Books like The Middle Five — picked by fans

One thing my research has shown me is that Indian tribes differ from each other in most ways. Still, they do share some values—those of mutual aid, honesty, and respect for Mother Nature.

I found that this compilation of distinct Indian voices offers eloquent and emotional insights into the history, creativity, and values found in Indian life. Certainly, the contributions describe historical pain. But they are also bright with truthful, uplifting insight. Most importantly, they made clear to me that our present society has much to learn from America’s Indian tribal cultures, past and present.

This may be the most honest autobiography I’ve ever read. Means spares no one, especially not himself.

What made this book memorable to me is its intimate look into the heart of Means, as he relates his successes and failures in meeting the challenges of being an American Indian. Means traveled a painful and tortuous road to finally become a significant leader of the late twentieth-century Indian movement for recognition, reparation, and self-determination.

I found this to be an authentic voice of a Hopi girl and woman. She tells of her journey from village to boarding school and beyond into the mainstream culture. It is highly descriptive of traditional Hopi daily life activities. But, on a deeper level, it reveals the authentic emotions of a young Hopi woman who comes to see the value to be found in both worlds while enduring the heartache of not belonging wholly to either one.

What I learned from my research is that, for some, the boarding school experience was irredeemably destructive. For others, like Sekaquaptewa, it was a mixed bag. It offered her the skills to survive and ultimately help her community survive the lifelong onslaughts of the dominant culture.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and yet knew little about the variety and value of its native peoples. I found this book to be a moving and compassionate telling of how white settlement impacted Pacific Northwest Indians. It is also uplifting because it details how a present-day tribe embraced self-determination while manifesting their strong environmental values.

Deloria draws the connection between the universally held Indian respect for the earth and its creatures and the emergence of the nation’s tribes as leaders of the environmental restoration movement. It is a movement that has become particularly strong and effective in my region.

Horse stealing was more than theft of valuable and essential property. Matthew Luckett explains that on the Great Plains horse stealing “destabilized communities, institutions, nations, diplomatic relations, and cross-cultural exchange.” Luckett challenges many popular notions about horse thieves (for starters, they were not hung).  There were different kinds of horse theft and horse thieves. Don’t be misled by “Nebraska” in the title—this book shows that horse stealing had regional and national repercussions.   Luckett is an engaging writer, and this book is extremely readable and filled with compelling stories. I particularly recommend the chapter “The Horse Wars” about the role of horses in the war the U.S. Army waged against the Indians. 

Gary E. Moulton is a history professor who spent twenty years editing the 13-volume journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, written by the captains and four of their men, describing in amazing detail the three years and one month they spent together. Moulton and his team not only transcribed all of these accounts—they offer informative footnotes that explain everything—from the Indians encountered to the plants and animals seen on the journey to the mountains and rivers traveled. So, it is no surprise that Moulton is the expert on the Expedition. Us Lewis and Clark afficionados own and love all 13 volumes, but this single volume is perfect for anyone interested in reading—and understanding—what the men themselves experienced.

I have always enjoyed poetry and this book introduces simple couplets to children while telling a sweet story of loving Asian parents who welcome a new child. Geared to very young children, the artwork can tell the story without someone reading it to them, but the lyrical words just add to the beauty of the message. 

This book is about Anne Hobbs, a nineteen-year-old girl, who in 1927 travels to Alaska to run a ramshackle, one-room schoolhouse. Along the way, she is exposed to more than just the elements. Against the local’s advice, she allows Native American children into her class and falls in love with a half-Inuit man. In this fascinating and charming story, Anne learns the meaning of prejudice and perseverance, irrational hatred, and unconditional love. 

This story taught me that we, as girls, can do important things and change the world around us. Anne was sweet and shy, but through showing compassion and concern, she made a change in her community. It wasn’t easy and she faced hardship, but she was successful and content within herself. Why do I love this book? First of all, the book is an adventure about survival in the wilderness. Anne had people watching out for her and… show more.

Mollie was 18 years old and a new bride in 1860 when she and her husband left eastern Nebraska for the gold diggings of Colorado.

The 7-week journey across the plains tested her strength and endurance, but Mollie battled the hardships and isolation of pioneer life with humor, intelligence, and honesty. She never intended her journal to be published, but it was, and I found it inspirational.

My Grandma Leora's family "went bust" in NE Nebraska during the 1890s drought. The McCance family stuck it out in central Nebraska during the same time. Grace McCance remembered so many dear details, like making horses from tumbleweeds, Indians learning German as a second language, the battle over wearing a bonnet, a pet rooster that liked to visit while feasting on grasshoppers. Grace was the second daughter in a family of seven girls and two boys. She hoped one day to make the most beautiful quilts and to marry a cowboy, which she did. They camped out the first night, then had their wedding portrait taken the next day.

Decades ago, I did a lot of quilting, so was familiar with the remarkable Flower Basket Petit Pointe quilt, which was designated as one of the top 100 quilts of the 20th Century by Quilters Newsletter Magazine in 1999. Grace McCance… show more.