Ernestine Hayes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ernestine Saankaláxt Hayes
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Ernestine Hayes speaking in front of the Alaska State Capitol in July 2019
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| Born | 1945 (age 79–80) Juneau, Alaska
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| Known for | Author of Blonde Indian and Tao of Raven |
| Honours | Alaska State Writer Laureate |
Ernestine Saankaláxt Hayes, born in 1945, is a well-known Tlingit author. She was also a professor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, Alaska. Ernestine is part of the Wolf House, which belongs to the Kaagwaaataan clan of the Eagle side of the Tlingit Nation. She writes memoirs, essays, and poems. She was even named Alaska's State Writer Laureate from 2017 to 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ernestine Hayes was born in Juneau in 1945. At that time, Alaska was still a territory of the United States. For her first few years, Ernestine lived with her grandmother in the Juneau Indian Village. Her mother was often in hospitals because of an illness.
When Ernestine was fifteen, she and her mother moved to California. Ernestine lived there for twenty-five years.
She returned to Alaska in 1985. She then studied at the University of Alaska Southeast, where she graduated with high honors. In 2003, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Ernestine's Career
Soon after getting her master's degree, Ernestine Hayes started teaching at the University of Alaska Southeast. She also worked with the University of Alaska Anchorage's writing program.
Ernestine is a strong supporter of Native rights and culture. She works to help institutions better understand and respect Indigenous ways of life. For over a year, she wrote a newspaper column called "Edge of the Village" for the Juneau Empire.
From 2016 to 2018, Ernestine was Alaska's State Writer Laureate. This meant she was chosen as a special writer for the state. During this time, she visited many small Alaskan towns like Seward and Seldovia. She led two-day workshops to help people learn creative writing. Ernestine is currently working on her third memoir about Alaska Native life.
Her Books
Ernestine Hayes is famous for her memoirs, which are true stories from her own life.
Blonde Indian
Blonde Indian is a memoir about Ernestine's childhood in Southeast Alaska. In this book, she mixes traditional Tlingit stories with her own experiences. She also includes fictional characters and historical moments.
Ernestine's grandmother used to call her "Blonde Indian" because of her fair hair. The book tells a fictional story about a character named "Tom." His experience is similar to Ernestine's. It shows how an Alaska Native child can be separated from their traditional life and heritage.
In Blonde Indian, Ernestine shares her experiences living in Western society. She uses her own stories and traditional tales to honor her Tlingit ancestors. The book also highlights how colonization affected Indigenous children and families. Blonde Indian has received many good reviews. It won the American Book Award in 2007.
The Tao of Raven
The Tao of Raven: an Alaskan Native Memoir continues the themes from Blonde Indian. This book combines traditional Alaskan Native storytelling and life lessons. It includes Ernestine's personal memories and legends of the Raven and the Spider.
A main idea in the book is redefining "treasure." Ernestine explains that treasure is not about money or things. Instead, it is about the time we spend on Earth.
Awards and Honors
Ernestine Hayes has received many awards for her writing and contributions:
- 2002 Alaska Native Writer Award, Anchorage Daily News Fiction
- 2006 Native America Calling October Book of the Month
- 2007 Kiriyama Prize finalist for Blonde Indian, An Alaska Native Memoir
- 2007 PEN-USA non-fiction award finalist
- 2007 American Book Award
- 2007 HAIL (Honoring Alaska Indigenous Literature) Award
- 2014 Alaska Literary Award
- 2015 Rasmuson Artist, Djerassi Artist Residency
- 2015 AWARE Woman of Distinction
- 2016 Named Alaska State Writer Laureate for 2017–2018
- 2021 Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award
- 2021 Marie Darlin Prize
- 2023 United States Artists Fellowship
- 2024 First Nations Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship
Published Works
- Tao of Raven: An Alaska Native Memoir. 2017.
