Indigenous Voices

Abstract

Indigenous Voices Greetings fromBurundi, in theheart of Africa. Iwas pleased to see that you included translations from Isthmus Zapotec in yourMay 2009 issue (Victor Ter?n, "Three Poems," 24-25). Because of thegenocide thathas affected East Africa, many western ers are familiarwith theHutus and the Tutsis, but fewer have heard of the Batwa. My people were the region's original inhabitants,much like the San of South Africa. Like your Native Americans, our lands were taken by force,by African col onizers who were later colonized themselves. Today we are still land less, forced to move from place to place at the whim of our govern ment. We face great discrimination at all levels of social interaction, especially within the Burundian educational system. I am grateful forWorld Litera ture Today's continued efforts to illu minate world indigenous cultures, both creatively and critically. The publication of Ter?n's poems?and all indigenous poetry?represents a great victory to us, as it allows oth ers to appreciate the value of our cultures. I eagerly await a Kirundi edition! Thank you. TheHonorable EtienneNdayishimiye National Parliament ofBurundi Kia ora fromKapiti Island, a nature reserve inNew Zealand, where I am currently the Maori writer in resi dence during Matariki (theMaori New Year). Surrounded by birdsong and native bush, I eagerly read the tribute toPatricia Grace featured in yourMay 2009 issue. Igrew up with Patricia Grace's tales, from reading The Kuia and theSpider as a child, to reading her short-story collec tions as a teenager, to reading her longer fiction as an adult. It was tremendously significant tome that W LT A 7 . '? r Om Xi.ioloncj ^ Op.ilKilmer Aciis.i Patricia Grace Igrew upwith Patricia Grace's tales, from reading The Kuia and the Spider as a child, to reading her short-storycollections as a teenager, to reading her longer fictionas an adult. As an emerging Maori writer, Ifind it inspiring that one of our finest Maori writers has been recognized forher deeply resonant storytelling with the Neustadt Prize. these storieswere written by aMaori woman about Maori experience, but itwas also encountering her "gener osity of spirit/' as Christina Thomp son perfectlydescribes it,that leftan impression on my heart and mind. As an emergingMaori writer, I find it inspiring that one of our finest Maori writers has been recognized forher deeply resonant storytelling with theNeustadt Prize. Thank you, World Literature Today, for also hon oring one of the Aotearoa's treasures. Kelly Joseph New Zealand Andrew Horton consistently beats thedrum for worldwide indigenous films and now forWorld Literature Today. In his essay "Indigenous Sto ries Reaching Out to theWorld" (WLT,May 2009, 50-54), Dr. Horton this time directs our focus to the FirstNations filmsofNew Zealand and the United States. This essay once again illuminates thathe is a one-man Sundance and more. How much better our aesthetic lives would be if we were to claim posses sion of all the filmsProfessorHorton mentions inhis essay! Lew Hunter UCLA Have a comment or suggestion? Send a letter to the editor via the feedback link on our website ormail to: WL T Letters 630 Parrington Oval, Suite 110 University of Oklahoma Norman,OK 73019-4033 USA 4 i World Literature Today ...