Appointed United States Poet Laureate

• 🏅 Joy Harjo, the first Native American to hold the position, was named the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate.
• 💡 Her appointment honors Native people, ancestors, and the resilience that has sustained them.
• 🗣️ She describes the call to this role as a surprise, with the head librarian of the Library of Congress extending the invitation.

Ancestral Connection and Story Matrix

• 🔗 Harjo emphasizes that individuals stand as a multitude, supported by thousands of ancestors, a concept echoed by Maya Angelou.
• 🌌 She views life as a connected "story matrix" where ancestors are visible through the eyes of children, passing on gifts and history.
• 🧠 This interconnectedness extends to all living things, including plants and stones, suggesting a universal story that binds everything.

Childhood Trauma and Resilience

• 💔 Harjo's memoir "Crazy Brave" details a childhood marked by trauma, including an abusive stepfather and being kicked out at 16.
• 🌟 She recounts a difficult birth, feeling the struggle to stay alive even as an infant, and the profound impact of her mother's music.
• 👂 The "knowing," an inner sense or guardian, guided her, often warning her of danger, a sense she believes all humans possess.

The Path of Poetry

• 🎨 Initially drawn to painting, Harjo found her voice in poetry after hearing Native poets, realizing she could write about her own experiences.
• ✍️ She describes writing as a way to process trauma and advocate for Native rights, transforming difficult experiences into nourishment.
• 📖 Her first encounter with poetry was through a Golden Book of Poetry, which she described as "singing on paper."

Healing and Collective Consciousness

• 🌍 Harjo believes poetry serves as a healing force, offering a way to express thoughts, find pathways to healing, and confront societal injustices.
• 🗣️ She highlights the ongoing struggles of Native communities, including high suicide rates and the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
• 🤝 Healing as a nation and planet requires listening, understanding our interconnectedness, and moving with intention towards kindness and care.

The Power of Silence and Listening

• 🧘 Harjo stresses the importance of befriending silence to truly hear, a lesson learned through her own analytical mind.
• 🐦 She suggests that America's healing could begin with a collective pause to listen to nature and express gratitude.
• 💖 True connection, she argues, comes from recognizing that all children are our relatives and that borders are artificial constructs.