Braiding Heritage & Identity: An Indigiqueer Booklist
For generations, Indigenous storytelling has served as a home for preserving ancestral knowledge while leaving room for future generations to expand and evolve. While terms like Two-Spirit hold distinct cultural significance across communities, “Indigiqueer” brings its own unique energy to the cultural landscape. First coined by TJ Cuthand (Plains Cree) in 2004, the term proudly weaves together Indigenous heritage and queer identity. As Cuthand shared, “I liked the idea of Indigiqueer. Because Queer is kind of a confrontational label, it’s one of those old reclamations that makes people uncomfortable… so putting the two together makes this word I really liked.” It serves as a powerful declaration for creators and characters alike to celebrate their fluidity and ancestry.
Our curated Indigiqueer booklist celebrates the intersection between these two essential identities. From magical fantasy realms to deeply relatable contemporary tales, these pages are filled with joy, resilience, and complex beauty.
Additional Resources
To learn more about Indigiqueer communities, check out the following resources:
- Native Governance Center
- Indigenous Pride LA: What is Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and LGBTQPAI+
- The Future is Indigiqueer
- ICT News: Reclaiming Space
- Indigiqueer Creative Alliance
47,000 Beads, by Koja Adeyoha & Angel Adeyoha; illustrated by Holly McGillis (Orca Book Publishers / Flamingo Rampant), ages 5–9.
Peyton loves to dance, and especially at Pow Wow, but her Auntie notices that she’s been dancing less and less. When Peyton shares that she isn’t comfortable wearing a dress anymore, Auntie Eyota asks some friends for help to get Peyton what she needs.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Family / Community, Social Emotional Learning
Between the Pipes, by Albert McLeod with Elaine Mordoch & Sonya Ballantyne; illustrated by Alice RL (Portage & Main Press / Highwater Press), Teen (12+).
A young hockey player navigates the intersection of sport and personal identity, grappling with the challenge of staying true to himself amidst the pressures of team dynamics and expectations. A coming-of-age story, Between the Pipes explores the journey of self-discovery and the courage required to embrace one’s authentic self.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Sports / Games / Recreation, Coming of Age
A Constellation of Minor Bears, by Jen Ferguson (HarperCollins / Heartdrum), Teen (12+).
Following a traumatic accident that leaves her brother with a brain injury, Molly is forced to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail with the one person she blames for the tragedy, leading to a journey where she must balance her resentment with the enduring bonds of friendship.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Death / Grief / Loss, Coming of Age, LGBTQIA+,
The Fabulous Edweena, by Edwin Dumont; illustrated by Melissa Cho (Second Story Press), ages 5–9.
Edwin knows that sometimes, all you need to shake up a school skating competition is a closet full of fabulous accessories and a whole lot of confidence. As the rink awaits, the real question isn’t just about the skating moves—it’s about stepping onto the ice as your most dazzling self. Will the judges and classmates be ready for a debut this spectacular? It’s time to lace up and find out!
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Social Emotional Learning, Sports / Games / Recreation
Fire Song, by Adam Garnet Jones (Annick Press), Teen (12+).
After the suicide of his sister, Shane finds his world collapsing and his relationship with his friend David hidden in secrecy, pushing him to make impossible choices about his future and whether he can ever truly be himself on the reserve.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Death / Grief / Loss, Coming of Age
From the Roots Up (Surviving the City, Vol. 2), by Tasha Spillett; illustrated by Natasha Donovan & Donovan Yaciuk (Portage & Main Press / Highwater Press), Teen (12+).
As Dez grieves the loss of their grandmother, they navigate the complexities of a new relationship and their identity as a Two-Spirit person, while their friend Miikwan learns how to support them through the challenges of community, prejudice, and growing up.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Death / Grief / Loss, LGBTQIA+, Coming of Age
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, by Cherie Dimaline (Penguin Young Readers / Tundra Books), Teen (12+).
Living above a cemetery, Winifred dreams up a ghost story to save her father’s crematorium job, only to have her life irrevocably changed when a real ghost from the nearby ravine appears and forces her to re-evaluate everything she knows about love and loss.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Coming of Age, Death / Grief / Loss, LGBTQIA+
Godly Heathens: A Novel, by H.E. Edgmon (Macmillan / Wednesday Books), Teen (12+).
Gem Echols is just trying to survive being a nonbinary teen in a small town until they are attacked by a Goddess of Death and discover that they and their new friend, Willa Mae, are actually reincarnated gods with a magical, violent past catching up to them.
Book Themes: Fantasy, BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Romance
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior, by Heather Gale; illustrated by Mika Song (Penguin Young Readers / Tundra Books), ages 3–9.
In this empowering true story, Ho’onani learns to bridge the gap between being wahine and kane as she gains the courage to lead her school’s all-male hula troupe and earns the respect of her community.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Social Emotional Learning, Cultural Diversity
Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix, by Cherie Dimaline (Macmillan Publishers / Square Fish), Teen (12+).
When fifteen-year-old Mary Lennox is sent to the Canadian wilderness after a family tragedy, she uncovers her cousin Olive hidden away in an attic and discovers that the secret to healing their family—and freeing Olive—might be buried in a forgotten garden.
Book Themes: Historical Fiction, BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Family / Community
Love after the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction, edited by Joshua Whitehead (Arsenal Pulp Press), Teen (12+).
This visionary anthology gathers emerging Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous writers to explore utopian futures, from bio-engineered AI rats and space-traveling trees to resistance camps, proving that queer Indigenous communities can bloom anywhere, even in the maw of history.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Dystopian / Speculative / Alternative History, Sci-Fi
A Quiet Storm, by Kim Sigafus (Orca Book Publishers / 7th Generation), Teen (12+).
In the third book of the Sydney’s Journey series, Sydney faces new struggles with separation anxiety as her boyfriend prepares for college. Pushing those closest to her away, she finally finds perspective and healing at a Native women’s sharing circle with her mother. Featuring an accessible, high-interest style, this story offers an impactful and direct narrative for readers seeking focused, real-world explorations.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Coming of Age, Romance
Rabbit Chase, by Elizabeth Lapensee, Aarin Dokum; illustrated by KC Oster (Annick Press), ages 9–12.
When Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe student, accidentally stumbles into an alternate dimension filled with traditional figures, they must help the Trickster defeat a land-grabbing Queen and dark spirits to find their way home.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Folklore / Fairytales / Myths, LGBTQIA+, Action / Adventure
Raven’s Ribbons, by Tasha Spillett; illustrated by Daniel Ramirez (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), ages 3–9.
Raven loves watching the swirl of ribbon skirts at Round Dances and wishes for one of his own, sparking an intergenerational story of acceptance as his grandmother realizes that our traditions have room for beautiful, new forms of expression.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Art / Performing Arts, Cultural Diversity, Social Emotional Learning
The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel, written & illustrated by Cameron Mukwa (Scholastic (Trade Publishing) / Graphix), ages 7–12.
Determined to make a ribbon skirt for an upcoming powwow, Anang—a two-spirit and nonbinary student—seeks help from their family, friends, and the natural world, discovering newfound confidence along the way.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Coming of Age, Cultural Diversity
Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman, by Sharice Davids with Nancy K. Mays; illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (HarperCollins), ages 3–9.
This triumphant autobiography shares the path of Sharice Davids, who overcame doubters and obstacles to become one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas.
Book Themes: Biography / Memoir, BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Government / Politics / Law
A Snake Falls to Earth: Newbery Honor Award Winner, by Darcie Little Badger (Chronicle Books / Lantern Paperbacks), ages 9–Teen (12+).
Worlds collide when a catastrophic event on Earth and a strange sickness in the land of spirits bring a Lipan girl named Nina and a cottonmouth kid named Oli together, weaving a breathtaking tale of monsters, magic, and destiny.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, Fantasy, Occult / Paranormal / Supernatural, Action / Adventure
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, by Jen Ferguson (HarperCollins / Heartdrum), Teen (12+).
Between working in her family’s ice-cream shack and dealing with a complicated letter from her biological father, Lou faces a summer of rage and secrets that forces her to confront the spectrum of truths that make up who she is.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Coming of Age, Romance
We Are the Medicine (Surviving the City, Vol. 3), by Tasha Spillett; illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Portage & Main Press / Highwater Press), Teen (12+).
As Miikwan and Dez reach their final year of high school, they must navigate the challenges of graduation and their future paths while finding the strength to turn their collective grief and anger over the findings at a former residential school into meaningful activism.
Book Themes: BIPOC Characters and Creators, LGBTQIA+, Coming of Age, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism
For more great Indigiqueer reads, please visit this excellent list from the Multnomah County Library!
