Evelina Zuni Lucero facts for kids

Evelina Zuni Lucero was born on October 10, 1953. She is a talented writer, poet, and journalist from the Native American communities of Isleta Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh. Her book, Night Sky, Morning Star, won a special award in 1999 called the First Book Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas.

About Evelina Zuni Lucero's Life

Evelina Zuni Lucero spent her early childhood in Isleta Pueblo until she was eight years old. After that, her family moved to Colorado and Nevada. She later joined the first-ever Stanford University program for Native American Studies.

After college, she became a journalist. She worked with different Native American groups. During this time, she met a Pueblo poet named Simon Ortiz. He greatly inspired her writing. She said that seeing an Indigenous author write about familiar people and places showed her that their lives were important.

Today, Lucero lives in Isleta Pueblo. She teaches creative writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has also helped organize community programs in Isleta, like Headstart, which supports early childhood education. She is currently the Chair of Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Evelina Zuni Lucero's Books and Stories

Evelina Zuni Lucero is best known for her novel, Night Sky, Morning Star, which came out in 1999. The book tells the story of a Pueblo artist named Cecelia Bluespruce and her family. It also follows her son, Jude, who is estranged from her.

The book also includes chapters told by Julian Morningstar James, who is Jude's father. Julian is the "Morning Star" in the book's title. He has been unfairly put in prison for things he supposedly did when he was an activist. Lucero has said that a Native person in prison was a good way to show the experiences of Indigenous people in the Americas.

Reviewers have noted that the story of Cecelia and Julian is similar to an old Tiwa story about a "deer man." This traditional story is about someone who leads people away from their families and then betrays them. The novel explores this idea and eventually finds a solution.

One reviewer mentioned that the book gives readers a good look into modern Tiwa-speaking Pueblo life. Another writer, Stuart Christie, said that Lucero's book shows how love can be a strong connection for Native North American people in prison, linking them to their traditions and communities outside.

Besides her novel, Lucero has also written short stories. She has been working as a journalist since the 1970s.

Awards and Honors

• First Book Award from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas (1999).
• Civitella Ranieri Fellow (Civitella Ranieri International Artist Center, 1999).