Nora Marks Dauenhauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nora Marks Keixwnéi Dauenhauer
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Nora Dauenhauer in 2011
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| Born | May 8, 1927 |
| Died | September 25, 2017 (aged 90) Juneau, Alaska, U.S.
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| Nationality | Tlingit |
| Occupation | Poet, Tlingit Language Researcher |
| Known for | Tlingit language and history writing. |
Nora Marks Keixwnéi Dauenhauer (born May 8, 1927 – died September 25, 2017) was an amazing Tlingit writer and expert in the Tlingit language from Alaska. She wrote poems and short stories. Nora won an American Book Award for her book Russians in Tlingit America: The Battles of Sitka, 1802 And 1804. She was even named Alaska State Writer Laureate from 2012 to 2014, which is a big honor!
Contents
Early Life and Tlingit Roots
Nora Marks was born on May 8, 1927. She was the first of 16 children. Her mother, Emma Marks, was from Yakutat, and her father, Willie Marks, was a Tlingit from Hoonah. Nora's Tlingit name from birth was Keix̱wnéi.
She grew up in places like Juneau and Hoonah. Her family also spent time at hunting and fishing spots around Icy Straits and Glacier Bay. Nora's first language was Tlingit.
Clan and Family Connections
Following her mother's side, Nora was part of the Raven moiety of the Tlingit nation. She belonged to the Yakutat Lukaax̱.ádi (Sockeye Salmon) clan. She was also from the Shaka Hít, or Canoe Prow House, which is near the Alsek River.
In 1986, she became a co-leader of her clan. In 2010, she received the special title of Naa Tláa (Clan Mother). This made her the ceremonial leader of her clan. Nora's family had deep roots in Tlingit culture and history.
Adult Life and Language Work
In the early 1970s, Nora married Richard Dauenhauer. He was a linguist who studied the Tlingit language. Nora lived in Juneau, where she wrote, researched, and volunteered at schools. She became famous around the world for her work. She helped keep the Tlingit language alive and taught it to others.
Nora studied anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. She learned more about her own Tlingit heritage. She once said that people thought Tlingit was simple, but it was actually one of the hardest languages. Nora and Richard wrote many books together about the Tlingit language.
Nora had four children, 13 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. She passed away on September 25, 2017, at the age of 90.
Education and Career Journey
Nora's first language was Tlingit. She started learning English when she went to school at age 8. She left Douglas school after the 6th grade. This was because she felt embarrassed and was not treated well by her teachers.
Later, when she started teaching Tlingit at Juneau High School, she decided to get her GED. She realized she needed more education to help the students. After getting her GED, she went to college. In 1976, she earned a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Alaska Methodist University (Alaska Pacific University).
Research and Writing
From 1972 to 1973, Nora researched the Tlingit language. She worked at the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. There, she translated Tlingit culture into books. One of her books, Beginning Tlingit, was published in 1976.
In 1983, Nora and her family moved to Juneau, Alaska. This was after she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She became a main researcher at the Sealaska Heritage Foundation. She worked there from 1983 to 1997.
Nora's work was inspired by the sea and land around her. She helped save the oral stories and culture of past generations. In 2000, she published a book of poems and stories called Life Woven with Song. This book shared her life and Tlingit traditions. It included poems, stories about her life on the northern Pacific coast, and plays about traditional Tlingit Raven stories.
From 2012 to 2014, Nora was the Alaska State Poet Laureate. This means she was recognized as the state's official poet.
Awards and Honors
Nora Marks Dauenhauer received many awards for her important work:
- 1980: Named Humanist of the Year by the Alaska Humanities Forum.
- 1989: Won Alaska's Governor Award for the Arts, Native Alaskan Artist Award, with Richard Dauenhauer.
- 1991: Received the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation.
- May 2001: Given an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the University of Alaska Southeast.
- 2005: Honored with the Community Spirit Award by the First Peoples Fund.
- 2007: Received a lifetime achievement award from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
- 2008: Won another American Book Award for Anooshi Lingit Aani Ka / Russians in Tlingit America: The Battles of Sitka 1802 and 1804.
- March 2010: Added to the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.
- November 2011: Chosen for the Indigenous Leadership award by Ecotrust, Salmon Nation, in Portland, Oregon.
- 2012 – 2014: Served as Alaska State Writer Laureate.
Collaborative Works
Nora Dauenhauer worked with her husband, Richard Dauenhauer, on many important books. These books helped to preserve and share Tlingit oral traditions:
- Dauenhauer, N., & Dauenhauer, R. (1981). "Because we cherish you ...: Sealaska elders speak to the future.
- Dauenhauer, N., & Dauenhauer, R. (1987) Haa Shuká, Our Ancestors: Tlingit Oral Narratives. (Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, vol. 1.)
- Dauenhauer, N., & Dauenhauer, R. (1990) Haa Tuwanáagu Yís, for Healing Our Spirit: Tlingit Oratory. (Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, vol. 2.)
- Dauenhauer, N., & Dauenhauer, R. (1994) Haa Kusteeyí, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories. (Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, vol. 3.)
- Dauenhauer, N. M., & Dauenhauer, R. (1998). Technical, emotional, and ideological issues in reversing Language SHIFT: Examples from Southeast Alaska.
See also
In Spanish: Nora Marks Dauenhauer para niños
- Native American Studies
- List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas
- Alaska Womens Hall of Fame
