I recently finished The Art Thieves by Andrea L. Rogers for my book club “Good Day To Read Indigenous” (Fantastic read. Without a doubt will make my top ten this year.  Full review coming soon.) In the book, a Cherokee artist is asked why his tribe isn’t listed on the museum label and in response he asks, “Am I only a good artist if I’m Indian?”

It made me recall a Twitter conversation some time back, started by Morgan Talty, author of Fire Exit.  Talty asked what is Indigenous literature and why don’t we have white literature? Well, the short and easy answer to that is - white supremacy. The question of who do these labels serve now, well, that’s a bit more complicated and is dependent on when and why they are used.

 I’ve frequented some bookstores that have Native American sections (oddly enough with mostly history books written by non- Native people). I’ve seen multiple Barnes and Nobles stores with Black shelves (usually shelf) with a variety of books in different genres. Were copies of these books also placed on the genre specific shelves? Does it hurt the authors to have their books separated by race or does it make it easier for the target audience to find the book? And who is the target audience? Author of the first Indigenous rom-com, The Truth According to Ember,  in response to Talty, tweeted wondering if her romance book was going to be in Native sections of the store or next to all of the contemporary big name romances.

While I find the ideas of shelving books in bookstores by identity potentially harmful, as a Native reader and book content creator, I feel the markers necessary for marketing and simply, to know whether or not I want to pick up a book. I am interested in reading (and publishing) Indigenous books.

WHAT is an Indigenous book?

I think oftentimes people believe that Indigenous people are a monolith. Even within tribes we have unique histories and perspectives. (I know it's a crazy concept, but we even have different opinions! 5 different Indigenous folks could read this post and have 5 very different opinions!)

“There was no one way to be an Indian”

I want to read rez stories. I want to read urban stories. I want the reconnecting stories. I’d even take a pursposefully disconnected learning a lesson story. I want the horrors. I want the joys. I want the cozy (MYSTERY, FANTASY, all OF IT). I want stories that represent us. All of us.

Is an Indigenous book a book written by an Indigenous author or a book with Indigenous characters.

You’ve heard me talk of that horror book (Stolen Tongues) written by a racist white dude that includes Native characters.  I’ve had to correct people multiple times. Despite having Native characters, this is definitely not an Indigenous book.

An Indigenous book is a book WRITTEN by an Indigenous author WITH Indigenous characters.

So then, is a book Indigenous if none of the characters are Indigenous? In my opinion, NO. The author is surely still Indigenous, that didn’t change. But I wouldn’t categorize the book as Indigenous with the lack of any Indigenous characters. I have a lot of feelings about this, but in the interest of space and time, the one I will share today is: if you have talent, time and the privilege of being able to secure an agent and publish, why would you center ambiguous or white people? That is an active choice that I cannot understand. It’s a waste. We have so few opportunities and so little representation.

Speaking of so little opportunities, IS THAT AUTHOR REALLY Indigenous?

Yesterday I was tagged in a post questioning an author’s identity. It wasn’t the first time and, unfortunately,  won’t be the last. I get privately messaged on a fairly regular basis.

White authors faking their identity is not new. Frankly, I think they’d be foolish to think they’d get any sort of leg up in publishing pretending to be in a marginalized group (we know where marketing spends the money) and yet do they persist. Hi, Freydis Moon.

Coming off the heels of the most recent scandal with SMP, it’s easy to get swept up in the drama of it all.

And yet:

1.        I do not like it when non-Indigenous (including non Indigenous BIPOC) question Indigenous identity. Believe me when I tell you that you are not culturally competent enough for the conversation. Treating it like gossip, tea or a report on the latest book industry news is harmful. If you cannot answer the question, “Who gets to decide whether or not someone is Indigenous or Who has the AUTHORITY to decide whether or not someone is Indigenous”, it is not a conversation for you. You haven’t the slightest clue how to determine the credibility or ethics of the source. The questioning itself is harmful.

2.        I am not authority on anyone’s identity but my own. (And neither is anyone else for that matter.) You should not tag me in posts that question anyone’s identity. It serves no purpose. Thinking one Native influencer would somehow be able to serve up a stamp of approval is concerning. I will block you if you tag me.

This community and imprint are dedicated to uplifting Indigenous stories, which are diverse and plentiful. Historically, colonizers have told our stories and publishers have only been interested in hearing our traumas. Indigenous led imprints ensure that our stories are handled with us in mind, with authenticity, with care, with respect.

We deserve to be able to go into any bookstore and have multiple choices of books to read in our preferred genre by people who share our lived experiences.

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      I promise The Art Thieves review is coming soon.

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