An unprecedented gathering of more than 300 Native writers was held in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1992. The Returning the Gift Festival brought more Native writers together in one place than at any other time in history. "Returning the Gift," observes co-organizer Joseph Bruchac, "both demonstrated and validated our literature and our devotion to it, not just to the public, but to ourselves." In compiling this volume, Bruchac invited every writer who attended the festival to submit new, unpublished work; he then selected the best of the more than 200 submissions to create a collection that includes established writers like Duane Niatum, Simon Ortiz, Lance Henson, Elizabeth Woody, Linda Hogan, and Jeanette Armstrong, and also introduces such lesser-known or new voices as Tracy Bonneau, Jeanetta Calhoun, Kim Blaeser, and Chris Fleet. The anthology includes works from every corner of the continent, representing a wide range of tribal affiliations, languages, and cultures. By taking their peoples' literature back to them in the form of stories and songs, these writers see themselves as returning the gift of storytelling, culture, and continuance to the source from which it came. In addition to contributions by 92 writers are two introductory chapters: Joseph Bruchac comments on the current state of Native literature and the significance of the festival, and Geary Hobson traces the evolution of the event itself.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Tired of living in the margin at mainstream literary conferences, a group of Native writers began to talk of an "international gathering of Native writers." The 1992 "Returning the Gift Festival" was the cumulation of this ten-year dream. Almost 400 Native writers and Native students (offered scholarships through the festival) attended the four-day event, coming from throughout the United States and Canada, as well as from Mexico, Panama, Cuba, and Peru. This showcase represents new, original work from the participants of that gathering. Although the stories and poems presented here cover a variety of themes and styles, several of the writers addressed the empowerment derived from surrounding themselves with other writers from Native cultures. They were not, as Kimberly M. Blaeser addressed in a poem, "Exhibit A No B, no C, just solitary romanticized A." This collection presents some of the best known Native writers, and a host of new voices to be alert for.
Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
It was Akwesasne Mohawk chief Tom Porter who articulated the Native American ethic after which this collection is named: Native American writers take the gift of story from their people and then, in crafting it into fiction and poetry, return that gift. The 1992 gathering from which this collection draws its contents hosted hundreds of participants who represented Native American peoples from Mexico, Central America, and Canada as well as the U.S., including Hawaii. The richness and variety of this writing--especially the new authors' writing--are stunning. Particularly noteworthy are Sherman Alexie's haunting, jazzy prose poem on urban life and interracial love; Raven Hail's call for the return of the goddess to her indigenous people; and Roberta Hill Whiteman's poetic reparations to the spirit of a road-maimed deer. The authoritative voices of the quite well known--for example, Joy Harjo, Linda Hogan, and Simon Ortiz--blend with but never overshadow the rest. An excellent, readable, exciting anthology. Pat Monaghan
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More About the Author
Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfull look intot he world of Native American Literature,
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This review is from: Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose from the First North American Native Writers' Festival (Sun Tracks) (Paperback)
I was assigned this book as part of a Native American Studies course at California State University Sonoma. I read virtually every poem in this book and went on to read some of the books that this book used excerpts from. My prof. was one of the authors in the book. The poems apart from being good literature were a wonderfull way to gain an insight into how a modern native american views his or her world. The poems speak of schools, gov. problems, conflict of tradition and modern life, and much more, giving a look into a world post people only have a stereotyped view of. If you are interested in poetry this is an excelent book and will be even more enticing if you are interested in Native American Culture as seen by them.
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