Through this anthology, centered around the idea of language as seeds, Indigenous poets and speakers carry forward Indigenous values of living and breathing in a place so many refer to as home.

In Spring of 2024, the All Our Kin Collective, in collaboration with the Fort Lewis College English Department, hosted a spoken word event titled “In xochtli in quicatl,” or “My Flower, My Song.” In Nahuatl, this phrase represents the western concept of ‘poetry’ and was traditionally a spoken form of verbal art (i.e., a song). At the event, participants came together to honor Indigenous languages and celebrate linguistic diversity through poetry and performance.

To honor the first iteration of celebrating Indigenous voices in published work, this anthology seeks to reawaken Native voices in ways that represent Indigenous values of the land and our intertwining connection to language. Indigenous tribes stay connected to their lands despite removal, colonial occupation, and other challenges with song, prayer, ceremony, and ritual through language that was passed down intergenerationally since time immemorial.

SEEDS will be published in the fall of 2025. It will be accessible digitally, with physical copies available for order. Stay tuned!