People from around the world gathered via Zoom to participate in the Native American Read-In, an event to celebrate Native American heritage and the work of Indigenous artists and authors. 

The iSchool, in partnership with the nonprofit Read-a-Rama, hosted the third annual read-in on Sunday, April 13. The online event highlighted Indigenous voices through storytelling, dance and musical performances.

The event was emceed by MLIS alum and Ph.D student Mandi Harris, a member of the Cherokee Nation. Michelle H. Martin, the iSchool’s Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services, began the event with a land acknowledgment and introduced Read-a-Rama’s Chief Operating Officer, Monique Law.

UW sponsors for the event included the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, the Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies and the iSchool.

“We believe that information changes lives, and at the Information School we seek to be a place where students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds can work and thrive,” iSchool Dean Anind K. Dey said at the event. 

Hoop dancer and Native American flute player Tony Duncan began the event with a hoop dance performance with his four children. Hoop dance originates from the Taos Pueblo of New Mexico and is shared at social gatherings and powwows.

With the hoops, Duncan and his children created images and shapes that represent creatures from Mother Earth, teaching the audience that they must respect and honor all life.

“All living forms are a part of this great circle,” Duncan said. “All life moves in these life circles. … We are all connected within this hoop.”

The event continued with a reading session from authors Laurel Goodluck and Violet Duncan.

Goodluck read her new children’s novel, “Fierce Aunties,” a story that celebrates the aunties the readers go to for love and support. 

In her breakout room session, Goodluck shared the story of her own aunts, Alice and Lucy, whom she described as the fiercest aunties in her family.

“They modeled to our family the resiliency that we had in our DNA,” Goodluck said.

Violet Duncan read a chapter from her children’s novel, “Buffalo Dreamer,” a story that aims to introduce the history and trauma of the Indian residential school system to children, educators and non-native people.

“Everyone needs to hear how this went down,” Violet Duncan said. “Everyone needs to hear these stories and to understand that as bad as it was, these people came out the other side resilient.”

A National Book Award finalist for young people’s literature, “Buffalo Dreamer” has been critically acclaimed and praised for shining a light on this aspect of Indigenous history.

In her breakout room session, Duncan shared the story of her own father’s kidnapping and his story of being separated from his family and taken to the residential schools. 

“[“Buffalo Dreamer’] was a secret love letter to my aunties and uncles and my parents,” Violet Duncan said. “This history is being shared; I want it to go into as many young people's hands as possible so they can get introduced to the topic.”

After the breakout sessions, Tony Duncan returned to perform songs on the Native American flute. Named the Native American Music Awards Artist of the Year for 2013-14, Duncan has been playing the flute since his father taught him when he was 10 years old. 

“[My father] always told me that the flute was a gift from the bird people and the flute was also an instrument that was brought to us to bring forth the different teachings that we have for honoring the women of our communities,” Tony Duncan said. “A song of appreciation, a song of love, a song of respect.”

Joe Seymour added to the musical celebration, playing the drums and leading in prayer as expressions of gratitude for the celebration of Native American culture. His song, from the Makah people of Neah Bay, thanks the creator for the light of day.

Cheryl Metoyer, director of the Information School’s iNative research group, gave closing remarks, concluding the emotional and powerful celebration. She also read a passage from “The Man Made of Words” by N. Scott Momaday.

The annual Read-In brought together dozens of members from different tribes and emphasized the importance of celebrating Indigenous artists year round.

“Find and read the works of other native creators who are telling stories that we would all benefit from reading,” Mandi Harris said.