ENTERTAINMENT

'A gift to the nation': Oklahoman Joy Harjo's influence grows as U.S. Poet Laureate

Shortly after she starts her rare third term as U.S. Poet Laureate in autumn, Joy Harjo will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame as part of an impressive 2021 class that will include former first lady Michelle Obama, soccer star Mia Hamm, the late NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and other luminaries. 

The back-to-back honors are a testament to how influential the Tulsa musician, writer and activist has become, especially since she started her tenure in 2019 as the first Native American named Poet Laureate of the United States. 

In April 2020, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said Harjo's "profound musical and literary talents are a gift to the nation," and in November, she announced that the Muscogee (Creek) multi-hyphenate had been appointed for a third term, becoming just the second laureate to receive such an extension since duties for the position were established in 1943. (The other was Robert Pinsky.)

“Throughout the (COVID-19) pandemic, Joy Harjo has shown how poetry can help steady us and nurture us. I am thankful she is willing to continue this work on behalf of the country,” Hayden said in a statement. “A third term will give Joy the opportunity to develop and extend her signature project.”

More from Joy Harjo:U.S. Poet Laureate, native Oklahoman Joy Harjo releases first album in a decade

Tulsan Joy Harjo, the first Native American named Poet Laureate of the United States, released her album "I Pray for My Enemies" March 5 on Sunyata Records/Sony Orchard Distribution.

Joy Harjo looks ahead to her third term

For her third term, which begins in September, Harjo will focus on that project, “Living Nations, Living Words." The digital endeavor features an interactive ArcGIS Story Map — developed with the Library of Congress’ Geography and Map Division — which maps 47 contemporary Native American poets across the country. 

The map connects to a new online audio collection developed by Harjo and housed in the library's American Folklife Center, which features the participating poets reading and discussing their original poems. Along with Harjo, poets showcased in the project include Louise Erdrich, Natalie Diaz, Ray Young Bear, Craig Santos Perez, Sherwin Bitsui and Layli Long Soldier.

“This has been a challenging year for the country, for our earth. Poetry has provided doorways for joy, grief and understanding in the midst of turmoil and pandemic,” Harjo said in a statement. “I welcome the opportunity of a third term to activate my project and visit communities to share Native poetry. The story of America begins with Native presence, thoughts and words. Poetry is made of word threads that weave and connect us.”

Although she has authored nine books of poetry and recently released her co-edited anthology “When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry," poems aren't all that Harjo creates. 

In March, she released her first new recording in a decade, "I Pray for My Enemies," a collaboration with Latin Grammy-winning producer/engineer Barrett Martinon Sunyata. Harjo not only sings and speaks her poetry but also plays saxophone and flute on the 16-track album, which opens with the traditional Muscogee song “Allay Na Lee No.”

"Joy is such a champion of other people's art — my art included," Tulsa filmmaker Sterlin Harjo (Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole), who included her in his 2020 Native artists documentary "Love and Fury," told The Oklahoman. 

"She's such a champion of other people and very selfless."

In-depth Coverage:The Oklahoman's special report on Native Pride: Read all the stories here