Welcome to

Wordcraft Circle
of Native Writers & Storytellers

to ensure that the voices of Native writers and storytellers -- past,
present, and future -- are heard throughout the world

 

NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Kimberly G. Roppolo

ASSOCIATE NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Jay Goombi

NATIONAL CAUCUS
Chelleye Crow
Jay Goombi
Ines Hernandez-Ávila
Lee Hester
Barbara Hobson
Geary Hobson
Paulette Molin
Robert M. Nelson
Kimberly G. Roppolo
Steve Russell







RETURNING THE GIFT
Celebration of Native Writers 2010

sponsored by
Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers
and
Native Writers Circle of the Americas


"Returning the Gift," a celebration of Native Writers, will be sponsored by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, and Native Writers Circle of the Americas on Friday March 26 and Saturday March 27th. The celebration begins at 1:30 Friday in the USAO Ballroom 1727 West Alabama Avenue, Chickasha, OK. Readings and workshops with Native writers, include: Annette Arkeketa, David Valverde, Robert Perry, Robert Conley, Lee Francis IV, Kimberly Roppolo, JudyLee Oliva, Sara Cortez and more!

"Returning the Gift" will also host the Native Writers Circle of the Americas First Book Awards and 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award along with the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers Awards. Conference registration:
      $35 regular registration
      $15 elders
      $10 students (up through college and university, including grad students)
Banquet tickets are $15.00 and can be added on to registration. Please Contact Jay Goombi at rtgsignup@yahoo.com to register; for more information contact kroppolo@ou.edu. Payment for registration can be mailed to Dr. Kimberly Roppolo, National Director, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, University of Oklahoma Department of English, Gittinger Hall, 760 Van Vleet Oval, Norman , OK 73019-2055.

 

This event is made possible with the generous support of University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, The University of Oklahoma Native American Studies program and Wordcraft Circle members and volunteers.



Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and
Storytellers
with Native Writers Circle of the Americas
Presents
“Returning the Gift”

Native Writers Celebration

Where: USAO Ballroom
1727 West Alabama Avenue
Chickasha, OK

When: March 26-27 2010
9:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Friday
9:30 to 12:00 noon on Saturday

Wordcraft Native Writers would like to invite community members, writers and academics to “Returning the Gift.” This is open to the public along with the “Youth Writers Workshop” (March 25-26). Please register at by e-mailing Jay Goombi: kiojtg@yahoo.com

Panels and Speakers will include Annette Arkeketa, David Valverde, Robert Perry, Lee Francis IV, Kimberly Roppolo, Sara Cortez, JudyLee Oliva, Robert Conley and more! This event is run in conjunction with the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers and Native Writers Circle of the Americas Awards.

Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers and Native Writers Circle of the Americas sponsor this event with generous support from The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, and the University of Oklahoma. The event is open to the public, schools and community. Registration fees do apply. We encourage Native and non-Natives from across the area to attend.

Conference registration: $35 regular registration, $15 elders, $10 students (up thru college and university, including grad students)

Banquet tickets are $15.00 and can be added on to registration. To register or for more information: Jay Goombi: kiojtg@yahoo.com or Dr. Kimberly Roppolo: kroppolo@ou.edu

Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and
Storytellers
with Native Writers Circle of the Americas
Presents
Returning the Gift
Youth Writing Workshop

Where: USAO Ballroom
1727 West Alabama Avenue
Chickasha, OK

When:
March 25-26 2010
9:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. on Thursday
9:30 to 12:00 noon on Friday

Wordcraft Native Writers would like to invite youth community members to the Youth Writing Workshop. This Workshop is "FREE" and open to the public. Writing workshops will be broken into two part sessions. Sessions will include “Stage and Screen,” “Spoken word, Hip-hop, Slam Poetry,” “Graphic Novels and Comic Books,” “Poetry,” “Prose; Oral Storytelling, Fiction, Short Stories, Novels.” Guest instructors include: David Valverde, Rachel Jackson, Sarah Webb, Lee Francis IV, and Kimberly Roppolo. This event is run in conjunction with the WC/NWCA Returning the Gift program and participants will have the opportunity to attend the other events Thursday evening, Friday afternoon, and Saturday.

Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers and the Native Writers Circle of the Americas sponsor this event with generous support from The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and the Native Studies Program of The University of Oklahoma. The event is FREE and open to the public, schools and community. We encourage Native and non-Native youth from across the area to attend.

For more information or to receive a detailed event schedule please contact: Jay Goombi: kiojtg@yahoo.com  



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        





Contact: Bob Nelson