WEBVTT - Joy Harjo: Indigenous Poet and Musician 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:07.840 New green was peeking from the winter earth. The birds, 0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:11.440 who had not scattered to the forests after the first detonations, 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:15.120 kept to their early spring rituals. Like us. They were 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:18.320 beginning to sing their spring songs and were making new ones. 0:00:19.040 --> 0:00:24.200 We could not let the war steal everything that was 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:29.440 Joy Hard Joe, Native American poet, author, and musician, reading 0:00:29.480 --> 0:00:34.400 from her latest poem, called an Ordinary Morning. She was 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:37.680 moved to write it after seeing photos of the devastation 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:44.360 in Ukraine, but its subject is wider grief, loss, death, 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:49.080 and making sense of the world. I'm a land ververe 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:52.920 and this is Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear. We're 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:56.080 bringing you one hundred of the world's most inspiring and 0:00:56.280 --> 0:01:01.279 history making women you need to hear. Joy Hard Joe 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:05.160 recently concluded her third term as Poet Laureate of the 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:09.560 United States, the first Indigenous person to hold that position. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.000 She has won numerous awards for her work, which includes 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:19.000 nine books of poetry, two children's books, and an anthology 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:23.240 of Native women's writing. Her most recent book is A 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:28.839 Poet Warrior, a poetic memoir. Listen and learn why Joy 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:32.759 Hard Joe is one of Seneca's one Women to hear. 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:39.279 I'm speaking today to Indigenous poet and the former Poet 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:43.839 Laureate of the United States, Joy Hard Joe. Welcome, Joy. 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:46.240 It is a thrill to have you with us. Well, 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:49.720 it's good to be here now. You've just finished your 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:53.480 third term as Poet Laureate for the United States. This 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:58.000 is a high honorific position, one in which you work. 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:02.160 It's not just a title. And you're the only Indigenous 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:05.360 poet Laureate in the United States, at least so far. 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.720 What was the experience like and how do you feel 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:12.480 about leaving the position? What was it like to be 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:15.320 the Poet Laureate. I guess the first thing I want 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.720 to say is that I'm not the only Native poet laureate. 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:22.240 There are actually, I think right now about four or 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:27.160 five state and community Native poet Laureates, which I think 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:31.720 is really cool. But yes, I'm the first US Poet Laureate. 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:36.520 And that's something you can't you don't apply for you 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:42.440 can't apply for it. It's um, it's an honor and um. 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:45.720 And I I reminded the staff that when we were 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:47.119 in the middle of it, and I was doing all 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:49.360 this work, and I said, wait a minute, you said 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:54.440 there were there were no set obligations of this position. 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.440 And then we would laugh because of course we all 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.240 have obligations, you know, in this I think we all 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.880 have obligations of citizens of the earth, and citizens of 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.080 the country, and of our communities and in our families. 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:10.800 I mean, that's just part, that's just part of the 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.720 story that we take on when we take our when 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.679 we take our first breath. But to be named, it's 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.000 something you don't expect. And I always, I always remember 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:24.480 that morning. I had an odd feeling and I knew, 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:28.120 you know, Rob Casper and who works at the Library 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:32.000 of Congress at the Poetry and Literature Center and runs that, 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:37.840 and he had sent a funny little note that said, um, 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.920 I have a quick question. Of course you know. They 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:44.200 also the center also runs a national book festival, and 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.560 I had a book coming out. But when I got 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:50.400 on the phone with a doctor Carla Hayden, who is 0:03:50.440 --> 0:03:54.000 the Librarian of Congress, you know, it's not a presidential appointment. 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:57.240 It's by the Librarian of Congress. Just f y I 0:03:57.360 --> 0:04:01.040 for everyone. And uh, she asked if I would be, 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:04.480 you know, be the U S Poet Laureate. It was 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:08.160 like like it felt like lightning. And I didn't know 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:11.760 what to say it first, because I was running through 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:15.800 my mind quickly before I had it was like, oh 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.960 my god, I'm already so busy. That was the first thing. 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.640 But it was just like I was astounded. I mean, 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:27.040 I I almost I said, yes, of course, you know, 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:31.440 because it became I think one of the most important 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:36.400 things that came out of it was that I the 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:40.040 position and me being in that, assuming that and taking 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:44.360 on the responsibility of that position meant that a huge 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:50.560 doorway had opened for Indigenous people, a huge doorway of 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:56.799 awareness of images, of possibilities. And it resounded the position 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:00.320 and that a Native woman was in it resound dude 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:04.680 throughout Indian country, and I think throughout the country too, 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:08.400 in an odd kind of way, because you know, the history, 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:13.279 of course with the United States and Natives is very problematic, convoluted, 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:16.919 and so often the way that we're dealt with is 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:22.039 in um. You know, we've we get disappeared from the 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:28.279 national conversation. So what this position did was UM made 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:31.760 a place so to speak, and to to serve has 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:35.400 been UM, we're all fit here to serve. And this 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:39.440 allowed me to serve in a way that um in 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:45.360 a larger yet, I guess with a larger um recognition, 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:49.719 not just for me, but for indigenous people's. Did you 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.440 do a lot of travel in the position. Give us 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:55.919 a sense of how it changed your life, well, the 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:58.640 recognition did. I mean, I've worked for years and I 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:02.320 had a reputation, but I became a lot more any 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:07.120 any appearance. You know, there was a lot more. Uh, 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.400 there was a lot more coming at me. And no, 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:12.640 you know what happened most of my The reason I 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:14.520 got a third term, there were two of us that 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:18.320 have been had third terms in the position and the 0:06:18.400 --> 0:06:21.040 reason that I got a third term was because of 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:26.960 COVID out right pandemic. And so actually I didn't even 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.359 and so even into that third term, we were still 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:33.320 dealing with COVID, So I didn't get I didn't travel 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:36.920 quite as much as as much as other poet laureates 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:41.720 because we were, you know, mostly often in lockdown, and 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:46.080 so I traveled a lot on virtual I did many 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:50.880 many virtual events. But I you know, the travel has 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.800 come just to tail in my my position end at 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:57.680 the end of April, and I was traveling as soon 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.640 as it opened up, as soon as the world opened up, 0:07:00.720 --> 0:07:04.600 or at least this country I was traveling. I've been 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:08.000 traveling quite a bit lately. But it's conceivable that even 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:12.000 virtually you were reaching many, many people, perhaps even more 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:15.120 than you would have had you been able to physically 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:20.120 travel more. Yes, I think that's true. And often because 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:24.880 I didn't have to travel to an event, it um 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:27.560 I had several Often during a week, I'd have several 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:33.400 virtual performances scheduled, and I hit a point a couple 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:35.400 of times, once in the fall and once in the 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:39.600 spring of burnout. Yeah. Yeah, it takes a lot out 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:43.640 of you. Yeah, yes, so I I prefer in person. 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:49.880 There's nothing can replace that, because a performance is is 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.240 not just the performer. The performance is a place, it's 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:57.840 a time, it's the people. You know, it's a combination. Well, 0:07:57.920 --> 0:08:01.200 given that, I wonder if you would read a short 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:05.040 excerpt from your most recent book, Poet Warrior. You can't 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:08.440 see all your listeners, obviously, but I'm sure they would 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:11.600 be excited to hear from an excerpt. You know what 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:14.800 I thought I would do instead, if you don't mind, 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:19.600 is I have a new poem. Oh great, that was 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:24.000 published just published in The New Yorker and the poem 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:28.760 actually came from watching. It's called ecrastic, meaning you know, 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:32.600 it takes its its origin. Its origin story is from 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.520 a New York Times image of where bombs had just 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:41.280 hit a hit a park in in um Ukraine, and 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:44.960 there was a park bench and a loaf of bread 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:49.199 with snow on it. This was early on, and underneath 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.520 the park bench with some blood and there were two 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:55.080 people there. So in this poem, I didn't know what 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.040 to do. I mean, I don't know what to do 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.640 with the with the grief of like miss Singing, murdered 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.760 Native women, the grief that goes, you know, in this country, 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:07.720 the trauma, the historical trauma that that continues, you know, 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:13.280 with all of these stories like Briana Taylor and and so. 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:18.719 Because so I write poetry, I write music, and I 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:22.080 sat with that image and it was just so startling. 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:25.719 I just started writing. And I didn't know what this 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.120 was going to turn into, because sometimes I start writing 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.280 it might turn into a song. I am actually going 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:34.480 to turn this into a song. I've decided yesterday it 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:36.960 might turn into a song, it might turn into like 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:43.120 a short essay. Um, I didn't know. But it was 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:46.160 just published in the New Yorker. Yes, it's called an 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:49.920 ordinary morning. We left for the park a little later 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.480 than usual. My old father and I, though we knew 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:57.400 the war was honest. Blood hunger has an endless stomach. 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.720 I wanted to keep the morning from its mouth. He 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.079 needed his walk to soften his joints, and we had 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:08.040 a daily appointment with the birds. New green was peeking 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:11.079 from the winter earth. The birds, who had not scattered 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:14.160 to the forests after the first detonations, kept to their 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:18.280 early spring rituals. Like us. They were beginning to sing 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:21.720 their spring songs and were making new ones. We could 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:25.360 not let the war steal everything in the park. My 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.880 old father, hobbled by an older war, by worries over 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.439 the evil let loose among us, found joy in watching 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:35.480 the children, feeding the birds, and telling the stories he 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:38.960 never tired of. And for us, who loved him well, 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.520 those old stories made a circle of knowledge and affection. 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.400 We bought a loaf of bread. The bakers stayed on 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:50.520 to help keep the ritual of our lives fastened into place. 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.719 Our genealogies of bones are stacked in the graveyard and 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:57.880 live in the stories we shared this morning, the baker 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:01.080 and us, we will go on, even if there is 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.840 only one standing in a sea of blood and loss, 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:06.480 one who will tell the story of who we were 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:09.959 and how we fought for an ordinary warning like this one. 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.840 When the earth was beginning to wake from its cold season, 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:17.680 Old father, you tore off a piece of bread for 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:20.760 the birds gathered at your feet. They knew to find 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:24.800 us here, this part bench, this prayer of blessing for 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:29.199 the continuum of living. The fire took you first, Old Father. 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:33.400 I was stunned. The sun exploded. Then I was gone, 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:37.360 following you is away. I always did first with my eyes. 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.640 Then when I learned to toddle, a bird with bread 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.280 crumbs in its beak fled to the top of the 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:47.400 closest standing tree. My mother, your wife was a girl again. 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.480 Then you left the wedding feast. As you walked hand 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:54.079 in hand to begin a story. I was the thought 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:57.480 in the shape of a spring flower emerging from a 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.960 blood soaked earth. How we live and lived and lived 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:06.120 and loved our living. We did not want to let 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:13.960 it go. That's so profound, so beautiful, senecas one hundred 0:12:13.960 --> 0:12:16.480 women to hear will be back after the short break. 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:30.440 So listening to that poem I wonder who are the 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.599 poets who have inspired you? Are there some who have 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.280 inspired you the most? And why is that the case? 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:41.760 I've always loved lou Bordehees Luis Bordees, his stories and 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:47.120 his poetry. He was from Argentina and I liked I've 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:53.160 always liked the sense of myth and mystery and how 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:58.720 it connects to draw to the every day. And also 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:01.880 the poetry of les Le Soko. And she wasn't known. 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:04.560 She's not known as a poet. She's a fiction writer, 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:09.400 novelist from Laguna Problem, but I knew her first through 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:13.720 her poetry. And again, I guess thinking about it, I 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:18.360 also like the way that the mythological world is absolutely 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:24.600 married to the corporeal. Well, you began writing poetry in 0:13:24.600 --> 0:13:27.920 your twenties, around the same time that the Native rights 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:32.400 movement was also soaring. What do you think came first 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:36.280 the desire to make change or the desire to create? 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:41.440 Or is it even possible to separate those two? Yes, 0:13:41.480 --> 0:13:44.160 as you were asking that question, I was thinking, how 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:47.480 in the world do you separate it? Because maybe the 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:51.880 urge to write comes about for the urge to be changed, 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:56.000 you know, first within ourselves and in that change and 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:59.840 in that awakening or the various coming of ages that 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:03.840 we each go through. You know, it's all, it's all together. 0:14:04.480 --> 0:14:07.800 But I've I've come to understand that at this point 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:11.280 in my life that I've always been motivated by healing, 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.120 in the need to heal, and by the need for justice. 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:21.040 M Well, those are two really important of life's matters. 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:24.440 I think it's true that you come from a family 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:28.880 of artists. You've described that there being many Native artists 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:33.000 in your childhood community. How did that kind of upbringing 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:38.200 influence you and your own desire to create art? Well, 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:42.680 it became something that was just part of your natural world. 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:47.480 It wasn't you know, artists or some are people far away, 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:50.720 but you know, it was just part. You know, I 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:55.960 drew constantly. I was always making art and I my 0:14:56.080 --> 0:15:01.200 mother wrote songs. I had paintings of my grandmother on 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:06.520 the wall, and it was just the creation. Art of 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:11.640 art could be associated with breathing. However, I didn't one 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.200 thing we didn't have that. I didn't grow up with 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:17.080 poets or at least book my mother, I guess you 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:20.200 can see her. She was a songwriter, a lyricist, you know, 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:25.000 So there you are well. It took Yeah, yeah, it did. 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:28.040 But I'm convinced that we're you know that each you know, 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:32.120 each family, each nation, you know, each entity comes in. 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:36.320 We're part of a larger field of I call it 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:40.520 the story field, so that you know that a family, 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:44.480 you know, a great you know, the stuff, the stuff 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.920 of your direction of your life is all kind of 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:51.240 built in. Can we talk a little bit about your 0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:54.880 being a musician. You had mentioned you didn't know that 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:57.520 beautiful poem you just read to us that you might 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.280 turn it into music. You mentioned your mother there was 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:03.360 a musician. You are a musician. Tell us a little 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.240 bit about that and why it's important in your life. 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:11.000 I've always loved music and and dance, and particularly you 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.000 know then dance and and rhythm and so on. And 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:18.760 I grew up, of course with in Tulsa, with you know, 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:21.520 hearing a lot of the country swing bands, and then 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.120 all of the rock and roll and R and B 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:29.160 and everything that that I grew up with. But it's 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:33.360 um I was in. I took a few years of band, 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:36.120 I played clarinet, and then in junior high I walked 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:40.000 away from it because I um the band teacher wouldn't 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:44.400 let girls play saxophone. So yes, it was like that, 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:49.280 and and some people still have attitudes and um. Then 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.400 at around the same time, my stepfather forbid me to 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:56.160 sing in the house and and he'd also when when 0:16:56.200 --> 0:17:00.520 he came into our family, the music stopped and I 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:04.080 walked away. And I think poetry it was a way 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:06.560 because it was the way to find my way back 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.719 to it. Because if you look at the origins of 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:13.560 poetry and any culture, you will always find it in 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:18.480 the origin story. Hanging out with music and with dance. Beautiful, 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.440 And now speaking of of your poetry, you have really 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:29.119 sought to explore the personal Native national histories. What's the 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:34.280 part of history that more non Native Americans should know about? 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:37.720 And why I think you brought up something just now 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:40.960 that you know it helps me understand that the reason 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:44.480 so much of my voice it's so personal people will 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:47.359 you know, they make that comment frequently about my work, 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:50.120 and it's not about me, it's I think I came 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:53.479 to that when I started, not even necessarily consciously, but 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.360 I wanted people to know that we were human beings 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.600 and that you know, was a Native when we were 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.720 all there are all kinds and we weren't all the same. 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:08.119 And I remember when I was young, when I was 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.640 a young woman at at the University of New Mexico 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:16.639 and coming into this national political consciousness, which was also 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:20.320 personally and a perfect you know, it's at all levels. 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:24.800 I I remember saying to myself that if I do 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:27.480 anything else, by the end of my life, I want 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:32.080 Native peoples to be seen as human beings. Well, you're 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:35.720 certainly making a difference. And given everything that's going on 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:39.720 in the world today, what makes you optimistic? What makes 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:43.960 me optimistic is watching the young people coming up, the 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:48.360 young poets, you know, Native and non Native, the young poets, 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:53.360 the young theater people, the young creative artists, young musicians, 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:59.000 watching them, you know, the light, watching them develop, the 0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:02.560 light they bring in with them. Joy Hard Joe, what 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:05.320 a thrill to be able to speak with you today, 0:19:05.720 --> 0:19:10.160 former poet Laureate of the United States. Just terrific. Thank you. 0:19:10.480 --> 0:19:13.560 Thank you so much too for having me on your podcast. 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:19.399 How lucky we are to have the poems and music 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:23.680 of Joy Hard Joe to help us through these challenging times. 0:19:25.200 --> 0:19:29.199 There are three things I took from that conversation. First, 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:33.760 Joy's life and work remind us why all people's voices 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:37.199 need to be heard. Joy says that when she was 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:41.879 named the first Native American Poet Laureate, it also opened 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:46.560 a huge doorway for Indigenous people. It brought awareness of 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:53.000 a population that had disappeared from the national conversation. Second, 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:57.040 Joyce art allows us to see Native Americans for who 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:00.560 they are, As she says, I wanted people to know 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:04.000 that we are human beings, We are all kinds, and 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:09.640 we aren't all the same. Finally, with every poem and 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:13.400 every song, Joyce shows us that art can be a 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:18.560 powerful tool in the pursuit of both healing and justice. 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:22.840 Tune in next time to learn about our next featured 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:27.800 woman and discover why she's one of Seneca's one Women 0:20:27.800 --> 0:20:32.520 to Hear. Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear is a 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:36.160 collaboration between the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio, 0:20:36.320 --> 0:20:44.320 with support from founding partner Pung. Have a Great Day,