The Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers
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Wordcraft Circle
Vision• Leadership• Story
Re-Visioning for the Next Sixteen Years
Created: September 21, 2007
For sixteen years, the vision of Wordcraft has remained unchanged: To ensure that the voices of Native People – past, present, and future – are heard throughout the world. In this our sixteenth year, we look to our past to reimagine and revision Wordcraft Circle. The idea of Native voices was and is important to defining who we are as Native people and was the foundation that Lee Francis III built Wordcraft upon. His vision was to engage Native people of all ages, through writing and storytelling, to keep the traditions, culture and communities strong and vibrant. After so long a time, we have to question: is the vision still relevant?
After much discussion with Wordcrafters and Native people throughout Turtle Island, we have come to the conclusion that the vision is still strong, and it is time for us, the next generation of Wordcrafters, to take our organization and family to the next step: to revision and to a focus upon making sure that Native voices are heard not only through writing, but through story and activism and civic/cultural/community engagement and involvement. Native people of all ages need to realize how their voices can create change, how their actions can bring about a better community. For 2007 and beyond, Wordcraft is focused on using story as a means of conveying traditional and contemporary values and ideals, as well as articulating the need and desire for Native people to create their own paths and visions. We look to help increase leadership capacity in Native youth and Native communities. Ideally, we, as Native People, need to find our own way, develop our own leaders, ensure that our stories are told – past, present, and future – for all time.
To accomplish our ambitious vision, we will again look to our history and focus our efforts on solidifying our Mentoring Connections. The Mentoring Core was one of the bedrock concepts that Wordcraft began with, and we would like to see that this concept is brought back to help center the organization as we expand our vision and our Wordcraft family. We will continue to work through writing and storytelling to deliver the message of independence and sovereignty for Native people and we will invite Native people from all “walks-of-life” to participate. Along with the Mentoring Connections, in the following months, we will look to focus on Leadership Aspects within Native communities and demonstrate how important it is to connect the concept of leadership with story, for if we do not have the ability to communicate effectively, how do we intend to correct the lies and mistakes and take back our words and ideas? By focusing on two core elements, we hope to create a stable foundation that has been missing since the Founder and First National Director, Lee Francis III, passed away in 2003.
Finally, we want to center the organization and membership of Wordcraft at a community level and we will be encouraging members to create chapters, no matter how small, in their areas to promote and engage their friends, family, tribe and community, in civic action, leadership, story and the vision of Wordcraft.
Lee Francis IV, Board Member Kimberly Roppolo, National Director
Note: This section is taken from individual biographies, and is an incomplete list:
[edit] The Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers – Awards
[edit] Wordcrafter of the Year
1997 – Robert J. Conley, Cherokee
1998 – Karen M. Strom
2001 – Kimberly Roppolo, Cherokee/Choctaw/Creek
2002 – Kimberly Blaeser, Anishinaabe
2003-2004 – MariJo Moore, Cherokee/Irish/Dutch
[edit] Mentor of the Year
1997 - Patricia Penn Hilden, Nez Perce
2000 - Annette Arkeketa, Otoe-Missouria/Muscogee
2002 - Janet McAdams, Alabama Creek
2003-2004 – Heid Erdrich, Ojibwe
2005 – Kim Shuck, Cherokee
xxxx – Cheryl Savageau, Abenaki
[edit] Storyteller of the Year
1997 - Craig Womack
1998 – Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki
1999 – Kimberly Blaeser, Anishinaabe
1999 – Luci Tapahonso, Navajo
2003-2004 Co-Award - Joy Harjo, Muscogee
2003-2004 Co-Award - Orvel Baldridge
[edit] Writer of the Year – Prose
1996-1997 - Terri Crawford Hansen, Nebr. Winnebago/Oklahoma Cherokee
1998 – Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki
2000 - Winona LaDuke, White Earth Anishinaabe
2002 – Kimberly Blaeser, Anishinaabe
2003-2004 - Pax Riddle
[edit] Writer of the Year - Creative Prose
2002 - Linda Hogan
[edit] Writer of the Year – Poetry
2002 - Carolyn Dunn, Muskogee/Cherokee
2003-2004 - Joy Harjo, Muscogee
[edit] Writer of the Year – Fiction
1998 – Louis Owens, Choctaw-Cherokee
1999 – Robert J. Conley, Cherokee
2000 – Robert J. Conley, Cherokee
2001 – Geary Hobson, Cherokee-Quapaw/Chickasaw
2002 – MariJo Moore, Cherokee/Irish/Dutch
2003-2004 Co-Award - D.L. (Don) Birchfield
[edit] Writer of the Year – Children’s Literature
xxxx – Cheryl Savageau, Abenaki
1999 - Richard Van Camp, Dogrib
2001 - Joy Harjo, Muscogee
2001 Cynthia Leitich Smith, Muscogee
2002-2003 – Linda Boyden, Cherokee
[edit] Writer of the Year – Film
1999 - Sherman Alexie, Spokane/Coeur d’Alene
2005 - Joy Harjo, Muscogee
[edit] Writer of the Year - Plays/Screenplays
1997 – Diane Glancy, Cherokee
1998 - Annette Arkeketa, Otoe-Missouria/Muscogee
2003-2004 – Diane Glancy, Cherokee
[edit] Writer of the year - Autobiography
2000 – Carter Revard, Osage
[edit] Writer of the Year - Journalism
2003-2004 - Steven Newcomb
[edit] Writer of the Year - Syndicated Columns
2001 – Jim Northrup, Anishinaabe
[edit] Writer of the Year - Online Editing
2003-2004 - Carol Snow Moon Bachofner
[edit] Writer of the Year - Academic
1998 - Steve Russell, Cherokee
2003-2004 - Marge Bruchac
[edit] Writer of the Year - Critical Essays and Analysis
2000 - Craig Womack
2002 - Thurman Lee Hester, Jr.
[edit] Musical Artist of the Year
1996-1997 Joy Harjo, Muscogee
[edit] Academic Research Paper of the Year
2000 - Kimberly Roppolo, Cherokee/Chocktaw/Creek
[edit] Publisher of the Year
2001 - Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Kegedonce Press (Canada)
2002 - Carolyn Dunn & James B. Anderson, That Painted Horse Press (US)
2003 - Janet McAdams, Salt Publishing (UK)
[edit] Elder Recognition Award
2000 - Maurice Kenny, Mohawk
2005 - Hunter Gray, Mi’kmac/St. Francis Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk
