Dr. Sarah Hernandez, Associate Professor of American Literary Studies and Director of the UNM Institute for American Indian Research, is leading a community-driven project to publish The Oceti Sakowin Reader. This new anthology of Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota literature is supported by a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Indigenous Knowledge Initiative.
Hernandez, who wrote the grant proposal, will lead this two-year project as general editor. The Oceti Sakowin Reader will be a community-led, community-curated anthology that brings together Oceti Sakowin elders, scholars, writers, and educators to select, review, and present poetry, fiction, and nonfiction reflecting the values and knowledge systems of the Oceti Sakowin Oyate. The volume will also include teacher resources, author biographies, cultural activities, and a podcast series to support classroom instruction and community learning.
Established in 1993, the Oceti Sakowin Writers Society (OSWS) is a Native-led nonprofit collective of Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota writers. OSWS will serve as the project’s fiscal sponsor and editorial board, guiding all aspects of the writing and research process.
As the first anthology to center Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota voices in one volume, The Oceti Sakowin Reader will preserve both historical and contemporary works, ensuring these vibrant literary traditions are celebrated and accessible for generations to come.
For more information about this project, visit the OSWS: https://www.ocetisakowinwriterssociety.org/blog
