#adrian louis

The four poems below are part of a final project called Suburban Witchery: A Reflection of Native American Poetry from a Non-Native Perspective, written for a Native American literature class. My intention was to, much like several Native American poets I studied (read Two-Spirit Cherokee writer Qwo-Li Driskill and Nevada Paiute writer Adrian Louis), blend metaphor and free verse with traditional storytelling and folklore. I wanted to do this, however, from the perspective of a white suburban kid. That was the challenge. What is the oral tradition of a culture whose ancestry lies in stealing from other cultures? What occurred was not white guilt (useless as it is), but perhaps a healthy dose of class hatred and an honest reflection on being born into privilege. I also wanted to ponder the meaning of "native," considering that I have lived my entire life in this region. I am aware that some might find this project offensive, but be aware that it is an experiment and that my culture is offensive so when I write about it it's going to show its ugly self...or I'm going to show my ugly self. You get the idea.