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User:Pingnova/sandbox/NDN Girls Book Club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AbbreviationNDNGBC[1]
FormationApril 22, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-04-22)[2]
FounderKinsale Drake[2]
Founded atPhoenix, Arizona[2]
Type501(c)(3) nonprofit
PurposePromote Native literature[2]
FundingFirst Peoples Fund[2]
Websitendngirlsbookclub.org

NDN Girls Book Club (sometimes abbreviated NDNGBC[1]) is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes Indigenous literature and writing and reading to Native American youth.

Description

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NDN Girls Book Club works to increase the amount of Native writers and readers, especially targeting Native girls and "queer and femme"[3] Natives. The organization's programs include books shipped free to Native youth and Native schools and libraries, merchandise that promotes Native literature, workshops on writing and publishing, and author talks.[3][2] The club is described as a hybrid community that offers programming online and in-person.[4]

The club focuses on contemporary books to highlight living Native authors. Genres include poetry, fiction, nonfiction, magazines, and children's picture books.[2][3][1]

Yahoo described the branding of the book club as "a dreamy book-nerd-meets-cool-girl aesthetic".[3] About the use of "girls" in the club name, Drake says anyone is welcome to participate in the club, including non-Native allies: "Anybody who wants to find community in this space is welcome. I say NDN girls, but that’s because I’m an NDN girl and I was a little NDN girly. That’s why I named it NDN Girls Book Club, because I always think of myself as a little kid and what kind of book club I would have wanted. But for me, girlies is anybody."[3] "NDN" is slang meant to be pronounced "Indian", although Drake says for their organization it means "Non-Dead Native".[5]

History

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Author Kinsale Drake (Diné[3]) started the club because Native people are underrepresented in literature. Buffalo's Fire cites a 2015 report released by the Cooperative Children's Book Center which revealed that 38 out of 5,000 books published between 2002 and 2015 were about Native people, and of those 38 books, 20 were authored by Native people themselves.[2] Another study in 2019 found that U.S. publishing companies, review journals and literary agents have less than 1% Native staff.[5] Drake additionally cites studies like "'Frozen in Time': The Impact of Native American Media Representations on Identity and Self-Understanding" (2015) that conclude that negative representations of Native people in media contribute to negative self image in Native people.[3]

Crowdfunding and a grant from First Peoples Fund out of Rapid City, South Dakota funded the founding of the book club.[3][2]

Programs

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NDN Girls Book Club main activities can be broken into three categories: author events, writing workshops, and book distribution. Events are always free for Native participants.[5] Additional activities include curating resources online for Native writers and readers, book recommendations, merchandise production, and social media communities.[2]

Author events

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The club runs and sponsors author events that include reading Native literature and speeches and discussions with Native authors. Previous authors have included Amber McCrary, Darcie Little Badger, Taté Walker, Tanaya Winder, Danielle Geller, and Carole Lindstrom, Laura Tohe, and Sareya Taylor.[5][2][6][7]

Workshops

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Writing, poetry, and zine workshops encourage Native girls and youth to write their experiences and become familiar with literature and publishing. Previous workshops have been hosted at Muckleshoot Tribal School and Sherman Indian High School.[3]

Book distribution

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The club partners with Native publishers and bookstores like Quiet Quail Books to distribute free books by Native authors to Native schools and organizations. "Care packages" of books and merchandise are sent directly to Native youth.[5][2] Author Levine Querido has donated 5,000 books.[8]

Yiłta! Book Drop
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April 1–5, 2024, NDN Girl Book Club toured 403 miles across Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona to distribute 10,000 books by Native authors to Native youth. The tour was titled "Yiłta! Book Drop"; yiłta means "I read it" in Navajo language.[9] Communities that lacked access to libraries and bookstores, termed "book deserts", were targeted. Sponsors were Cellular One, Abolone Mountain Press, 4KINSHIP, and SBi Giving Foundation.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lee, Alx (March 28, 2024). "NDN Girls Book Club to embark on Yiłta! book drop tour in April". Tri-City Record, The Journal. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Benally, Grace (April 21, 2023). "NDN Girls Book Club promotes Indigenous literature, empowers Native girls". Buffalo's Fire. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Clark, Laura (March 3, 2023). "NDN Girls Book Club, created by Gen Z poet Kinsale Drake, centers Native American 'book nerds' and writers". Yahoo Life. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  4. ^ Times, Navajo (June 1, 2023). "NDN Girls Book Club, Diné poet launches club for book lovers and emerging writers". Navajo Times. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e Jayswal, Palak (March 6, 2023). "A poet, inspired by her Utah childhood, starts a book club for Indigenous girls". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  6. ^ Dedios, Jeanette (April 21, 2023). "The NDN Girls Book Club is igniting a spark for Native American literature". Source New Mexico. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  7. ^ "Blue Corn Festival 2025". AZ Humanities. January 14, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  8. ^ Bissett, Hannah (April 5, 2024). "The largest Navajo Nation book tour". KNBA. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  9. ^ Wittenberg, Alexandra (April 8, 2024). "Pages across the rez: NDN Girls Book Club partners to bring books and more across Navajo and Hopi reservations". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Retrieved February 10, 2025.

Further reading

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