Skip to content

By Hanna, Coulee City Library

We will be celebrating Native American Heritage Month in November with a series of blogs highlighting books, movies, and music in our physical and digital collections. This month-long celebration originated more than 100 years ago as a way to recognize the contributions the first Americans made — and continue to make —  in the United States.

Modern celebrations dually honor Native American cultures, achievements, and wisdom and educate about the United State’s ugly history (and present acts) of land theft and other injustices. These resources offer varied perspectives on Native American life.

Films

Smoke Signals DVD

Depicts two young Native Americans, Victor and Thomas, who leave their small town to retrieve the remains of Victor’s father. The movie won numerous awards and honors, including American Indian Film Festival “Best Film”, Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and Best Artistic Contribution at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Navajo Code Talkers DVD 

During the second world war, the United States and its allies were struggling to find a code by which to communicate across the Pacific Ocean — one that could not be broken by the Japanese enemy. The solution came in the form of the Navajo people, whose language was as elusive as it was complex. Through their incredible linguistic skills, the Allied forces were able to convey life-or-death information to one another — information that, in some cases, altered the very course of the war.

Rumble : The Indians Who Rocked the World DVD and Kanopy

The idea for RUMBLE came about when guitarist Stevie Salas, an Apache Indian and one of the film’s Executive Producers, realized that no one outside of the music business knew about the profound contribution of these Native musicians. Renewed attention to this missing chapter in the history of American music led to the publishing of Brian Wright-McLeod’s The Encyclopedia of Native Music, an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and eventually this documentary.

Barking Water Kanopy

A uniquely delicate and moving road movie, Barking Water uses the ruggedly beautiful backdrop of rural Oklahoma to tell the story of a proud Native American attempting to reconnect with his estranged family. This movie was named the best drama film at the 2009 American Indian Film Festival.

Edge of America. Hoopla.

The inspiring true story of an African-American teacher who accepts a position to coach an all-girl basketball team on a Navajo reservation. This movie was named Best Film at the 2004 American Indian Film Festival and won numerous other honors, including a Daytime Emmy Award.

Music
Bone days by John Trudell

Bone days   

John Trudell CD  

Illuminatives by Supaman

 Illuminatives

Supaman CD   

Sacred wind d by Alice Gomez and Jessita

Sacred Wind     

Native American Flute

Performed by Alice Gomez and Jessita Reyes CD

Buffy Sainte-Marie

The Best of Buffy Sainte-Marie Hoopla.

Me And The Blues

Mildred Bailey Hoopla

Stay Informed!

The latest library happenings, delivered straight to your inbox.

Need help? Check out our FAQ’s.
Not finding what you're looking for? Make a purchase suggestion.

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.
Click here to close search window.