Yvonne Wakim Dennis

Growing up, I craved the musings of adults and never passed up an opportunity to listen to their stories even if it was from the next room with my ear pressed against the door! Elders always seemed to have more time for me that most other adults did and were usually pleased to have such an attentive audience. So I had the fortune to learn many things about the world that others my age missed. I retold these stories, often embellishing them with elements from my imagination or bits and pieces I had read. I wrote and wrote and wrote, secretly filling up notebooks and keeping narratives on just about everyone in my circle. My literary acumen was not always appreciated! However, I won awards, particularly for my creative non-fiction, and took it as a spiritual affirmation that I was on the right path. I always thought that I would be a writer when I grew up, but I got busy with life and trying to save whatever piece of the world I happened to be in. I am grateful that I found by way back to my love of writing.

Most of my published books and curricula have been in contemporary American Indian/​Indigenous/​First Nations cultures. I have published some historical works, but I find it uncomfortable writing about people who are not around to defend themselves. In my experience, editors often dismiss non-Eurocentric historical sources like oral traditions, wampum belts and winter counts to name a few. I also write about cultural diversity, drawing on my own multicultural background for many ideas. I am American Indian and Arab and have always lived in diverse neighborhoods. My passion and commitment to take care of the Earth, my mother, is evident in all that I write.

I am extremely concerned about the current trend of “dumbing down” to kids in children’s books. As a child, my family opted to not have television. Instead, I was trusted to read anything and everything (except comic books and Modern Romance!), and look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary. I used the same approach with my son, who has grown up to be an avid reader; sharing and discussing books has turned out to be a wonderful way of staying connected to him. Today’s kids should be challenged by attention-grabbing literature and respected enough to understand a variety of ideas and information. I am also dismayed that books still perpetuate stereotypes about Native people, Arab people and others; I feel compelled to expend valuable writing time addressing these gross injustices.

I am a member of the Bank Street Writers Lab, which helps maintain discipline with all my writing, especially unsold works that don't have deadlines! I am also a multicultural consultant and workshop facilitator. For fun (and therapy), I host Nitchen's Women's Powertime Circle facilitated by Shannon Flynn, a Nitchen board member. In a safe environment, we play, cry, and heal through our writing of memories and points of view. Nitchen, Inc. is an organization of Indigenous peoples from North, South and Central America, where I have been the Outreach Director for our Native family support program for several years. I am also the Education Director for Nitchen’s Children’s Museum of Native America, which provides accurate cultural programming for school groups and workshops for educators: http:/​/​www.childrensmuseum.webs.com.