On May 24, 2014 more than a dozen Indigenous poets, storytellers, musicians and spoken word artists performed at an event entitled Our Land, Culture, Community: Story, Poetry, Song, Music, Rap for Liberation. The event was a benefit for the Indigenous Alliance Without Borders whose mission is to affirm the rights of indigenous peoples, their right to self determination, their collective human and civil rights, the rights of sovereignty and the protection of sacred sites, and the free unrestricted movement across international borders.
Today’s 30 Minutes continues with part 7 of a multi part series featuring host and organizer Simon J. Ortiz, an Indigenous poet and writer of Acoma Pueblo heritage who specializes in Indigenous Literature. He is a Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University and convened many of the artists and introduced the speakers. The program begins with author Bill Wetzel, Amskapi Pikuni aka Blackfeet from Montana. He’s a former bull rider/wrestler turned writer and a coauthor of the short story collection “The Acorn Gathering.” His work has appeared in or is forthcoming from the American Indian Culture & Research Journal, Yellow Medicine Review, Studies In Indian Literatures (SAIL), Hinchas de Poesia, Red Ink Magazine, Literary Orphans and various internet outlets. He is a board member of the Tucson Poetry Festival and the curator for the Stjukshon Indigenous reading series at Casa Libre en la Solana in Tucson, AZ.
In the second portion of the show, we hear from Tohono O’odham Ruben CukBaak.
This is part 7 of a multi part series recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger.
