Poetry personifies the power of the spoken word. It weaves ideas into cathartic messages that spill out from the page, connecting people to one another across time and space. As Dr. Kimberly Blaeser states, “Poetry is both ‘affective’ and ‘effective’ — beautiful as language, but does something in the world.”
A citizen of the White Earth Nation, Blaeser is a past Wisconsin Poet Laureate as well as the founding director of Indigenous Nations Poets, known colloquially as In-Na-Po. An emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Blaser is a decorated poet, photographer and scholar, and she will be part of a workshop held at the College of Menominee Nation’s Keshena campus on Nov. 9.
According to their website, In-Na-Po is a national Indigenous poetry community committed to mentoring emerging writers, nurturing the growth of Indigenous poetic practices and raising the visibility of all Native writers — past, present and future.
The site additionally states, “In-Na-Po recognizes the role of poetry in sustaining tribal sovereign nations and Native languages,” which is the reason Blaser and others will be hosting a workshop for Indigenous poets.
Funded in part by the Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the In-Na-Po #LanguageBack workshop “centers on writing poetry that incorporates Indigenous languages and tribal teachings.”
“We both learn and teach Indigenous languages through poetry writing and performance,” says Blaeser. “Because the language carries important teaching — environmental, spiritual and subsistence teaching (among others) — using the language in poetry can also carry that traditional Indigenous knowledge into the world at a time our planet desperately needs it.”
CMN will host the first of three workshops held in various tribal communities this fall. Each welcomes “Indigenous language learners of all levels to participate in a one-day Indigenous language and poetry workshop with the guidance of Indigenous language experts, community members and poets.”
In Keshena, Richard Oshkeshequoam (Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin) and Brock Schreiber (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians) will provide guidance to the poets in attendance using their respective languages.
Oshkeshequoam says, “Any chance we have to use our language offers a chance to grow in our knowledge of what it means to be Menominee. The words contain many lessons, and I’m honored to be a part of this project creating art centered around them.”
Schreiber adds, “Most of us are immersed in English every day, from schools to media to our workplaces and social spaces. The more spaces where the Mahican language is present, the quicker it becomes a normalized part of everyday life, creating more opportunities to inspire and engage future speakers.”
Throughout the day, participants at the In-Na-Po event will have the opportunity to take part in Indigenous language lessons, delve into the world of Indigenous poetics and discuss how language and poetry intersect, as well as write their own poems inspired by those teachings in CMN’s newly renovated Shirley Daly Hall.
Filmmakers Dusan Harmic and Overpass Light Brigade founder Lane Hall will be on hand to capture participants partaking in activities, as well as conduct interviews for a larger film project. The inclusion of the filmmakers means that poets will have the opportunity to appear on camera reading and discussing their work. In-Na-Po produced a similar film for a 2023 event in Door County.
The day will conclude with a community dinner and a reading in which participants will have the chance to discuss and celebrate new language knowledge and the work they created. All meals throughout the day will be provided, and poets will receive gifts that help keep the day’s inspiration vivid long after the gathering concludes.
“We hope participants will have fun creating work in their tribal languages and be inspired to continue,” says Blaeser. “I will edit an issue of ‘Yellow Medicine Review’ in the spring, devote a segment to Indigenous language writing and hope to include poetry from workshop participants. Through the film and publication, we will share participants’ writing with a larger audience.”
Indigenous poets can register for the free event on either CMN or In-Na-Po’s websites or various social media accounts. The event will begin at 9:15 a.m. and conclude after the 5:30 p.m. reading and meal.
Considering the passion of the teachers and the power of Indigenous languages, In-Na-Po’s visit to CMN will be further proof of poetry’s ability to both affective and effective right here in Northeast Wisconsin.
Ryan Winn, Ph.D., teaches communications, English, history and theater at the College of Menominee Nation. Visit www.menominee.edu for more information about the school.
#LanguageBack poetry event coming to CMN
