Luci Tapahonso, award-winning internationally acclaimed Navajo poet and author, will deliver the Native American History Month convocation on Friday, November 6 at 10:50 a.m. at Carleton College. Tapahonso’s writing is translated from her Navajo tribe’s native tongue, Diné bizaad, and includes original songs and chants designed for performance. This unique construction lends itself to strongly rhythmic and lyrical poetry. Her presentation, titled “A Radiant Curve: Stories and Poems,” will highlight the aspects of her Navajo upbringing and culture that continue to shape her as a woman and poet. This event is free and open to the public. *Note: Due to the roofing repair work taking place on the Skinner Memorial Chapel, Tapahonso's appearance will be held in the Carleton College Concert Hall.
Tapahonso is the author of three children’s books and five books of poetry, structured in prose and poetry that interweaves personal family stories, aspects of Navajo culture, and legendary tales from her tribe. Along with writers such as Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, and Leslie Marmon Silko, Tapahonso is considered an important female voice in the American Indian literary landscape.
Born in Shiprock, New Mexico, Tapahonso grew up on a farm on a Navajo reservation. English was not spoken on the family farm; she learned English as a second language to her native Diné bizaad. Following schooling at the Navajo Methodist Mission in Farmington, N.M., and Shiprock High School, she began studies at the University of New Mexico, where Tapahonso went on to earn both a BA and MA degree in English. After teaching at both the University of New Mexico and the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Tapahonso currenty teaches English at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she specializes in poetry writing and American Indian literature.
Tapahonso’s prose has also been published in numerous academic and poetry journals, with much of her work prominently featured in the New Mexico Magazine. She is widely sought after as a speaker, with public appearances on NPR, PBS, CBS, and ABC. In addition, Tapahonso’s work has been incorporated into several theater productions, including the World of Poetry Convention in Las Vegas. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Native Writers Circle in 2006.
The Skinner Memorial Chapel is located on the Carleton College campus at the intersection of First and College Street in Northfield. For more information regarding the convocation, please contact the Office of College Relations at (507) 222-4308.