Date August 2, 2024
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Honoring Diné culture with words

Danielle Shandiin Emerson ’22.5 amplifies the literary traditions of Indigenous peoples with stories centered on family, community, and healing.

From art to film to music to dance, Brown alumni are reimagining the possibilities of artistic expression and sharing the sources of their creativity. 

Danielle Shandiin Emerson ’22.5 has always looked for inspiration in everyday life experiences. Family anecdotes. Songs. Names. Smells. Memories of her upbringing in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. Those reflections are woven into many of her published works, from the short story “Christmas and Ymir” to the poem “shíma yazhí ahéheeʼ / thank you, auntie.” 

Growing up, Emerson didn’t often see the intricacies of the Navajo people (or “Diné” as the Navajo people call themselves) reflected in fiction.

“In my own way, I made space and wrote my own stories,” said Emerson, who is the Associates’ of the Boston Public Library’s 2023-24 Writer-in-Residence and the first Native writer in its history. 

With the program’s support, Emerson has been developing an anthology of 10 short stories exploring themes of family, culture, tradition, growth, grief, healing, home, community, queerness, and identity. She hopes the stories will create a greater sense of belonging for Native and Indigenous readers. 

Historically, the stories of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) have been underrepresented in literature. As more diverse voices emerge, Emerson looks forward to the day when BIPOC authors no longer have to make a case for inclusion.

“The importance of cultural representation isn’t a question,” she said. “Cultural representation matters. Our stories, perspectives, and experiences matter. There doesn’t need to be a ‘because’ after that.”

How did you engage with the arts while at Brown and how has that experience helped to shape your trajectory as a writer? 

While at Brown, I spent a lot of time taking various literary arts classes, mostly in fiction and creative nonfiction. I was also a staff writer and eventual section editor for Post-, The Brown Daily Herald’s literary arts magazine. I took photos for The Brown Daily Herald and was a co-head photo editor. And I loved theater, so I spent a lot of time working with student-run theater groups as either a designer or playwright.

I think all these experiences helped me really explore multiple facets of storytelling—fiction writing, nonfiction writing, photography, and theater. Each area I explored had different tools and methods towards storytelling that I had to learn and expand upon. I feel like I got a broader understanding of how stories can be explored, developed, learned, and shared, which strengthened not only my writing, but also the way I move throughout the world.

“ There are memories that keep replaying in my head, there are songs I can’t seem to forget, and there are stories I’m told by family members that just happen to spark an intense curiosity. ”

What does your creative process look like?

My creative process is a little hard to pinpoint, but sometimes a question or an image or a name just pops into my head, and I’m instantly struck by the need to explore it! There are memories that keep replaying in my head, there are songs I can’t seem to forget, and there are stories I’m told by family members that just happen to spark an intense curiosity. I have a large 100-page document on my laptop with various ideas, images, memories, smells, names, etc., that I just keep adding to, and somewhere along the line, a note becomes a short story and/or poem. 

As a writer whose work deals explicitly with questions of Indigenous identity, how do you view the relationship between literary art and traditional forms of Native storytelling?

Storytelling is a part of who we are as Diné. I’ve always been drawn to stories and memories, especially those shared by my family. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved telling, creating, and writing stories. Diné storytelling is a vast constellation of ideals, beliefs, emotions, questions, ideas, histories, and memories. Literary art can’t capture all that Diné storytelling encompasses, but Diné storytelling can definitely disrupt the literary canon with its beauty and strength.

“ Storytelling, whether through short fiction or poetry, strengthens my ties to my family, my home, and my community. I love that storytelling helps me better understand myself and where I come from, especially as a Diné woman who grew up with little-to-no Diné representation in literature. ”

What do you enjoy most about storytelling?

I love that storytelling brings me closer to my Diné culture and curiosities. Storytelling, whether through short fiction or poetry, strengthens my ties to my family, my home, and my community. I love that storytelling helps me better understand myself and where I come from, especially as a Diné woman who grew up with little-to-no Diné representation in literature.

How would you describe your experience as the Associates of the Boston Public Library’s 2023-24 Writer-in Residence so far? 

I’ve been loving my experience so far! Everyone has been super kind and helpful. I set up my office with photos of home and pieces of my grandmother’s art. I’m currently working on a collection of young adult contemporary Diné short stories. So far I’ve written six short stories, and it’s my goal to complete four more, so by the end of the residency I have a collection of ten. I don’t necessarily have a goal for the collection, but if I can help a young Native/Indigenous reader or writer somewhere feel less alone and reach something close to healing, I’d be very grateful.

Learn more about the arts at Brown today:

 

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