Central Arizona College hosted its first Native American Heritage celebration on Nov. 4 in Maricopa, featuring a poetry presentation by Arizona Poet Laureate and former Diné poet laureate Dr. Laura Tohe, according to InMaricopa.
Tohe’s talk, titled “The Stories From Which I Came,” focused on the family history and cultural experiences that influenced her writing. She told the audience that stories help people understand their place in the world.
Speaking to students, local residents and faculty in the college library, Tohe described her early love of reading and the long trips her mother made to the library in Gallup, New Mexico. She also said her time at boarding school distanced her from her culture, including the Navajo language.
Tohe said a class with Chicano poet Rudolfo Anaya later encouraged her to write about her community. She has since published four books of poetry, including works about Native American women writers and her own boarding school experience.
Tohe also told the audience that understanding where a person comes from shapes both storytelling and responsibility to family and community.
