2022 Retreat

In April of 2022, Indigenous Nations Poets hosted 17 Indigenous poets for a gathering with distinguished Indigenous faculty, In-Na-Po leaders, and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo at the Library of Congress (LOC).

The week’s events included workshops, craft talks, an introduction to the collections of the LOC and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and readings by faculty and fellows. Throughout the retreat, we embraced Indigenous values and aesthetics and encouraged participants to use Indigenous languages.

Writers received guidance on the practice and business of poetry and had the opportunity to share finished poems in several venues.

Mission Statement

Founded in 2020, In-Na-Po—Indigenous Nations Poets—is a national Indigenous poetry community committed to mentoring emerging writers, nurturing the growth of Indigenous poetic practices, and raising the visibility of all Native Writers past, present, and future. In-Na-Po recognizes the role of poetry in sustaining tribal sovereign nations and Native languages.