The Indigenous Literature Conference began in the summer of 2016 and has become an annual conference attracting a diverse audience with a following of indigenous communities residing in California. The purpose of the conference is to create a space for people of color to showcase and share their work with a wider public, a possibility that is often undermined by mainstream, normative assumptions of what gets to count as “literature.” It also serves to promote and revitalize Indigenous languages, due to the fact that many are in danger of being extinct. By incorporating issues of language into non-traditional spaces, the conference is also pioneering new forms of identity formation for a new generation.
Authors who have participated are:
Sol Ceh Moo, Enriqueta Lunez, Natalia Toledo, Pergentino Jose Ruiz, Javier Castellanos, Mardonio Carballo, Francisco Lopez Barcenas, Gloria Muñoz Ramirez, Adelfo Regino, Irma Pineda, Celerina Sanchez, Filemon Beltran, Jorge Cocompech, Yasnaya Elena Aguilar, Jennifer Vest, Victoria Bonberry
Yasnaya Elena Aguilar, Indigenous Lit Conf 2019 Jorge Cocompech signing books at Indigenous Lit Conf 2019 Janet Martinez & Luis L. Resendiz Indigenous Lit Conf 2019 Indigenous Literature Conference 2019