Luci Tapahonso (born November 8, 1953) is a

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

and a lecturer in Native American Studies. She is the first

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

of the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

, succeeded by Laura Tohe.

Early life and education

Tapahonso was born on the Navajo

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

Shiprock Shiprock ( nv, , "rock with wings" or "winged rock") is a monadnock rising nearly above the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. Its peak elevation is above sea level. It is about southwest ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

to Eugene Tapahonso Sr. and Lucille Deschenne Tapahonso.

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

was not spoken on the family farm, and Tapahonso learned it as a second tongue after her native

. Following schooling at Navajo Methodist School in

Farmington, New Mexico Farmington is a city in San Juan County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census the city had a total population of 46,624 people. Farmington (and surrounding San Juan County) makes up one of the four Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

, she attended

Shiprock High School Shiprock High School is a public high school in Shiprock, New Mexico (USA). Shiprock High is part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Kirtland Central High School and Newcomb High School. The school colors are Crimson, Silv ...

and graduated in 1971. She embarked on a career as a journalist and investigative reporter before beginning her studies at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

in 1976. There she first met the novelist and poet Leslie Marmon Silko, who was a faculty member and who proved to be an important influence on Tapahonso's early writing. She initially intended to study

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (p ...

at New Mexico, but Silko convinced her to change her major to

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...

. She earned her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in 1980. In 1983, Tapahonso gained her MA in Creative Writing, and she proceeded to teach, first at New Mexico and later at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

and now at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first ...

Writings

Silko helped Tapahonso publish her first story, "The Snake Man", in 1978. Her first collection of poetry, ''One More Shiprock Night'' (written when she was an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

), was published in 1981, but did not make much impact. Following Silko's lead, Tapahonso's early work is often

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

and places much importance on the idea of the feminine as a source of power and balance in the world. She also frequently uses her family and childhood friends in her poetry. Several more collections followed, as well as many individual poems which have been anthologized in others' collections,

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

literature, and writing in magazines. Her 1993 collection ''Saánii Dahataal (the women are singing)'', written in Navajo and English, was the first to receive international recognition, a reputation then cemented by ''blue horses rush in'' a book of poetry and memoirs published in 1997. In 2008 Tapahonso published '' A Radiant Curve,'' which won the Arizona Book Award for Poetry in 2009. Tapahonso's writing, unlike many

Native American writers This is a list of notable writers who are Indigenous peoples of the Americas. This list includes authors who are Alaskan Native, American Indian, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Indigenous peoples of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, ...

, is a translation from original work she has created in her tribe's native tongue. Her Navajo work includes original songs and chants designed for performance. For this reason, her English work is strongly rhythmic and uses syntactical structures unusual in English language poetry.

Awards

*Awarded the title of Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation, 2013 *Arizona Book Award for Poetry, New Mexico Book Coop, 2009 *Lifetime Achievement Award,

Native Writers' Circle of the Americas The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas (NWCA) is an organization of Native American writers, most notable for its literary awards, presented annually to Native American writers in three categories: ''First Book of Poetry'', ''First Book of Prose ...

, 2006 * Wordcraft Circle Storyteller of the Year (Readings/Performance) Award, 1999 * Award for Best Poetry from the Mountains and Plain's Booksellers Association, 1998 * New Mexico Eminent Scholar award, New Mexico Commission of Higher Education, 1989 * Excellent Instructor Award, U. of New Mexico, 1985 *

American Book Awards The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...

, Honorable Mention, 1983 * Southwestern Association of Indian Affairs Literature Fellowship, 1981

References

External links

* at Storytellers: Native American Authors (official)
Luci Tapahonso
at Voices from the Gaps, University of Minnesota
Luci Tapahonso
at Native American Authors, Internet Public Library * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tapahonso, Luci 1953 births Living people MacArthur Fellows Native American children's writers American children's writers Poets from New Mexico Navajo writers American women poets American women children's writers People from Shiprock, New Mexico Native American poets Native American women writers 20th-century American poets 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American poets 21st-century American women writers 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American women 21st-century Native American women Municipal Poets Laureate in the United States

Early life and education

Writings

Awards

See also

References

External links