Diane Burns facts for kids

Diane Marie Burns (1956–2006) was a talented artist. She was from the Anishinaabe (Lac Courte Oreilles) and Chemehuevi tribes. Diane was famous for her poetry and performance art. Her work often showed the experiences of Native Americans. After moving to New York City, she joined the lively poetry scene there. This included the famous Nuyorican Poets Café.

Growing Up and School

Diane Burns was born in Lawrence, Kansas. Her mother was Anishinaabe, and her father was Chemehuevi. Her family moved often because of her parents' jobs. They worked at different tribal schools.

Diane went to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was from 1972 to 1974. Then she attended Barnard College in New York from 1974 to 1978. Barnard is a women's college that is part of Columbia University.

Awards and Recognition

Diane received special awards for her poetry. In April 1974, she got a certificate of distinction from New Mexico State University. The next month, she earned a Congressional Certificate of Merit. This was for her excellent schoolwork and community service at IAIA.

Diane said she chose Barnard College after seeing the campus. She was trying to find a comic book shop at the time. She was very impressed by the college. During her first year, her grandmother gave her the name "Mah gee-osh qwe." Diane was one of only a few Indigenous students at Barnard.

Her Poetry and Performances

Diane Burns often used humor in her writing. She talked about unfair ideas about Indigenous people. She also shared everyday Native American life. Her poem "Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question" is a good example. In it, she imagines a conversation with someone who asks many questions. This person also uses many stereotypes.

Diane loved to perform her poetry live. She said she would rather read poetry to an audience than almost anything else. She performed at many places in New York City. These included the American Indian Community House. Her poem "Big Fun" is like a "49" song. These are popular social songs sung after powwows.

Honoring Her Work

A visual artist named Sky Hopinka created a video to honor Diane. It was part of his art show at the Museum of Modern Art. This shows how important Diane's work was.

Diane also shared the stage with many famous poets. Some of these were Simon J. Ortiz, Ntozake Shange, and Allen Ginsberg. She often performed at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. Her memorial service was also held there.

In 1986, Diane was invited to a poetry festival in Nicaragua. She traveled with other poets like Joy Harjo and Allen Ginsberg.

Where Her Poems Appear

Diane's poems have been in many books and magazines. They are in collections like Songs from This Earth on Turtle's Back. Her work is seen as very important in the Native American contemporary arts movement. Her poems also appear in books such as Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café.

Her Published Works

Diane Burns published only one book of poems. It was called Riding the One-Eyed Ford (1981). This book had sixteen poems.

She also started writing a novel called Tequila Mockingbird. However, she never finished it. One page from this story was published in a magazine called Tribes.