Poetry

Thousand Languages Issue 4 Indigenous Poets Prize Folio

Hayden's Ferry Review Issue 73

Land is a Body is a Religion

Chris Hoshnic

The Mother⇰ throws the umbilical cord from           the Body      to The East⇰
on sovereignty,
but in The West,           the Body      is feral.

The Remains larger than 10 U.S. states, it is a domestic dependent⇰      Nation
under Supreme Court or      “Indian Reservation⇰”
                                        — interchangeable —
where citizenship                  is taxed.

Private property does not exist here. It it is saddled by the U.S. federal government only to be
barebacked           by           the           Tribal government⇰.

“Navajos” live in rented homes by Navajo Housing Authority⇰
or in mobile homes on      Public Land;
banks do not give loans to build homes on Public Land.
Therefore Jackson leaves do not               fall     into     place.

And Division of Social Services said                                               Apply for government housing
     and the Executive Office of the President blessed the land with 49% unemployment rates
but      the Body      must be enrolled in the firmament of Office of Vital Records and Identification

and the Cabinet & their Divisions called the firmament      Average household income of $8,000.
The Division of Community said                                                                 Work within the Nation
and Prosperity Now said                                                         Behold! With a 36% poverty rate –

but Spring bloomed COVID-19⇰ and one-third of households      lack      water.
In-Laws      Country Club and Colt 45 drown      the Body,
until      the Body      is found dead five or five hundred feet from the lease of      the Body.
The ownership of           the Body      will then return

to the U.S. federal government                           – in rigor mortis –
where      the Body      is a dog rolling in the grass.
with a stump                                                         in      the      belly.

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⇰ This theology, like Number, sounds like Naamaas meaning ‘rolling around.’
⇰ The R is sometimes referred to as Canine Letter or Dog’s Letter
⇰ where my grandmother’s land is unowned, has no lineage to wealth. One that cannot be built to pass on
⇰ to my child’s child’s child, whose umbilical cord will likely rest in incinerators with all the other unwanted body parts.
⇰ A similar location James Baldwin did not want to be integrated into. This is called a burning house.
⇰ The concept We, a nation of chroma people, is confined to a home, not recoverable. To remind you, this is a house
⇰ built and made to be flammable or as stated verbatim in NHA’s mission: sustainable quality homes.
⇰ This is an accidental note; an elegy without words; a sympathy gift made to light my great-grandchildren on fire.

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Nahaká Diyin⇰

Chris Hoshnic

Translator's Note

Amá⇰ bi’awééʼ bi’ts’éé’          Ha’a’aah⇰          j’ooh ayiiłhxaan
naha’áago  
E’e’aah j’ooh          ats’íís          báhádzid

U.S. states neeznáá agii Ats’iis doo hináanii bi’awéé’⇰          díí nahosdzáán 
Nihinálí béétsoh łizhin doodagó “Indian Reservation⇰”
                                                    — neízgiz’agóó — 
iiná’ig’íí          bíchį́į́’ deeyołt’á  

baa hą́ą́h hasin adin          łį́į́’át’é bee hazʼáanii 
bił’yoogááłígii          díí         bee         hazʼáani át’é ⇰

“Nihikʼéí” béeso biyi’ yiiká Navajo Housing Authority⇰ bik’ehgo 
na’ałbąąs’agii nihi hooghán          díí Kéyah daabí
Bikéyah doo nihi’daa éí biniinaa nihi Diné doo yáʼátʼéeh níhi di’niida, jíní
Díítı̨́ı̨́ł doochʼih                                        iiyisíí          nanitłʼah 

Division of Social Services haadzíí’                                      Apply for government housing
                    Níhí naazíínii 49% deeya nanishíí adin doodlééł 
díí          Ats’íís          Office of Vital Records and Identification ya'aashii adoohkah

Cabinet dóó Divisions ya'aashii sódídoolzin               Average household income of $8,000. 
Division of Community éí nání                                                            Work within the Nation 
dóó Prosperity Now éí nání                                              Behold! With a 36% poverty rate – 

Ákondi dáán éí COVID-19⇰ yííshehį́          adóó          tó          áásdį́į́d
Dáníhį́kʼéí          Country Club dóó Colt 45                     Ats’íís          iijííł
Ákohgo          díí Ats’íís          hodíinaʼgo dasétsą́          Ats’íís         bá’iilyá
Ats’íís                                                                             bá’iilyá

U.S. federal government yaaneidoołt’eeł           – ats’iis doo hináanii – 
Háádę́ę́ʼ shą́ʼ           Ats’íís                                  łééchąąʼí tłʼoh biyi naamaas
akétłʼóól            v                                                             bitsʼééʼ                silį́į́’

__________________________________

⇰ Baa’nitsékees doo jiiłta’ goo Naamaas goo názbąs 
⇰ Łééchąąʼí doo bi’awooʼ dawolyé díí Saad bee alʼį́į́hni
⇰ Naalyéhé ádin doo nihi masani bi hooghan doo nihi’da  
⇰ Danihitsóóké bahojoobáʼíii doo nihi’awééʼ daa bi’ats’éé’ kǫʼ binídeeshchił
⇰ James Baldwin haadzííd doo Hoogan dadoolid bił’wolya’
⇰ Dii hoogan agii doo da’jii iina da’ Nihi doo nihisin da
⇰ NHA Sustainable quality homes dadíílid 
⇰ Díí accidental note nizhonigo nihá, nihaʼáłchíní dadíílid

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