“I loved reading the submissions, there was some great writing!” says TCJ Student guest editor Tiffany Midge.

TCJ Student guest editor and acclaimed author Tiffany Midge (Hunkpapa Lakota) has announced the winners of the 2021 TCJ Student creative writing contest. This was a difficult year, as tribal colleges across the nation struggled with enrollment and adapting to a pandemic that has affected Native communities disproportionately. But not even COVID-19 could stop tribal college student creativity, as evidenced by the high caliber entries in this year’s contest.

The top fiction entries are: “Lessons in Motion” by Craig Poitra of Turtle Mountain Community College, “Scattered Threads on Dancing Winds” by Brianna G. Reed of the Institute of American Indian Arts, and “Walking Through Ice: Alaska” by Brittany Lea Hebert of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College.

The top nonfiction entries are: “A Mother’s Strength” by Shikiya Chase of Turtle Mountain Community College, “Glenora” by teklu (AKA Corey Hogan) of the Institute of American Indian Arts, and “Sawed-Off Shotgun” by Brianna G. Reed of the Institute of American Indian Arts.

The top entries in poetry are: “(I Am) Her Glittering Existence” by Alyssa Nakai of Navajo Technical University, “Ogimaag Mitigoog” by Lucinda Wentworth of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, and “hūzíwí” by Nelson Alburquenque of the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Tribal College Journal also recognizes students who earned honorable mention. They include: Sarah Camille Chiago and Debbie Haddow both from the Institute of American Indian Arts, and Rebel Denny of Stone Child College.

“The world is made of stories, and Indigenous people from time immemorial have honored and celebrated a storytelling tradition,” says TCJ Student editor Tiffany Midge. “It was a privilege and joy to see into the hearts and minds of the story makers and scribes who submitted their poems, fiction, and nonfiction. I wish them all the very best, and encourage each to continue the pursuit of the written word, and of story.” 

The winning students and those earning honorable mention will be published in the 2021 edition of TCJ Student and/or online at TCJStudent.org. Tribal College Journal will continue to accept submissions to its art and film contest through March 26^th. For contest guidelines and more information, visit: https://tcjstudent.org/contest/