Read Luci Tapahonso's autobiography in "Here First" (pp. 337-51).
For background, read an overview of Dine (Navajo) culture written by Navajo Tourism (the Navajo Nation) of Window Rock, Ariz.
Also a short bio with important quotes from Tapahonso at http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit01/authors-9.html ...
In class we'll read the poems linked to her page at http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A116 ...
Much of Tapahonoso's writing is about family. How much of it seems to reflect a specifically Navajo, or Dine, way of looking at the world? How much is universal?
One poem we'll look at closely is about the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo in 1864, a tragic moment in Navajo history, and how the poet's family deals with it. After reading the Wikipedia account of the Long Walk (with due *caution), we will go through "In 1864" to see what it tells us about Tapahonoso, the Dine people and perhaps Native Americans in general.
Tapahonso reads at National Book Festival http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3511 ...
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* Caution is always a good idea with Wikipedia, because anyone who visits a page can edit it ... edtitng in (or out) whatever they please. In general, it is self-correction because people are generally conscientious about cleaning up mistakes -- or deliberate misinformation -- when they see something that needs editing. But in another article on the Dine Nation today, I a couple of things that appeared to reflect ongoing controversy over local school board politics on the reservation. The same thing happens on Wikipedia during political controversies everywhere, and eventually everything gets sorted out. But in the meantime, caution is advised whether the politicking concerns the Navajo Nation, the upcoming North Carolina primary or next year's city council and school board elections in Springfield.
2 comments:
She write alot about her family and what she saw as a child, and what she had to go through as well.
She had quite a bit on her culture, that i didn't know about or experience, like watching her mother cook and clean. My mother can't even make toast, but i love her anyway. Other things she worte about did strike home. So i would say that she wrote in a universal tone, but added some of her own culture in it as well.
Luci Tapahonso's poems she writes about drunks are more of how she sees thing that are more out side her traditional culture. her poem It Has Always been this way is her way of telling those outside her culture about something she remembers. this peom reminds me of my song called voice of a medium.
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