Emerging Native American Voices: INTRODUCTION

     Twenty-first century Native American literature is vibrant and evolving. It invites us into the creative lives and ideas of writers whose cultures are demonstrating an incredible capacity for cultural survivance against all odds.
     This emerging literature belongs to the wider stream of contemporary writing rooted in twentieth century uprisings, from post-colonial revolutions to Civil Rights Movement. Writers asserting their right to speak for themselves started to talk back, loudly and clearly. Fifty years into this movement, the work today is more nuanced, various, joyous, and questioning. The historic burden of repression may be expressed in intergenerational post-traumatic stress, urbanization, acculturation, cultural revival, and resilience. The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), initially founded in 1962, has been a birthplace for many of this new generation of writers. Graduates include Joy Harjo, Sherwin Bitsui, Orlando White, Santee Franzier and others. This issue features those writing today nearer
to the beginning of their journey as writers. All of the contributors to this issue but one has direct ties to IAIA.
     Though I am not Native American, I am at home in empowerment movements that give voice to those who have been silenced, so they may reclaim their place and position. When we rename, recall and retell the mistold and misunderstood stories propagated as truth by those who hold power, we exercise a profound human right. This issue of ekleksografia is yet another opportunity to share the diversity of voices, perspectives, stories, and images from a new generation of Native American storytellers, mythmakers, poets, and writers.
     I invited one of our students at IAIA to co-edit with me, Jamie Figueroa. I believe in the old Civil Rights call, “each one teach one” and wanted to share with her the basic process of selecting and arranging work for a literary journal. It has been a pleasure to work with her. Educators and writers often imagine their work reaching out into the world and having some impact on the future. Why else would we do what we do and love what we do so fiercely? We leave marks along the way hoping those that will follow may find them useful, even inspiring. That is my wish for this issue.

Enjoy.

Ann Filemyr

Emerging Native American Voices

January, 2010

Curators:

Ann Filemyr and Jamie Figueroa

ekleksographia #4

Presented by Ahadada Books

Presented by Ahadada Books