By WB Senior Intern Megan Aune
This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we wanted to highlight a few Indigenous creatives enriching the contemporary literary landscape. Read up on these authors and illustrators below, and be sure to check out their works!
Michaela Goade
Michaela Goade is an award-winning author and illustrator whose work focuses on Indigenous kidlit. She was raised in traditional Tlingit land and now lives in Sheet’ká, Alaska. She is an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes. Some of her recent books include Being Home by Traci Sorell, Remember by Joy Harjo, and Berry Song.
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Award-winning author and friend of the Writing Barn Cynthia Leitich Smith is winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. She is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas, where she has 20 books on shelves. Some of these include Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, Holler Loudly (illustrated by Barry Gott), and Jingle Dancer.
Traci Sorell
Traci Sorell lives in the Cherokee Nation, as she did growing up. She is an acclaimed poet and author, and has published over a dozen middle-grade books, picture books, and books in Spanish, which include Powwow Day (illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight), We Are Grateful: Ostaliheliga (illustrated by Frané Lessac), and Wilma Mankiller.
Kevin Noble Maillard
In addition to being an acclaimed children’s author, Kevin Maillard is also a Professor of Law at Syracuse University and a regular contributor to the New York Times. He is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, and his book, Fry Bread, was the winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal in 2020. Keep an eye out for his two new books coming out over the next couple of years!
Carole Lindstrom
Carole Lindstrom is Anishinaabe/Metis and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. She is a NYT bestselling and award-winning author of We Are Water Protectors (illustrated by Michaela Goade), My Powerful Hair (illustrated by Steph Littlebird), and Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior (illustrated by Bridget George).
Brenda Child
An award-winning author and Professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Brenda Child has written several books on American Indian history as well as her children’s book, Bowwow Powwow (illustrated by Jonathan Thunder). She was born on the Red Lake Ojibwe Reservation in northern Minnesota.
About the Author
Megan Aune is a recent University of Texas graduate with a BA in English and a certificate in Creative Writing. She currently works as a writing consultant at UT’s Writing Center. She loves working with stories and the writers who create them, and is looking forward to taking that passion into the publishing industry. In her spare time, Megan can be found reading (a lot), biking, baking, and exploring Austin’s coffee shops.