Margo Tamez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margo Tamez
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | January 28, 1962 Austin, Texas, United States |
| Occupation | Poet, historian, scholar, Indigenous rights |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1980s–present |
| Notable works | Raven Eye |
Margo Tamez was born on January 28, 1962, in Austin, Texas, United States. She is a talented writer, a historian, and a strong voice for Indigenous rights. Margo Tamez is part of the Lipan Apache Band of Texas. This group works to protect the history and culture of the Lipan Apache people.
About Margo Tamez
Margo Tamez grew up in South Texas. This area includes the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Texas-Mexico border. She became a scholar, a poet, and a defender of Indigenous rights. This means she works to make sure Indigenous peoples are treated fairly. She also helps them keep their unique cultures and traditions.
Her Award-Winning Work
In 2007, Margo Tamez wrote a special book of poetry called Raven Eye. This book is a type of long poem. It won the 2008 WILLA Literary Award for poetry. This award celebrates great writing by women.
What Raven Eye is About
For Raven Eye, Margo Tamez used many different sources. She included creation stories from the Athabaskan and Nahua peoples. She also used oral history, which are stories passed down by speaking. She added stories about the challenges faced by the Lipan Apache people. Margo Tamez also shared parts of her own life story in the book.
Raven Eye connects the oral stories of the Lipan Apache from South Texas to a special way of writing. This writing style includes pictures and tells about their history of standing strong.
Themes in Her Writing
Margo Tamez's poetry is known for looking closely at important topics. She writes about identity and the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples. She also writes about how some groups are not officially recognized. Her prose, which is like regular writing, talks about how Indigenous peoples have faced difficulties. These include losing parts of their culture and land. She shows how past events, like colonization, still affect Indigenous peoples today. She writes about how they work to make their own decisions about their future. This is especially true for those living near country borders.
