Celebrate Indigenous Voices Through Story, Food, and Culture
Immerse yourself in Indigenous storytelling and culinary tradition with books and recipes that honor heritage, belonging, and the strength of community.
Celebrate Indigenous voices through stories and flavors that honor heritage, identity, and resilience. These books explore coming-of-age journeys, cultural reclamation, and the enduring bonds of family and community. From heartfelt novels to evocative memoirs, each work offers insight into the diverse experiences of Indigenous peoples today. Complementing these narratives are recipes and drinks inspired by the lands, traditions, and flavors of Native cultures, creating a fully immersive reading and tasting experience.
To the Moon and Back (Reese's Book Club)
by Eliana Ramage
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK: "A breathtaking debut about family, identity, and love across generations." --REESE WITHERSPOON
"Eliana Ramage will break your heart and take you to the stars. From painfully accurate depictions of adolescence to effortless jumps through time and space--I loved it all." --KILEY REID
In this dazzlingly powerful story of family, ambition and belonging, one young woman's obsessive quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut irrevocably alters the fates of the people she loves most.
Steph Harper is on the run. She has been all her life, ever since her mother drove five-year-old Steph and her younger sister through the night to Cherokee Nation, a place they had never been, but where she hoped they might finally belong. In response to the turmoil, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA, and ultimately, to go to the moon.
Spanning three decades and several continents, To the Moon and Back encompasses Steph's turbulent journey, along with the multifaceted and intertwined lives of the three women closest to her: her sister Kayla, an artist who goes on to become an Indigenous social media influencer, and whose determination to appear good takes her life to unexpected places; Steph's college girlfriend Della Owens, who strives to reclaim her identity as an adult after being removed from her Cherokee family through a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act; and Hannah, Steph and Kayla's mother, who has held up her family's tribal history as a beacon of inspiration to her children, all the while keeping her own past a secret.
In Steph's certainty that only her ambition can save her, she will stretch her bonds with each of these women to the point of breaking, at once betraying their love and generosity, and forcing them to reconsider their own deepest desires in her shadow. Told through an intricately woven tapestry of narrative, To the Moon and Back is an astounding and expansive novel of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice, alienation and heartbreak, terror and wonder. At its core, it is the story of the extraordinary lengths to which one woman will go to find space for herself.
Discussion Questions for To the Moon and Back
1. The four women in this story all come from different backgrounds and face different journeys. How did the different perspectives help you understand the characters' struggles?
2. What lessons did Steph learn by the end of the novel? What will you take away from your reading the novel?
To the Moon and Back Food Pairing
Food is what connects us to our history, culture, and land. This is true all around the world, and it is true for the indigenous peoples of north america. However, these foodways aren’t taught to fancy chefs in culinary school, even those of indigenous heritage. This part cookbook, part essay collection seeks to change that and help all of those living in North America better connect with the natural world.
Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America
by Sean Sherman - Kate Nelson - Kristin Donnelly
Uncover the stories behind the foods that have linked the natural environments, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples across North America for millennia through more than 100 ancestral and modern recipes from three-time James Beard Award-winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman.
"I've been completely seduced by Sean Sherman's new book. This is so much more than enticing recipes and gorgeous photos."--Robin Wall Kimmerer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry
"A collection of the stories that tell deeper truths about our country and the people who have always been here."--José Andrés, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen
Growing up on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman understood that his people's food was rich in flavor, heritage, and connection to the land. It was in the midst of a successful restaurant career mainly cooking European cuisines that he realized the lack of understanding about Native American foodways--a revelation that sent him on a journey to learn more about how Indigenous communities have preserved and evolved their cuisines through the centuries. Now a leading figure in the Indigenous food movement, he shares in Turtle Island the unique and diverse Native foodways of North America through both traditional and modern recipes made with ingredients that have nourished Indigenous peoples physically, spiritually, and culturally for generations.
Organized by region, this book delves into the rich culinary landscapes of Turtle Island--as many Indigenous cultures call this continent. Learn to eat with the seasons, consume meat and fish nose-to-tail, focus on plant-forward dishes, and discover how to better feed yourself. Alongside delicious recipes like Smoked Bison Ribeye, Wild-Rice Crusted Walleye Cakes, Charred Rainbow Trout with Grilled Ramps, Sweet Potato Soup with Dried Venison and Chile Oil, Sunflower Seed "Risotto," and Sweet Corn Pudding with Woodland Berry Sauce (and so much more), you'll see the inspiring Indigenous food scene through Sean's eyes.
Exemplifying how Native foodways can teach us all to connect with the natural world around us, Turtle Island features rich narrative histories and spotlights the communities producing, gathering, and cooking these foods, including remarkable stories of ingenuity and adaptation that capture the resilience of Indigenous communities.
Three Sisters Soup
This hearty soup utilizes the key indigenous companion crops; corn, beans, and squash. Not only do these three plants grow better when planted together, they were also staples for many indigenous dishes in the Americas.
Ingredients
● 3 Tbsp butter
● 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
● 1 cup diced onion
● 1 clove garlic, minced
● 1 butternut or acorn squash, pre-baked and pureed
● 1 tsp curry powder
● ½ tsp salt
● ½ cup yellow corn kernels
● ¼ tsp ground coriander
● ½ cup hominy, cooked
● 1 cup white beans, cooked
● ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 to 5 minutes until tender
3. Stir in spices and cook for 1 minute
4. Add stock, corn, hominy, and beans, bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes
6. Stir in pureed squash and cook for five minutes until heated through
7. Serve warm with chives and plain yogurt as garnish
To the Moon and Back Drink Pairing
Maize Cacao Elixir Cocktail
This experimental cocktail is featured as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Indigenous Voice of the Americas recipes. It mixes two flavors that don’t always go together - maize and cacao.
Ingredients
● 2 ounces corn-infused tequila
● 1 ounce lime juice
● 0.6 ounces of cacao powder
● 1 cup water
● ½ cup sugar
● Dash of chili powder or small slice of fresh chili, to taste
● Agave syrup to taste
● Ice
● Lime wheel
● Toasted ground maize (optional)
● Cacao nibs
Instructions
Corn-Infused Tequila
1. Soak ½ roasted corn kernels in 8 ounces of tequila overnight, then strain and store.
Cacao Syrup
2. Combine cacao powder with water and sugar in a small saucepan.
3. Simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mix is combined.
4. Strain through a fine mesh to remove lumps.
Cocktail
5. Combine the corn-infused tequila, lime juice, and desired amount of cacao syrup - 1 ounce to start - chili powder or fresh chili, and agave syrup.
6. Add ice to shaker and shake until combined.
7. Strain into glass over ice and garnish with a lime wheel, a sprinkle of toasted ground maize (opt), and a cacao nib.
To the Moon and Back Non-Alcoholic Drink Pairing
Grilled Watermelon Faux-jito
Also featured as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Indigenous Voice of the Americas recipes, this non-alcoholic mojito is both tart and sweet.
Ingredients
● 3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
● ¼ cup lime juice
● 2 Tbsp smoked salt
● 2 Tbsp ground sumac
● Fresh Mint
● 2 cups club soda
Instructions
1. Combine cubed watermelon and lime juice in a blender. Blend until smooth and strain the watermelon and lime mixture using a sieve until you only have juice.
2. In a bowl, mix smoked salt and sumac until evenly distributed. Prepare 4 rocks glasses by wetting the rim with lime juice and dipping the glass in the mixture.
3. Place 5 mint leaves at the bottom of each glass and use a muddler to release the flavor.
4. Fill cups with ice and pour halfway full with watermelon juice.
5. Top up with club soda and stir gently with a spoon.
Nothing More of This Land: Reclaiming Indigenous Identity
Identity and cultural connection are key themes in Ramage’s novel. It is a common challenge for indigenous people all around the world, and also a challenge for her characters. Joseph Lee’s book takes a closer look at what it means to reclaim traditions, culture, and land in modern times.
Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity
by Joseph Lee
From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing Indigenous people around the world.
Before Martha's Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, journalist Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee weaves his own story and that of his family into a panoramic narrative of Indigenous life around the world. He takes us from the beaches of Martha's Vineyard to the icy Alaskan tundra, the smoky forests of Northern California to the halls of the United Nations, and beyond. Along the way he meets activists fighting to protect their land, families clashing with their own tribal leaders, and communities working to reclaim tradition.
Together, these stories reject stereotypes to show the diversity of Indigenous people today and chart a way past the stubborn legacy of colonialism.
Understanding Oneself
The women in Ramage’s novel are all on a journey of self-discovery, a coming-of-age story featuring women in various stages of their lives and the importance of understanding themselves. In this second memoir by poet Joy Harjo, she speaks directly to other indigenous women and girls who choose to tell their own coming-of-age story, just as she has through her writing..
Girl Warrior: On Coming of Age
by Joy Harjo
"To know ourselves is the most profound and difficult endeavor. Though we are all made of the same questions, we have individual routes to the answers, or to reframing the questions. Why is there evil in the world? Why do people suffer, and some more than others? Why are we here? What are we doing here? What happens after death? Does anything mean anything at all? Who am I and what does it matter?" writes Joy Harjo, renowned poet and activist, in this profound work about the struggles, challenges, and joys of coming of age.
In her best-selling memoir Poet Warrior, Harjo led readers through her lifelong process of artistic evolution. In Girl Warrior, she speaks directly to Native girls and women, sharing stories about her own coming of age to bring renewed attention to the pivotal moments of becoming including forgiveness, failure, falling, rising up, and honoring our vast family of beings.
Informed by her own experiences and those of her ancestors, Harjo offers inspiration and insight for navigating the many challenges of maturation. She grapples with parents, friendships, love, and loss. She guides young readers toward painting, poetry, and music as powerful tools for developing their own ethical sensibility. As Harjo demonstrates, the act of making is an essential part of who we are, a means of inviting the past into the present and a critical tool young women can use to shape a more just future. Lyrical and compassionate, Harjo's call for creativity and empathy is an urgent and necessary work.
These stories and recipes remind us that culture lives in both word and flavor
Each page and bite celebrates the strength, beauty, and continuity of Indigenous traditions—where storytelling feeds the spirit as much as food sustains the body. Whether you’re exploring identity through Joy Harjo’s lyrical wisdom or savoring the warmth of Three Sisters Soup, every experience invites you to connect more deeply with the land, history, and voices that shape it. Let these works inspire reflection, respect, and renewed appreciation for the stories that continue to guide us home.