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 J. Roppolo

ASSOCIATE NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Malea Powell

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lee Francis IV
Paulette Molin
Robert M. Nelson
Kimberly J. Roppolo

NATIONAL CAUCUS
James BlueWolf
Marge Bruchac
Jay Goombi
Ines Hernandez-Ávila
Lee Hester
Geary Hobson
Cornel Pewewardy
Kimberly J. Roppolo





Regional Native Writers Conference
'A Pacific Northwest Gathering'
Quileute Nation Oceanside Resort, LaPush WA
October 17-19, 2008

Come join us in the heart of Northwest Tribal Culture! Oceanside Resort in LaPush, Washington is a beautiful resort on a ruggedly beautiful stretch of Pacific Northwest coast beach, right on the shoreline of the Quileute Indian Nation, just four hours from Seattle or Portland. The resort has a wide range of accommodations "some of the best rooms anywhere on this stretch of coast," says Frommer's Review. The cabins and other units are delightfully rugged; some feature carved wood furniture with Northwest Coast Native American designs. The Quileute resort features a deli, a nice dockside restaurant with excellent inexpensive dinners, and lots of seafood.
     This regional writer's conference brings together a diverse selection of panels and concurrent workshop sessions. Highlights will include:
* Elizabeth (Liz) Woody, Northwest poet, writer, storyteller - Keynote speaker
* Roger Fernandes, Northwest storyteller - Storytelling programs
* Dr. Kimberly Roppolo - "Community Collaborative Drama: Writing and Performing Together as Paths to Healing" Beginners Playwriting Workshop
* Philip H. Red Eagle - Northwest Author, Editor, Canoe Carver - Workshop facilitator
* Ed Edmo - Northwest poet, writer, artist, storyteller - "Writing and Telling the Short Story"
* Allen Standing Bear Jenkins, Evergreen State College faculty - Workshop facilitator
* Janet Marie Rogers, Northwest First Nations writer - Workshop facilitator
* Ren'ee RomanNose, Native American Journalist - Workshop facilitator
* Richard Van Camp, Northwest First Nations writer - Workshop facilitator
* Linda Boyden, California author, poet, storyteller - "Children's Literature" workshop
A Sci-fi panel/roundtable/workshop is an extended event, likely running Saturday afternoon for our sci-fi writers and enthusiasts. Other events to be determined. For more info,
click here





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