Gloria Bird facts for kids

Gloria Bird, born in 1951, is a talented Native American writer and teacher. She is a member of the Spokane Tribe in Washington State. Gloria writes to share stories and ideas, especially for Native American people. A big part of her work is to challenge unfair ideas or stereotypes about Native Americans. She wants to teach people about her community in a true and respectful way.

Early Life and Education

Gloria Bird was born in 1951 in Yakima Valley, Washington. As a child, she spent time between the Spokane and Colville reservations. She also attended American Indian boarding schools. Gloria grew up with her sisters, mother, and grandparents. She remembers her sister teaching her how to peel and eat sunflower stalks with a little salt.

For high school, Bird went to the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico. After that, she studied at Portland Community College. She then earned her bachelor's degree in English from Lewis and Clark College in 1990. In 1992, she received her master's degree in literature from the University of Arizona.

Becoming a Writer

Gloria Bird started writing when she was young, often feeling isolated on the reservation. Writing her first poems was a new beginning for her. Her first poetry book, Full Moon on the Reservation, was published in 1993. This book helped her win her first writing award.

Later, in 1997, she published her second book, The River of History. Gloria Bird's writing has also appeared in many collections of works by different authors.

Important Themes in Her Work

Gloria Bird's writing often describes her life on a reservation. She writes about being a Native American woman. Her work is strongly driven by a desire to educate others. She wants to show how Native Americans are sometimes unfairly stereotyped. She believes these stereotypes can be very harmful.

Bird also writes passionately about relationships between genders. She explores big ideas like birth, death, and rebirth in her poems.

Teaching and Community Work

After finishing her studies at the University of Arizona, Gloria Bird taught creative writing. She taught for five years at the arts school she once attended in New Mexico. During this time, she also worked as a co-editor for the Wíčazo Ša Review.

Bird has led writing workshops, helping others develop their skills. She is also a founding member of the Northwest Native Writers Association. Today, she teaches part-time at the Salish Kootenai College. She also works for the Spokane tribe and continues to be an associate editor for the Wíčazo Ša Review.

Awards and Publications

Gloria Bird has received several awards for her writing:

• Diane Memorial Award for Poetry (1992)
• Witter-Bynner Foundation Grant for Individual Writers (1993)
• Oregon Institute of Literary Arts, Oregon Writers Grant (1988)

Poetry Books

• The River of History, Trask House Press
• Full Moon on the Reservation, Greenfield Review Press
• Reinventing the Enemy's Language: Contemporary Native Women's Writing of North America, edited with Joy Harjo, W.W. Norton

Featured in Collections

Gloria Bird's work has been included in many important collections of writings, such as:

• Speaking for the Generations: Native Writers on Writing
• Reinventing the Enemy's Language: Contemporary Native Women's Writing of North America
• Dancing on the Rim of the World: An Anthology of Contemporary Northwest Native American Writing
• Blue Dawn, Red Earth: New Native American Storytellers
• Writing the Circle: Native Women of Western Canada: An Anthology