Returning the Gift: Poetry and Prose from the First North American Native Writers' Festival

Abstract

An unprecedented gathering of more than 300 Native writers was held in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1992. The Returning the Gift Festival brought more Native writers together in one place than at any other time in history. In compiling this volume, Joseph Bruchac invited every writer who attended the festival to submit new, unpublished work; he then selected the best of the more than 200 submissions to create a collection. The anthology includes works from every corner of the continent, representing a wide range of tribal affiliations, languages, and cultures. In addition to contributions by 92 writers are two introductory chapters: Joseph Bruchac comments on the current state of Native American literature and the significance of the Festival, and Geary Hobson traces the evolution of the event itself.