International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
Every year on August 9, the United Nations invites us to honor the cultures, histories, and contributions of Indigenous peoples around the globe. For me, celebration often comes through story—and today feels like the perfect moment to spotlight Indigenous romance authors whose work blends desire, culture, and contemporary realities.
Indigenous romance novels do more than deliver love stories. They reflect lived experiences, challenge stereotypes, and open up conversations about the intersection of identity, history, and community. They also make the romance genre richer, more layered, and more representative of the world we actually live in.
As an American, I’m especially interested in the voices of this continent’s Indigenous peoples—Native American, First Nations, Inuit, Métis—and the romance stories they’re telling. But I know Indigenous storytelling is a global legacy. If you live elsewhere, I’d love to know: What are your land’s Indigenous writers creating? Who are the romance authors I should be reading from your corner of the world? Drop your recommendations in the comments—I want to add them to my TBR.
Here are three books by Indigenous authors to from my TBR to yours:
The Road Home by Christina Berry (Cherokee) — A gritty, emotionally complex romance centered on Jake Sixkiller, a musician and ladies’ man returning to the Cherokee Reservation to confront his past.
Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek Nation), narrated by Kyla Garcia — This award-winning young adult romance tackles the challenges of being Native in a predominantly white high school.
Blessed by Maggie Blackbird (Ojibway) — A queer Indigenous romance where spirituality and love collide in a forbidden relationship. Blackbird roots her story in questions of faith, community expectations, and personal truth.
These recommendations come from this insightful High Country News article about the complicated balance between fetishizing and appreciating Indigenous love stories. It’s an important read if you care about celebrating diverse voices without falling into harmful tropes.
Romance is one of the most popular genres in the world—and it’s at its best when every reader can see themselves reflected on the page. This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I hope you’ll join me in seeking out, reading, and recommending Indigenous romance authors. Your bookshelf (and your heart) will be better for it.
