The 2023 Indigenous Poets Prize was a collaboration with the Center for Imagination in the Borderlands (CIB), Red Ink Journal, Thousand Languages Project, and the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Hayden's Ferry Review invited poetry submissions in youth and adult categories, Arizona-based and nationally-based, from writers who demonstrated a commitment to Indigenous communities with final judge Natalie Diaz, selecting seven recipients. Awarded poems appeared online in HFR’s The Dock and in HFR print issue 73 (Fall/Winter 2023). Thousand Languages Project participated by agreeing to translate all the prize-winning poems. These works are a special feature included in Thousand Languages Issue 4: Our Roots, Our Wings. We are honored to bring these poems to new readers.
Poetry Prize Recipients and Translated Languages:
- Youth (National): “I Am From,…” by Acacia Armstrong translated to Arabic
- Youth (Arizona): “Brown” by Raine Huelskamp translated to Arabic | “The House of Forgotten Memories” by Denzhone Burdette translated to French
- Adult (National): “i saw my life without you and it was beautiful” by Emily Clarke translated to Indonesian | “When Her Body Is A Battleground” by Kimberly Blaeser translated to Arabic and French
- Adult (Arizona): “Deer Tracks” by Ramona Gutierrez translated to Japanese and French | “Land is a Body is a Religion⇰” by Chris Hoshnic translated to Diné
Translators: Alyssa Elaskari, Grace Hawkins, Chris Hoshnic, Biaz Nabilla, Michael McIver, Boi Ngoc Thai, Anthony Sha, Beatrice Szymkowiak
Featured artwork: "Conversion" (48” x 72”Aerosol and oil based ink on canvas, 2023) by Thomas "Breeze Marcus.
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