Native American Student Literary Anthology Dancing with the Wind Book Launch

Sunday, April 13, 2008 2pm at

Hotel Congress – 311 East Congress Street

(http://www.hotelcongress.com/)

TUCSON, AZ—ArtsReach at the Tucson Indian Center announces the release of the 20^th anniversary edition of its literary anthology Dancing with the Wind, a compilation of poetry, prose and artwork by Native American and other minority students. The majority of the book’s content was created in 2006 and 2007 in writing workshops led by local published authors at 14 different high schools, middle schools and elementary schools throughout Southern Arizona. In addition, the anthology includes works by Tohono O’odham and Hiaki/Yaqui elders, as well as a section devoted to works written by ArtsReach alumni, taken from past editions of the anthology. The book’s cover features “Saguaro Dancers,” a beautiful painting by legendary Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia. To help preserve native traditions and encourage language diversity, many of the poems and stories in the book are translated into Hiaki/Yaqui and Tohono O’odham. Selected work is also translated into Spanish to reflect this element of our region’s history.

This year’s edition was edited by prominent Native American author Dr. Simon Ortiz, who grew up in the Acoma Pueblo community west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and whose many published works include poems, short stories, essays, and children’s books. Dr. Ortiz has taught at universities and colleges throughout the country, and was granted the Wordcraft Circle Writer of the Year (Anthology/Collection) Award in 2000.

In his introductory contribution to Dancing with the Wind, ArtsReach co-founder and artist-instructor Kit McIlroy shares his reflections: “For me, ArtsReach has meant the chance to work with too many inspiring individuals to name, and to be exhilarated, entertained, touched, and taught by thousands of student writers. The numbers may have changed, but not the freshness of each story or poem.”

ArtsReach, which recently merged with the Tucson Indian Center, works with Pascua Yaqui, Tohono O’odham and other minority youth, seeking to improve student achievement and preserve native cultures and language. Since 1987, ArtsReach has offered focused writing workshops, public readings and the publication of Dancing with the Wind. The mission of the ArtsReach program is to create communities of literacy for Native American students and families, encouraging cultural vitality and academic success through the power of imaginative writing. ArtsReach workshops and the publication of Dancing with the Wind have been made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Pima Federal Credit Union, the Southern Arizona Sports Foundation, the Tucson-Pima Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Desert Diamond Casino, and the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprises 12 Percent Funds.

Copies of this and past editions of Dancing with the Wind are available in Tucson at Antigone Books, Native Seeds/SEARCH, Silverbell Trading, the Arizona State Museum, Bahti Indian Arts, and Borders Books (Oracle and Park Mall locations), or by contacting ArtsReach at the Tucson Indian Center. The retail price is $10. For more information on workshops, readings, or Dancing with the Wind, call (520) 884-7131, ext. 224.

Think Of

Think of mountains in the distance
of a book,
A clock ticking,
Tires and fear rolling like water running
in the veins of the ocean.
Think of green legs running toward the
beating of the drum,
Think of a fence as long as hair,
A hawk on top of a saguaro
with its wings opened up wide,
Think of the hands of your grandmother making
food for you,
Think of paper in the waila song burning
in the fire,
The deer seeing all this in its
visions of fright.

Marivel Osife
Eighth Grade
Baboquivari Middle School

In the Rain at Night

The Moon was taking a shower in the rain.
He said, “That feels good.”
The stars were his brothers.
They said, “Can we take one too?”

Drake Patricio
Second Grade
Indian Oasis Primary