Written by: Trina Tsinnie
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, A few Haskell students attended the Heartland Book Fest. The Book Fest took place at the Kansas City public library. Tommy Orange and Deborah Jackson Taffa discussed their newly published books with Librarian Cindy Hohl.
Orange is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Orange’s first novel, “There There” was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and received the 2019 American Book Award. His newly published novel “Wandering Stars” is a sequel to “There There.”
Taffa is a citizen of the Kwatsaan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo Tribe. Taffa is the director of the M.F.A. in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, NM. Taffa’s newly published memoir “Whiskey Tender”.
Q:” As you look around the world, do you see the Indigenous people assimilating the world as time goes on?”
Orange replied: “It’s a different story, depending on what part of the world you are in. I think the time of assimilation gained value within the native world, a sort of oppression, the internal oppression that allowed assimilation to be appealing. I believe that time is over for the Native people. We are embracing our culture and language and understanding values where they weren’t taught in massive ways. I feel like that is happening right now. Different Indigenous populations have different phases of existence in our world.”
Q:” What advice would you give to aspiring Indigenous writers looking to share their own stories?”
Taffa replied:” Practice self-care. It can take a long time. Put your blinders on, stay in your lane, and don’t worry about how long it will take to get done. Write a page daily; reading your work is as good as writing that day. Just don’t give up.”
After the discussion, students were able to enjoy the Bookfest. Local authors sold their novels inside the Public Library, along with book lovers selling book merch and accessories.
