As members and future members of a field where cultural awareness stands at the forefront of our work, it’s important that we continue to seek information and adopt a lifelong learning mindset. This Native American Heritage Month offers a powerful opportunity to explore often-overlooked communities that deserve nothing short of respect and recognition.

Figuring out where to start can be overwhelming, so I’ve gathered a few tangible resources to guide that process. But before jumping into links and articles, I want to take a moment to reflect on how we as humans approach learning—specifically, how we listen.

The Power of Stories

In speech-language pathology, we talk a lot about language—but not always about the stories that shape it. As students, we spend copious amounts of time studying sound systems, semantics, and syntax, but storytelling is one of the most profound ways in which humans connect. For many Indigenous communities, storytelling is more than just communication. It’s a way to preserve identity, history, and healing.

As future clinicians, we have the privilege of listening for a living. But listening isn’t just an academic skill; it’s a practice of humility. One of the easiest ways to begin learning about cultures outside of our own is through their stories.

Bridging Clinical Practice and Literature

Reading works by Indigenous authors invites us to slow down and be present—something we also strive for in our therapy sessions every day. These stories deepen our empathy and broaden how we think about communication. They remind us that language is far from uniform—and that each community has its own way of sharing knowledge and expressing identity.

Understanding this diversity prepares us to be more culturally responsive clinicians. For instance, ASHA provides a resource on Phonemic Inventories and Cultural Linguistic Information, which includes the Navajo language among others. Tools like these highlight the rich linguistic diversity that exists right here in the United States, often within communities that have been systemically overlooked.

Representation in our materials should do more than simply “check a box.” It should reflect the lived experiences, voices, and values of the communities we serve.

Where To Start: Books and Resources

Here are a few books and resources that you can incorporate into both professional practice and personal learning:

Children’s Books

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story shares the complexity of Native identities through the post-colonial food, fry bread. Reading age: 2–6 years old

Still This Love Goes On features beautiful illustrations as it shares the enduring love of the Cree people for family, tradition, and way of life. Reading age: 3–7 years old

Berry Song follows a girl and her grandmother as they gather berries from the forest, with themes of all that nature provides as well as the wisdom of tribal elders. Reading age: 4–8 years old

Web Resources

American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL)
Created by Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo), this blog reviews and highlights Indigenous representation in children’s books. It’s a great tool for anyone looking to include stories that respectfully and accurately portray Native communities.

Native American Heritage Month – Library of Congress
This site offers educational materials, author spotlights, and multimedia resources that celebrate Native voices and histories throughout the United States.

Indigenous Reads Rising
A platform that celebrates Indigenous authors and stories across genres and age groups. Perfect for finding your next read—whether for personal growth or to bring into a therapy session.

ASHA’s Phonemic Inventories and Cultural & Linguistic Information Across Languages
A language-based reference that includes Navajo and other Indigenous languages. It’s a valuable tool for clinicians who want to better understand linguistic diversity within the United States.

Indigenous Child Language Research Center (University of New Mexico)
Dedicated to Indigenous language development and preservation, this center provides research and insights that can inform culturally responsive practices in speech-language pathology.

These resources are meant to be an optional starting point for meaningful exploration. Each community represents a unique voice worth listening to.

Reflecting Forward

As humans, we tend to shy away from what we don’t understand. To best serve others, we must move toward that discomfort.

History is often overlooked, but it can’t be erased. For Native communities, the effects of centuries of grief and loss are still felt today. Despite this, their resilience, wisdom, and joy continue to thrive. As future CSD clinicians, we can honor those virtues by actively choosing to learn, listen, and reflect all year long. Native voices are not seasonal, and their stories do not begin and end in November. The least we can do is genuinely listen. We do it every day for our job, but it’s time to carry that same intentional listening beyond our work. So start with a story. Let it challenge your understanding and expand your compassion. Because true listening is where learning begins.