Ready to start reading? To help share the joy, we're giving away over 250 copies of The Round House for free.
NEA Big Read Events
Over 25 talks, workshops, and other events
Celebrating Indigenous literary arts and culture across the Valley, the NEA Big Read: Phoenix features over 25 talks, workshops, performances, art exhibitions, book clubs, and other virtual events inspired by The Round House by Louise Erdrich in February and March 2021, focusing on community archiving, family history, MMIWG, and more. Highlights and features include:
- Bring Them Home: An Evening Dedicated to Missing Indigenous Peoples with new work from keynote speaker Layli Long Soldier, whose debut collection WHEREAS was a finalist for the National Book Award on March 26.
- Evening Song: A Conversation on Diné Womenhood and Storytelling with Navajo Nation Poets Laureate Luci Tapahonso and Laura Tohe with ASU Professor Dr. Amanda R. Tachine (curated by award-winning poet Jake Skeets) on February 27.
- Special workshops with the Labriola National American Indian Center that use storytelling, community archiving, creative writing, and zines as a way to honor and preserve Indigenous family history starting February 13.
- Where We Stand: The Ethics and Impacts of Indigenous Land Recognitions with Dr. David Martinez, Dr. Felicia Mitchell, and ASU Librarian Alex Soto on March 17
- Only the Beginning: Arizona's Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) with updates and reflections from Representative Jennifer Jermaine, April Ignacio, Debbie Nez Manuel, and Dr. Traci Morris on March 19
- Dispatches from the Field: Student Archivists and BIPOC Memory with the Labriola National American Indian Data Center and the Community Driven Archives Initiative at ASU Library on March 9
- Bił Náni’eeł: An Ekphrastic Writing Workshop on the Heard Museum with poet and Emerging Diné Writers Institute Director Manny Loely on March 13
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Keep reading to find events and activities with the NEA Big Read: Phoenix. You can also meet our partners or learn more about The Round House by Louise Erdrich.
Ready to start reading? Borrow a copy of The Round House in print, digital, or audio formats through the Phoenix Public Library or enter our book giveaway at http://piper.asu.edu/nea-big-read/book-giveaway!
Find Events with the NEA Big Read
Date: Sunday, February 7, 2021 - 11:45pm
Location: n/a
Type: Giveaway
Location: n/a
Type: Giveaway
Book Club Meet and Greet
Phoenix Public Library
Interested in running a book club on The Round House by Louise Erdrich? Come up with questions, go over strategies and tips, and get ready with an informal book club training and meet and greet!
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2021 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Online (WebEx)
Type: Meet and Greet, Professional Development, Training
Location: Online (WebEx)
Type: Meet and Greet, Professional Development, Training
Labriola Show and Share
ASU Library Labriola Center
Learn how to become a community archivist and share stories about mementos, photographs, or other objects in your home with the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at ASU Library.
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2021 - 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Community Event, Conversation, Meet and Greet
Location: Zoom
Type: Community Event, Conversation, Meet and Greet
Labriola Scanning Day
ASU Library Labriola Center
Preserve photographs, documents, and other aspects of family history with the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at ASU Library.
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2021 - 9:00am to 2:00pm
Location: Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, 906 W Roosevelt St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Type: Community Event, Professional Development, Workshop
Location: Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, 906 W Roosevelt St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Type: Community Event, Professional Development, Workshop
Map(ing) Gallery Hours
ASU School of Art, Mary Hood
Celebrate 10 years of Indigenous printmaking collaborations in a special retrospective with Mary Hood and the ASU School of Art!
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 12:00pm to Saturday, March 20, 2021 - 5:00pm
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Labriola Zine Workshop
Amber McCrary, ASU Library Labriola Center, Abalone Mountain Press
Write about your loved ones and make a zine with Amber McCrary and the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at ASU Library.
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2021 - 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Class, Generative Workshop, Workshop
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Class, Generative Workshop, Workshop
NEA Big Read Kick Off: Evening Song
Luci Tapahonso, Laura Tohe, Amanda R. Tachine, Jake Skeets, Arizona Humanities
Kick off the NEA Big Read with a conversation on Diné womanhood and the power of storytelling featuring Navajo Nation Poets Laureate Luci Tapahonso and Laura Tohe.
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2021 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Celebration, Community Event, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Celebration, Community Event, Talk
All About The Round House
Joe Buenker
Learn more about characters, plot, and everything else you need to know about The Round House with ASU Librarian Joe Buenker
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2021 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Presentation, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Presentation, Talk
Get Lit: Decolonization
Amanda R. Tachine
What is the history of colonization? What would it look like for a space to be decolonized? What does the term “decolonization” even mean? Join ASU professor Dr. Amanda R. Tachine for a conversation on decolonization, empire, and indigeneity at special edition of Get Lit!
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2021 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Salon
Location: Zoom
Type: Salon
Map(ing) Opening Reception
ASU School of Art, Mary Hood
Celebrate 10 years of Indigenous printmaking collaborations in a special retrospective with Mary Hood and the ASU School of Art!
Date: Friday, March 5, 2021 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show, Reception
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show, Reception
The Big Story: Native Tellers Respond to The Round House
Ken Duncan, Violet Duncan, Martha Ludlow Martinez, Kyle Mitchell, The Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College
Listen to personal stories from Ken Duncan, Violet Duncan, Martha Ludlow Martinez, and Kyle Mitchell in response to The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Date: Friday, March 5, 2021 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Panel, Performance
Location: Zoom
Type: Panel, Performance
Mujerx Book Club
Palabras Bilingual Bookstore
Discuss The Round House by Louise Erdrich in a special edition of the Mujerx Book Club with Palabras Bilingual Bookstore!
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Book Club
Location: Zoom
Type: Book Club
We Thrive Together
AGUILA Youth Leadership, Sareya Taylor, Samuel Redbird, Arizona Humanities
Sareya Taylor and Samuel Redbird lead a special workshop with AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute on empowerment and resiliency for high-school aged youth.
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Discussion, Presentation, Workshop
Location: Zoom
Type: Discussion, Presentation, Workshop
Remembering the Phoenix Indian School
Rosalie Talahongva, Patty Talahongva
Originally founded in 1891, the Phoenix Indian School was the only off-reservation school in Arizona run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the second-largest boarding school of its kind in the entire United States, educating thousands of students from over 22 tribes for nearly 100 years. Learn more about its complicated history with Rosalie and Patty Talahongva of the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center!
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Presentation, Q&A, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Presentation, Q&A, Talk
Dispatches from the Field: Students Archivists and BIPOC Memory
Mia Johnson, Myra Khan, Lourdes Pereira, Elizabeth Quiroga, Jessica Salow
Working outside an archival profession that has ignored their voices, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) student and community archivists are reclaiming space to maintain vital community histories and cultural knowledge. Celebrate their contributions and learn more about their work with ASU Library's Community Driven Archives Initiative!
Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Book Club
Phoenix Public Library
The NEA Big Read is all about broadening our understanding of the world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Join Phoenix Public Library for a discussion of The Round House!
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Book Club
Phoenix Public Library
The NEA Big Read is all about broadening our understanding of the world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Join Phoenix Public Library for a discussion of The Round House!
Date: Saturday, March 13, 2021 - 10:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Bił Náni’eeł: Luxuriating in the Experience of Image and Language
Manny Loley, Heard Museum
The Diné phrase “bił náni’eeł” can be understood as a pooling of water. To honor this process, and the land that gives breath to our stories, join poet Manny Loley for a special writing workshop in response to the Heard Museum.
Date: Saturday, March 13, 2021 - 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Class, Generative Workshop, Workshop
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Class, Generative Workshop, Workshop
Book Club
Phoenix Public Library
The NEA Big Read is all about broadening our understanding of the world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Join Phoenix Public Library for a discussion of The Round House!
Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Where We Stand: Indigenous Land Acknowledgments
David Martinez, Felicia Mitchell, Alex Soto
Over the last several years, more and more universities, museums, and other institutions from all over the world have issued statements of land acknowledgment honoring an area's deep histories, original stewards, and current Indigenous residents and communities. While these acknowledgments are important, they're only a first step. Join Dr. Felicia Mitchell, Dr. David Martinez, and ASU Librarian Alexander Soto for a conversation on the ethics and impacts of Indigenous land acknowledgments.
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Only the Beginning: Arizona's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Study Committee
April Ignacio, Jennifer Jermaine, Debbie Nez Manuel, Traci Morris
On May 9, 2019, the Arizona legislature passed HB2570, creating a Study Committee on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), which would spend the next year gathering data, reviewing policies, and producing recommendations to take the first steps of bringing this crisis to an end. Join study committee members Representative Jennifer Jermaine, Debbie Nez Manuel, April Ignacio, and Dr. Traci Morris for updates and progress on their work.
Date: Friday, March 19, 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Talk
Map(ing) Closing Reception
ASU School of Art, Mary Hood
Celebrate 10 years of Indigenous printmaking collaborations in a special retrospective with Mary Hood and the ASU School of Art!
Date: Friday, March 19, 2021 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Location: Step Gallery, 605 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Celebrate the diversity and talent of Indigenous artists in Arizona with a virtual art exhibition from XICO!
Date: Friday, March 19, 2021 - 7:00pm to Friday, April 2, 2021 - 8:00pm
Location: Online
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Location: Online
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show
Labriola Community Celebration
ASU Library Labriola Center, Amber McCrary, Alex Soto, Abalone Mountain Press
Over the past several months, Indigenous community members have been working with poet Amber McCrary and the Labriola National American Indian Center at ASU Library to share, preserve, and honor their family histories through storytelling, community archiving, creative writing, and zines. Celebrate the talented voices of the community with a panel and reading!
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Reading, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Reading, Talk
Book Club
Phoenix Public Library
The NEA Big Read is all about broadening our understanding of the world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Join Phoenix Public Library for a discussion of The Round House!
Date: Sunday, March 21, 2021 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Write Here, Write Now: Writing through Revenge
Gionni Ponce
How does (or doesn't) revenge motivate our characters and drive our plot forward? How do we write revenge in a socially responsible way? Join author Gionni Ponce for a special edition of Write Here, Write Now!
Date: Monday, March 22, 2021 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Generative Workshop, Workshop
Location: Zoom
Type: Generative Workshop, Workshop
Ittifatpoli: Policy and the Creative Process
Traci Morris, ASU American Indian Policy Institute
Ittifatpoli is a Chickasaw term meaning, "They are talking about serious things" or "They are talking about things that matter." Join Dr. Traci Morris of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University for a conversation about the impacts of policy in our everyday lives.
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Community Event, Conversation, Discussion, Q&A, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Community Event, Conversation, Discussion, Q&A, Talk
Book Club
Phoenix Public Library
The NEA Big Read is all about broadening our understanding of the world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Join Phoenix Public Library for a discussion of The Round House!
Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Location: Online
Type: Book Club
Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center Tours
Rosalie Talahongva
Over the course of nearly 100 years, the Phoenix Indian School educated thousands of students from nearly 22 tribes, leaving an enduring impact on individuals, families, and the larger community. Learn more about the complicated history of the Phoenix Indian School with Rosalie Talahongva!
Date: Friday, March 26, 2021 - 9:00am to 6:00pm
Location: Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center, 300 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Type: Tour
Location: Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center, 300 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Type: Tour
NEA Big Read Keynote: Bring Them Home
Layli Long Soldier, Patti Hibbeler, Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya, Jacyln Roessel, Agnes Woodward
Every time a person goes missing, it's a tragedy. But statistics are only part of the picture. In times of crisis, we come together as a community to protect one another, honor those we've lost, and gather strength to keep moving. Join Layli Long Soldier and community advocates for an evening dedicated to missing Indigenous people.
Date: Friday, March 26, 2021 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Keynote, Panel, Q&A, Reading, Talk
Location: Zoom
Type: Keynote, Panel, Q&A, Reading, Talk
Community and the Ethics of Collaboration
Layli Long Soldier
Join acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier for an artist talk and generative workshop on collaboration and community.
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2021 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Workshop
Location: Zoom
Type: Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Workshop
Heard Museum Tours
Heard Museum
Learn more about Native homelands and history, boarding school stories, Hopi Katsina dolls, and classic Pueblo pottery, plus special exhibitions on Leon Polk Smith, Navajo weaving, and more with the Heard Museum!
Date: Sunday, March 28, 2021 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show, Tour, Visit
Location: Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Type: Art Exhibit, Exhibition, Gallery Show, Tour, Visit