Author’s note: I wrote this story because I yearn for the days that the wind has swept away. In the neighborhood of fishermen where I was born, we kids didn’t have a bathroom. Only adults had…
COVER FEATURE
Indigenous Literatures of the Americas
Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline) at her house, circa 1893, Frank LaRoche, glass negative, b&w, 8 x 10 in. PEMCO Webster & Stevens Collection, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle;…
would those who used to be weather have a word for the weight of fall sky setting in may? again i am inclined to ask what i have done. my moon/scape goat insecure ly reflected in a pool of my making—…
Image photographed by Cody Hammer𐓵𐓣𐓟 𐓣́𐓟 𐓪𐓷𐓘́𐓥𐓘͘𐓬𐓣 𐓥𐓪́͘𐓜𐓘 𐓷𐓘𐓧𐓟́𐓺𐓟 𐓣́𐓟 𐓷𐓘𐓮𐓤𐓘́ 𐓨𐓘́͘𐓻𐓘͘ 𐓩𐓣́𐓵𐓟 𐓵𐓟̋𐓤𐓘 𐓩𐓣́𐓥𐓘 𐓵𐓟 𐓘𐓬𐓘 𐓟́ 𐓵𐓣𐓸𐓪́͘ 𐓲𐓟 𐓤𐓘𐓵𐓪͘ 𐓻𐓘́́́͘𐓸𐓟 𐓘𐓵𐓣́͘𐓟 𐓟́ 𐓩𐓘͘𐓸𐓪́͘ 𐓬𐓟 𐓷𐓘𐓧𐓟́𐓺𐓟 𐓣́𐓟 𐓷𐓘𐓮𐓤𐓘́ 𐓩𐓣́𐓥𐓘 𐓘𐓬𐓘 𐓷𐓘𐓧𐓶́𐓯𐓤𐓘 𐓡𐓪͘…
Photo by Dylan Hunter / Unsplash[She hides photographs] Ta yolon stem snak’oj lok’ombailetik. Mu buch’o xa valbe, sts’ajoj ta pox xkuxlejal viniketik, xchik’anoj ta ik’al kantilaetik xch’iel ants…
Photo by Tania Victoria / Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México / FlickrK’opojel ¿Mach’a kati a sna’ bin a yal te awo’tane? ¿Mach’a kati ya’yoj te smantalil ak’ope? ¿Mach’a k’an yal ka’ytik…
Photo by James Gaither / FlickrNutsel Lok’el Lumal o’ anemun te avelov anta snamajesoj ukun lok’el te atojol, sts’ujetel spukujil jtoyobailetik snet’ojukun lok’el te atojol. Pochan jve’eletik st…
Photo by Joan C Wrenn / FlickrK’uxbä kolel Junp’ej k’iñ tyi chilbeñtyiyoñ jkolel. CHe’ tyi ksäklä tyi ktyaja tyi ipaty ibäk’ juloñib, buts, butsñabä ibuts’il. Jiñi jkolel chokol ya’ tyi bij, ya…
Sabrina Zarco, Tlacuache Medicine (2023), acrylic on canvas / zarcomontoyagaleria.bigcartel.comAfter a near-death experience, two beings explore memory, art, and medicine. The babies have no…
Photo BY 1983 (steal my _ _ art) on UnsplashTo accompany the poems that appear by the five Indigenous writers in this issue, Wendy Call talked with them to discuss their emancipatory linguistic activi…
Maya K’iche’ women of Chuwila Chichicastenango at winter solstice festivities / Courtesy of the authorElena Kame es un hechizo Elena Kame es un hechizo, muerde con su boquita canina, su saliva conduce…
The Mayan glyph k’aslem, which means life, is courtesy of the artist, Negma CoyK’aslem Yixajon chupam ri k’aq’ïq’ achi’el jun xik’awuj ri nisustut yib’ixan pa nik’aj aq’a’ achi’el ri tukr…
Photo by Motohiro Sunouchi / Flickr¿Tii maa papa’? Akgtum jaxanat, xkilhpin akgapun, skitit xla lhtukit, xtatsan katsisni’, skgatanat xmakasiyan kuyu’. Kapsnat tani nalhkawiliyaw xkilhtsukut k…
Photo by Pavel Kirillov / Flickr [Tä’äjk] Tä’äjk ijsyi’ajpajna’ sänhkä’ pitzä’omoram watpajna’ kayajupä’koroyaram äj’ wejkäis’te myajkpäupä te’ kakuy äjne’rena’ te’ wane poyo’aju…
Gabriela Morac, Laz Duá (2020), linocut, 15 x 11 in.[Dxapahuiini’ lu té] Dxapahuiini’ lu té Dxapahuiini’ cá dxiibi’ guié lu Dxapahuiini’ ni biniti guendaruxidxi lade yoo Bidii naa guiladx…
Ian Kuali’i, Portrait Queen Lili‘uokalani (2021), hand-cut paper with painted verso, 72 X 48 in.The following essay was originally delivered as a talk for a virtual poetry workshop for the De…
Puracé Volcano in the Colombian Massif / Courtesy of WikipediaQuechua writer and Yanakuna poet Fredy Chikangana explores how the Yanakuna language “contributes seeds to the construction of a world…
White-bellied woodstar hummingbird, Upper Las Tangáras Reserve, Colombia / Photo by Doug Greenberg / FlickrMamaku mushgoymanta Niy shuk machula mushgoymanta: Cay kamachik cay away yachay llanchay kh…
Oscar Hokeah’s Calling for a Blanket Dance, a cutting novel about challenge, resilience, and the support of one’s community, won the 2023 PEN America/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and was named a fi…
September 2023
The September 2023 issue of World Literature Today presents a cover feature devoted to Indigenous Literatures of the Americas, showcasing contributions by 16 Native writers from the “long, long continent” of the Western Hemisphere. Additional highlights include fiction, interviews, essays, columns, and a book review section brimming with the latest must-reads.