BFA Creative Writing, Diné College

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with us!

Here's a peek at the NAHM booklets we gave out during the event promoting Indigenous authors and voices. We hope you find these as wonderful resources to share with your relatives and friends. 😊

Ayoo' Ahéhee' to American Indian College Fund Seven Generations Innovators Fellowship, Amber McCrary (Abalone Mountain Press), ASU SST Faculty Advisor Dr. Jessica Solyom, Darwyn Henderson, Librarian at the Senator John Pinto Library in Shiprock, New Mexico, and Lindsey Curley from the Many Nations team and Pima County Library in Tucson, Arizona.

Special thanks to our student readers and supporters: Natasha Endito, Isaac Madson, Danielle Manygoats, Milton Bluehouse Jr., Jalen Smallcanyon, Sasha Araba, Bazhnibah, Lambert Martin Jr., and Shannel Garcia.

Catering provided by juniper_coffee_eatery

And to all attendees far and near! We hope sharing a meal, receiving a tote bag with CW swag, and listening to stories from the next generation of Native Voices brings you joy this Native American Heritage Month!

"Continue to listen, observe, and tell the stories of your ancestors, and know we are rooting for you in spirit."

We are pleased to introduce the readers for Diné nishłį́ “I Am”: A Native Diaspora Hybrid Reading Event:

Natasha Endito lives and works in Heber City, Utah with her husband and two sons. She is originally from Coyote Canyon, NM. After high school, she served 4 years in the U.S. Army. After which she went onto college and earned an A.S. degree in Medical Lab Technology at UNM-Gallup. She then transferred to Ogden, Utah and earned a B.S. degree in Clinical Lab Science from Weber State University, as well as a master’s in healthcare administration. This is her first semester at Dine College where she is seeking a B.F.A. in Creative Writing. Her love of writing came from attending a community class at Utah Valley University. Since then, she has been seeking a way to develop her skills. She loves to learn and is so excited about this program being offered at Dine College where she hopes to study all she can about the art of writing and more about her Navajo culture.

Isaac Madson is from Wheatfields, AZ and currently lives in Lukachukai, AZ. He graduated from Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, AZ and attended Southern Utah University in Cedar City, UT where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication with an emphasis in public relations and broadcasting. Isaac’s advocacy for Native American voter rights has been featured in AJ+ and Mashable. Recently a conversation between him and his mother has been archived preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Isaac is known by thousands online as “Navabroisss” where he tells humorous stories about growing up and living on the Navajo Nation. He is a snowboarder, tapestry weaver, Denver Broncos fan, and now a student at the Bachelor of Fine Arts Creative Writing program at Dine College.

Danielle Manygoats was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Although she was born in the city, she grew up in the small town of Sawmill, Arizona and currently resides in Fort Defiance, Arizona. She is Todich’ii’nii Bitterwater Clan), born for Ta’neeszahnii (Tangle Clan), her maternal grandfather's clan is Naakaii Dine’e (Mexican Clan), and her paternal grandfather’s clan is Ashii’hi (Salt People Clan). She holds an Associate Degree of Science in Health Occupations from Dine College and is continuing her education by pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing. She dreams of becoming a Poet and would like to write her own book of poetry one day.

Milton Bluehouse, Jr., currently teaches at Dine College. Previously, Mr. Bluehouse worked for Navajo presidents and owned a successful government relations firm. Throughout his career, Mr. Bluehouse focused on the social determinants of health for Native peoples, particularly at the intersection where Indian law and policy meets on-the-ground Rez realities. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison Law School (2004) and the University of Arizona (2000). He served in the United States Marines Corps (1991-1995). His goal is to earn a BFA in Creative Writing from Diné College. He is published in the Yellow Medicine Review.

Jalen Smallcanyon is from the Manygoat Clan and born for the One-Who-Walks-Around Clan. Her maternal grandfathers are of the Bitterwater Clan, and paternal grandfathers are of the Redhouse Clan. Jalen is from Pinon, and Coppermine, Arizona. She is attending Dine College and pursuing an (Associate of Arts) in Dine Studies and a major in Creative Writing. She is this year’s Associated Students of Dine’ College (ASDC) President and an Ascendium Student Intern for the Office of the President.

Sasha Araba (Not Photographed): The American Indian College Fund is hosting a storytelling series focused on the ways in which our grandparents and elders have shown up and supported countless education journeys throughout Indian Country and how our elders are often the motivators and sources of support for us to pursue our educational pathways. Through these stories, the College Fund highlights moments and memories shared by TCU students, faculty/staff, and leadership about grandparents and elders in their lives that changed their educational journeys and personal aspirations. The stories will be published on the College Fund’s website. With this series the College Fund wants to acknowledge that the ways in which our Indigenous communities refer to our grandparents, elders, and knowledge carriers differ greatly. Our languages reflect not only kinship but sometimes the knowledge our relatives hold and how they carry that knowledge. Today, you will hear Sasha Araba’s elder story entitled, “Grandma Mable.” Sasha is a Public Health major at Dine’ College.

Bazhnibah (Not Photographed): has written short stories in the Navajo Times for the past 3 years on various topics on Diné culture, lifestyles, and on Native fashion. She loves writing non-fiction, fiction, and finds poetry difficult to master. A graduate in a BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Arizona in 1980 and an MSN in Nursing in 2005, Bazhnibah has retired from Professional Nursing as an RN as a Chief Nurse at an Officer rank of 0-6. She has served in the United States Air Force as a Flight Nurse in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. from 1995- 2001. She is currently a photographer documenting the Diné life, landscape, fashion, and women. Her goal is to finish her BFA in Creative Writing and complete a book on Diné women. She is relearning her native tongue of Diné/Navajo language. Bazhnibah was a writing fellow this Summer 2023 in South Dakota.

Lambert Martin, Jr., was born and raised in the dirt road jungles of Shiprock, NM. He is a student, writer, book guzzler, trauma monster, Sudoku wizard, and Peer Writing Tutor at Dine College. He is the author of one online publication - SHIPROCKLAND. When not writing hysterical nonsense he bides his time between taking absurdly long walks and reading absurdly long novels.

Amber McCrary is a Diné poet, zinester, feminist and artist. She is Red House born for Mexican people. Originally from Shonto, Arizona and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She earned her BA from Arizona State University in Political Science with a minor in American Indian Studies. She received her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry at Mills College. She is also the creator of DANG! Zine (Daydreaming, Awkward, Native, Girl) Vol. 1 and Vol.2, Angsty Asdzáá: Tales of an angry Indigenous woman zine and The Asdzáá Beat. She released a chapbook titled, Electric Deserts! (Tolsun Books). McCrary is the owner and founder of Abalone Mountain Press, a press dedicated to publishing Indigenous voices. She is a board member of the Northern Arizona Book Festival, the AZ Humanities 2022 Rising Star of the year and a Native Arts and Cultures Foundation LIFT awardee.

Event Information
Date/Time: November 15, 2023, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Location: Senator John Pinto Library - Auditorium and Zoom Webinar for Virtual Participation
https://dinecollege.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wEZcINPSRWa_9_wu_73gMg

Ahe'hee' to the American Indian College Fund for granting a Seven Generations Innovators Fellowship! We are proud to present "Diné nishłį́ 'I am': A Native Diaspora Hybrid Reading Event," to the Shiprock-South Campus in Shiprock, New Mexico!

This Native American Heritage Month, join us (in-person or virtually) to hear poetry and prose from the BFA Creative Writing Program students and special guest, Abalone Mountain Press owner Amber McCrary!

The first 30 in-person attendees will receive a free tote bag and goodies from the CW program. Come and support a new generation of Native Voices in New Mexico! We have a second campus that needs all the nurturing and presence from our Diné community.

Support your tribal institution this Native American Heritage Month!

Arizona Humanities is proud to present "From Beauty is the Land," a free writing workshop taking place in Kinłani, Arizona, at the Flagstaff Public Library!

This is the third workshop co-hosted by Amber McCrary and Shaina Nez. The previous two workshops were held at the following locations: Window Rock, Arizona, Navajo Nation Library, and Tuba City, Diné College Center.

Join us and receive a free copy of The Diné Reader: a Navajo anthology and a lunch provided!

Registration can be found here: https://azhumanities.org/event/dine-bikeyah-bee-hozho-from-beauty-is-the-land/

We hope to see you there! -BFA CWP

Hey there! Long time!

We are thrilled to share this project from the American Indian College Fund: "Honoring Those Who Hold Us: An Elder Series," featuring a handful of Diné College students enrolled in the Creative Writing classes.

This project was created honoring our third-term U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo--we thank her for being a literary leader for Indigenous writers and poets across the globe.

Shoutout to our Diné contributors:
Milton Bluehouse Jr.
Clarencia White
Jalen Smallcanyon
Isaac Madson
Kayden McThomas
Sasha Araba
Shealee Yazzie
Danielle Manygoats
Tanya Mailboy
Charmayne Gene

“Remember” (For Joy Harjo) - A Diné College Creative Writing Student Group Poem | American Indian College Fund A poem submission to the Elder Story Series title “Remember” (For Joy Harjo) - A Diné College Creative Writing Student Group Poem.

Yá'át'ééh!

I hope your summer is going well! Here are the latest (online) course offerings for the Creative Writing Program at Diné College!

For enrollment information, contact your department advisor at Diné College. For BFA students, contact Stephanne Jim at [email protected].

Share: Art and Design at Diné College Abalone Mountain Press Palabras Bilingual Bookstore Diné Studies Conference

Ahéhee'!