Growing Up Native Americ: Twenty-Two Indigenous Writers on Oppression, Survival, and Reclaiming Heritage

Stories of oppression and survival, of heritage denied and reclaimed -- twenty-two American writers recall childhood in their native land.

What does it mean to grow up Native American?

• Indian Boarding School Experiences: From military-style schools described as “jails” to punishments for speaking native languages, these narratives reveal the trauma and resilience of a generation.
• Cultural Survival: Discover how heritage is passed down through storytelling, ceremony, and kinship, preserving a way of life against all odds.
• Diverse Indigenous Voices: Listen to twenty-two distinct writers—including Simon Ortiz, Louise Erdrich, and Leslie Marmon Silko—from nations across the U.S. and Canada, from the 19th century to the modern day.
• Heritage and Identity: Explore the profound and often painful journey of growing up with a heritage denied by society but reclaimed through memory, family, and connection to the land.

Bill Adler is the editor of four New York Times bestselling books, including The Kennedy Wit, and is also the president of Bill Adler Books, Inc., a New York literary agency whose clients have included Mike Wallace, Dan Rather, President George W. Bush, Bob Dole, Larry King, and Nancy Reagan.