November marks Native American Heritage Month. In Rhode Island, we are on the homelands of the Narragansett, Pequot, Eastern Nahantick, Manissean and Wampanoag Nations. The story of local Indigenous Peoples belongs to those nations. In Rhode Island, please use the following resources to learn about the history, homelands and modern day stories of these peoples:

Please visit the website for the Narragansett here. From their website: “The Narragansett Indians are descendants of the aboriginal people of the State of Rhode Island. Archaeological evidence and oral history of the Narragansett People establish their existence in the region more than 30,000 years ago.”

Please visit the website of the Tomaquag Museum. From their website: “Rhode Island’s Only Indigenous Museum Dedicated To Sharing Our Culture, Arts and History From A First Person Perspective.  Tomaquag Museum Features An Extensive Collection and Archive That Focuses On Tribal Communities of Southern New England.”

For a comprehensive list of books for early readers, to middle grades, please visit the Seattle Library’s comprehensive booklist, including titles seen below: “Books for children and teens by Native American and First Nations authors and illustrators. Many are recommended by the either the American Indian Youth Literature Award, children’s author Cynthia Leitich Smith, or American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL). The list is ordered: picture books, middle grade chapter books, teen fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction.”