression.

The objects in the “We Move and We Stay” exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota tell of generations of Dakota and Ojibwe people who have made their home in this place now called Minnesota. In this Field Trip Spotlight episode, Pejuta Ḣaka Wiŋ Red Eagle, an anthropology fellow at the Science Museum, provides an overview of the exhibit and talks about field trip programming.

Nashke Native Games creates board games, card games, and puzzles that are fun and engaging while giving players insight into Ojibwe language and culture. In this episode, Allison and Odia visit with founder Tony Drews about the company and his ideas for how educators can bring educational gameplay into the classroom.

Travis Zimmerman is the site manager at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post and recently released his first children’s book, “How the Birds Got Their Songs.” In this episode, Allison and Odia talk with Travis about this traditional story – which is told in both English and Ojibwe – and other ways to explore Ojibwe history and culture.

“Gardening is a ceremony,” says author Teresa Peterson in her new book, “Perennial Ceremony.” Through prose, poetry, illustrations and recipes, Teresa takes readers through the four Dakota seasons and shares the healing, reclamation and wholeness that connection with the Earth can bring. In this episode, Teresa welcomes Odia Wood-Krueger and special guest host Rebecca Crooks-Stratton to her home to talk about the book, share how it can be brought into the classroom and tour her garden.

Indigenous Peoples' Day – recognized on the second Monday in October – is a day to honor Native American people, their histories and their cultures. In this episode, Odia and Allison interview professor and author Katrina Phillips on how this holiday can be celebrated in all sorts of ways in the classroom.

In this episode, we welcome a power couple in the Native publishing space: Thomas (Tom) Peacock and Elizabeth (Betsy) Albert-Peacock. Tom and Betsy are educators, academics, authors and publishers focused on uplifting Native stories. They also both have new books out that are appropriate for students: Tom’s novel, set at a Native boarding school, is called “In Whispers: Simon and Carolina,” and Betsy’s picture book about an Ojibwe bear cub and its mother is called “Makoons.”

Allison and Odia interview Tom and Betsy about their new books, backgrounds in writing and education, and tips for how educators can select the best books on Native experiences for the classroom.

What if a school’s mascot is seen as insensitive or even racist by some, but not by everyone? In this episode, Odia interviews best-selling author and Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell about her compelling middle-grade novel “Mascots,” in which she tackles the hot-button issue of using Native American mascots in schools with fellow BIPOC author, Charles Waters. Traci also shares more about her other inclusive, award-winning fiction and nonfiction books for young people and resources for using them in the classroom.

James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw is a renowned speaker, digital creator and advocate for Native language and culture. He has written two books: “The Seven Generations and The Seven Grandfather Teachings,” about Indigenous wisdom, and his forthcoming children’s book, “Wisdom Weavers: Explore the Ojibwe Language and the Meaning of Dream Catchers.” In this episode, Odia and Allison sit down with James to discuss his work and opportunities for teachers to bring his books into the classroom, plus his thoughts on living a life of “mino-bimaadiziwin,” or the good life.