Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is hosting two upcoming free writing workshops at NPC’s center locations in Hopi and Kayenta. The workshops are supported by AZ Humanities, a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists humanitarian programs and promotes literacy among communities.
The first workshop will be held at NPC’s Hopi Center on Friday, April 12. The second workshop will be held at NPC’s Kayenta location on Friday, June 21. Both events will run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The workshops will be conducted by Diné artist Amber McCrary and creative writing professor Shaina Nez. McCrary and Nez will guide attendees through an exploration of a collection of stories and poems to help participants better understand important environmental challenges currently shaping tribal communities.
Shaina Nez is Tåchi’nii born for Åsh hi, and is a senior lecturer in creative writing and English at Diné College. A writer and creator herself, Nez has had her work featured in several publications including The Massachusetts Review, Yellow Medicine Review, and Chapter House Magazine, to name a few. Nez is a doctoral candidate in justice studies at Arizona State University’s School of Social Transformation and Social Inquiry and has an M.F.A in creative writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is also a graduate of Holbrook High School.
For the workshops, Nez will join co-collaborator Amber McCrary. McCrary is a Diné artist and poet and owner and founder of Abalone Mountain Press, which focuses on publishing Indigenous works. McCrary was honored as the AZ Humanities 2022 Rising Start of the Year, and her work has appeared in an array of publications including The Navajo Times, POETRY Magazine, Room Magazine, Poets and Writers Magazine, and the Yellow Medicine Review.
Participants in the writing workshops will be encouraged to explore the book A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger and a collection of poems, Ocean Power, Poems From The Desert, by Ofelia Zepeda. Lunch will be provided and attendees will receive complimentary copies of the books.
The workshops are a way for people to learn about and understand ideas and concepts unique to Indigenous peoples. “We are hoping to give some appreciation to Native and Indigenous writers and literature,” Nez said. “This is an opportunity for individuals to learn about people from tribal nations; what they are about, as far as what the stories tell, and even to introduce them to some ideas and concepts they may not be familiar with or that are not always talked about. To have these sorts of talks through literature beyond the classroom are important,” she said. “The concept of identity for example. A lot of the literature the youth of today come across does not show much representation of Native culture. With these wonderful books coming out each year, what better way to introduce them to these concepts, than through stories.”
The workshops will provide an opportunity for topics to be discussed and talked about openly. According to Nez, “The spaces offer a sense of engagement between the participants and instructors. Attendees can ask questions, and interact open-mindedly,” she said. “It’s about bridging knowledge between our youth and those in or around the Navajo nation to understand and learn more about the Southwest.”
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the workshops. “It’s always rewarding to hear new insight and concepts, particularly from those who may be fluent Native speakers,” Nez noted. “There is important knowledge to gain from the Native language.”
Visit www.npc.edu/nass for more information on these and more events at NPC’s tribal locations, and to sign up for the free writing workshops.
Northland Pioneer College serves the residents of Navajo and Apache counties with four regional campuses and five center locations. The college offers academic, career, and technical training and education as well as personal enrichment options. NPC supports each student’s educational goals through affordable tuition, small class sizes, and caring, professional instructors. For more information visit www.npc.edu.
