Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is a Native American writer of poetry books and was an author of several novels and short films. Suffering from a sickness in his younger years, Alexie became an avid reader and was influenced by his grandmother, a spiritual leader of the Spokane. His experiences later fueled a lot of his work and young-adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Read more about his life here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sherman-Alexie
Leslie Marmon Silko
Known for her lyric treatment of Native American subjects, Leslie Silko is an acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist. Her mixed ancestry has influenced her work in myriad ways. In 1974 she published a volume of poetry called Laguna Woman, based off Laguna myths and story-telling traditions.
Read more about her here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/leslie-marmon-silko
Vine Deloria Jr.
Vine Deloria Jr. was a Standing Rock Sioux lawyer, teacher, writer, and activist for Native American rights. Shortly after his tenure at National Conference of American Indians (NCSI), he wrote the groundbreaking work Custer Died For Your Sins. Deloria worked to muster the support of tribes for the NCAI and to improve the civil rights and regain sovereignty for Native Americans. Read more about him here: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2016/11/remembering-vine-deloria-jr/
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