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NEA Big Read Events

The Big Story: Native Tellers Respond to The Round House with Ken Duncan, Violet Duncan, Martha Ludlow Martinez, Kyle Mitchell, The Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College

Date(s): First Friday, March 5, 2021, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Phoenix MST
Location: Zoom
Type(s): Panel, Performance
Genre and Form(s): American Indian, Family History, Indigenous, Storytelling
Cost: Free

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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About this Event

One good story deserves another. Whenever we read a book, we bring our own memories and experiences to the page. Join the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College for The Big Story: Native Tellers Respond to The Round House on First Friday, March 5, 2021 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Phoenix MST online.

After sharing each of their stories, tellers will participate in a short panel discussion and answer questions from the audience. Featured tellers include Ken Duncan, Violet Duncan, Martha Ludlow Martinez, and Kyle Mitchell. This event is presented in partnership with the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College, will be live-streamed and recorded, and is open to the public and free.

Looking for more events? Celebrate stories of Indigenous family at the Labriola Community Celebration on March 20, register for the keynote with Layli Long Soldier on March 26, or view the full schedule for the NEA Big Read today at http://piper.asu.edu/nea-big-read/schedule. 

About the Author


Ken Duncan

Enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, an accomplished cultural teacher, singer, flute player, artist, and storyteller. He is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM. Mr. Duncan is the founder/director of a family business, YELLOW BIRD PRODUCTIONS. Recently Ken was accepted into the 2020-21 ASU Teaching Artist Program. Among his many accomplishments, Ken has lectured on American Indian cultures across the Unites States and throughout the world including the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland; the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York AND in Washington DC.

Learn more about Ken Duncan


Violet Duncan

Violet Duncan is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation. She has toured nationally and internationally as a dancer and storyteller. Violet is a former "Miss Indian World", representing all Indigenous people of North America. Violet is currently the Indigenous curator at the Tempe Center for the Arts where she aims to create space for a permanent program of Indigenous performance and practice.

Learn more about Violet Duncan


Martha Ludlow Martinez

Martha Ludlow Martinez is an avid student of her traditional teachings and devoted to preserving cultural heritage. She was a featured teller and workshop presenter for the Mesa Arts Center's Water = Life event in 2019, and at South Mountain Community College's first Stew and Stories event in 2015. She received various awards through her time as a tribal royalty ambassador and has held many titles including Miss Indian Scottsdale Community College for 2015-16. She had the honor of singing for President Barack Obama at the Tribal Nations Conference in 2016.

Learn more about Martha Ludlow Martinez


Kyle Mitchell

Kyle Mitchell is Diné (Navajo), Storyteller, Educator, and Veteran. He grew up on the reservation with his grandparents, where he learned the family’s work ethic along with oral tradition every day. After graduating high school, he enlisted into the Army where he served two tours – one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

Learn more about Kyle Mitchell

About the NEA Big Read: Phoenix

This event is presented as part of the NEA Big Read: Phoenix, celebrating Indigenous literary arts and culture in the Valley with over 25 talks, workshops, performances, book clubs, art exhibits other virtual events inspired by The Round House by Louise Erdrich. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read: Phoenix is presented by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University with additional support from Arizona Humanities, Phoenix Public Library, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Humanities Division at ASU, and over 40 authors, performers, and community organizations. Find events, meet our partners, and start reading today at http://piper.asu.edu/big-read.

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Support Indigenous Communities

The Phoenix Indian Center is the oldest American Indian non-profit organization of its kind in the United States, providing workforce development, cultural enrichment, and other vital services to Indigenous communities throughout the Valley for over 70 years. To support their work, visit their website at https://phxindcenter.org/financial-support/, click the donate button, enter an amount, and enter "NEA Big Read" in the description. Please consider making a gift to the Phoenix Indian Center today.

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