Grant will support the publication of a Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota anthology

RAPID CITY – The Oceti Sakowin Writers Society (OSWS) is pleased to announce it has received a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Indigenous Knowledge Initiative to support the publication of The Oceti Sakowin Reader: An Anthology of Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota Literature

It has been difficult for the Rapid City Native American community to fight against prevailing tropes, stereotypes and clichés. Learning an accurate telling of their own history has often been at odds with public school curriculum. Despite progress in policy and awareness, many of these false beliefs live on institutionally, as evidenced recently when a local education leader said aloud that Native Americans don’t value education. While there are some truths interwoven into stereotypes, a superintendent of area schools would be expected to exhibit a deeper knowledge and greater understanding.

Native American cultures have always valued education and have long sought control over their own education after centuries of federal and missionary-run schools sought to erase the Native American identity.

It has been a century since the release of the Meriam Report in 1926 which recommended that Native community education base the curriculum on Native cultures and history, after an investigation into conditions in Indian Country.

Throughout the past century, tribes have established and operated their own educational institutions and programs. Emphasizing Native values, languages, and history within these educational settings has not only strengthened cultural knowledge, but has also fostered meaningful connections between younger generations, elders, and communities.

Still, there are many who know little about themselves. OSWS board member Dr. Susan Hernandez, citing a small survey by OSWS of fifty tribal members, said one in three had never read a book by a writer in their community. This finding was especially common among youth, whose teacher rarely included Indigenous author in their curricula.

“The Oceti Sakowin Reader will help increase knowledge of and access to our longstanding, vibrant literary tradition,” said Hernandez, “so that tribal students can finally see themselves and their communities positively reflected in their textbooks and classrooms.”

Hernandez, a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, is an Associate Professor of Native American Literature and Director of the Institute for American Indian Research at the University of New Mexico. She will co-edit this groundbreaking anthology in collaboration with a team of Oceti Sakowin scholars, writers, and community leaders. “The Oceti Sakowin Writers Society will serve as both the fiscal sponsor and editorial board for the project,” explained Hernandez. “A group of tribal elders, educators, and OSWS members will guide the editorial process to ensure the anthology reflects community values and centers Oceti Sakowin knowledge systems.”

Over the next two years, this community-led project will bring together Oceti Sakowin writers, scholars, and educators to publish a first-of-its-kind collection of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota authors. The anthology will include both new and previously published works, along with teacher resources, author biographies, cultural activities, and a podcast series to support classroom instruction and community learning.

Founded in 1993 as the Oak Lake Writers’ Society, OSWS is a collective of more than 30 Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota writers dedicated to preserving and advancing Oceti Sakowin literature and culture. The group became a Native-led nonprofit in 2019, empowering

OSWS to better support Indigenous writers by uplifting tribal voices and launching initiatives like #NativeReads: Great Books from Indigenous Communities, Stories of the Oceti Sakowin.

Launched in 2020, #NativeReads is a national reading campaign intended to raise awareness of Oceti Sakowin literature through outreach and educational tools. The tribal citizen survey was part of the campaign.

Hernandez said the Oceti Sakowin Reader as inspired by The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature published in 2019, The Oceti Sakowin Reader will be the first collection to center Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota voices in one volume. It will feature both contemporary and historical work and serve as a lasting resource for classrooms, libraries, and community programs.

Proceeds from the anthology will support OSWS’s broader mission to nurture Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota writers and preserve and defend the Oceti Sakowin Oyate’s rich intellectual and literary traditions. Through mentorship, publishing, and education, the organization continues to foster Indigenous storytelling across generations. You can find out more about the #Native Reads campaign and a reading list at ocetisakowinwriterssociety.org.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

The post Grant will support the publication of a Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota anthology first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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