Pulitzer Prize nominee Margo Tamez came to the ASU Polytechnic campus last week to share her poems, struggles and her ongoing fight to support indigenous communities.
Tamez, a poet, activist and scholar who holds many achievements to her name, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her book "Raven Eye."
With great expression in her face and emotion in her voice, Tamez recited pieces of her nominated poetry to the crowd in the Polytechnic campus's Academic Center Building Thursday, Nov. 8.
In explaining her work she said "Raven Eye" was created to "bring everything back to life." Her intentions were to shape nature, humans and the environment, and to release the evils of the world. She included both of her children in the book, although their names have been changed.
"We need to bring holiness back into our lives," Tamez said. "People don't realize that war is here on our front yards."
Tamez has been dedicated in the fight to sustain a society that no longer oppresses the women of indigenous communities.
"We are not a post colonial society," she said. "We are still in a colonization."
She also expressed her frustrations concerning the forceful and often violent abuse that is afflicted on the women and children who live in these communities. She also shared her own experience of how she and her family were personally affected.
"Indigenous women still cannot get justice," she said. "This is not in your headlines and that's a problem."
Tamez continued past her allotted time to have an open discussion about the unjustifiable way that the indigenous community has been treated. Alongside of her was a panel consisting of her fellow supporters who consider her to be a great inspiration.
She encouraged everyone to make an effort to reach out to those communities where abuse is taking place.
Tamez graduated from the University of Texas and proceeded to receive her masters degree of fine arts in creative writing and poetry at ASU in 1997. She is currently a graduate student at Washington State University where she plans to receive her Ph.D in American Studies.
Reach the reporter at alexandra.layman@asu.edu.
