Native Nations, Native Voices

[Gordon Bronitsky]

	I am working  to create Native Nations, Native Voices--a festival to 
honor contemporary Native language writers. To honor Native language 
authors,  Native language writers have been invited to to participate 
in a week-long festival tentative scheduled in May 2007 (Indigenous 
Peoples Month at the United Nations) at the Bowery Poetry Club in lower 
Manhattan under the auspices of the Endangered Language Fund.  Writers 
will read from their works in their own languages; English translations 
will be made available to the audience at the option of each writer.  A 
special effort will be made to include and honor high school and 
college authors in Native languages, for they are the future of 
languages.  Invited writers represent as broad a range of languages and 
styles as possible.
	Over 500 Native Nations, each with its own language and culture. These 
are the Nations which were encountered by the first Europeans to enter 
North America.  Yet now Native languages are under threat everywhere, 
due to Euro-American educational policies, disease, and the virtual 
omnipresence of English language television.  Some languages are 
extinct--from Guale to Esalen, from Eyak to Timucuan.  Others are only 
spoken by a handful of elderly individuals.
	Yet throughout Native America and beyond, a small but growing body of 
writers are giving new voice to Native languages, using their own 
languages to write about and confront the world they live in, the world 
of the Twenty First Century.  Often unknown outside their own 
communities, such writers have much to say to all of us.
	Right now, participants include
1. Canada--Floyd Favel (Cree), Peter Irniq (Inuktitut)
2. United States--David Velarde (Jicarilla Apache), Nia Francisco, 
Lorraine Nakai and Nora Yazzie (Navajo),  Dominik Tsosie (outstanding 
high school writer--Navajo), Virgil Reeder. (Kawaikagamedzene [Laguna 
Pueblo]),   Frances Washburn (Lakota), Alex Jacobs (Mohawk)
4. Hawai¹i--Kainani Kahaunaele, Larry Kimura (Hawai¹ian)
5. Saipan--Frances Sablan (Chamorro)
6.  Guam--Peter Onedera (Chamorro)
7.  Samoa--Dan Aga (Samoan)
8. Mexico--Jesus Salinas Pedraza (Nyahnyu [Otomi]), Diego Méndez Guzmán 
(Tzeltal Maya), Ruperta Bautista Vazquez (Tzotzil Maya),  Jun Tiburcio 
(Totonac)
9.  Peru--Martin Castillo (Quechua), Felix Julca (Quechua)
10.  Brazil--Nanblá Grakan (Xokleng)
	Might this be of interest?  I would welcome any suggestions you might 
have about possible sources of funding or additional Native language 
writers who might be interested in participating.  Naturally I would be 
happy to provide more information or answer any questions you might 
have.
	Thank you.

				Yours,


				Gordon Bronitsky, PhD
				Bronitsky and Associates
				3715 La Hacienda Dr NE
				Albuquerque, NM  87110

				505-256-0260
				e-mail g.bronitsky at att.net
				www.bronitskyandassociates.com