Duane Niatum is a Native American poet, author and playwright from the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe in the northern Olympic Peninsula of the state of Washington. Niatum's work draws inspiration from all aspects of life ranging from nature, art, Native American history and humans rights. After completing a BA from the University of Washington and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, Niatum taught American and European literature at the high school and was the editor for the Harper & Row's Native American Author series before returning to academia to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. Niatum's works. Niatum is often cited as belonging to the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has termed the Native American Renaissance.
Life
Born in 1938 in Seattle, Washington to a Klallam mother and Italian-American father, Niatum struggled with his mixed Indigenous and Italian heritage which would trouble him for years. After his parent's divorce, Niatum's Klallam grandfather became his surrogate father which would leave a lasting impression as he would pass on the Klallam tribe's oral tradition which would later become intertwined into his writing. At the age of 17, Niatum enlisted into the United States Navy which would be included in his short story "Crow's Sun." After his military service, Niatum graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Washington, an M.A at Johns Hopkins University, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1997 in which he discussed the life and art of the Aleut sculptor, John Hoover. Niatum would later describe his mixed-ancestry as such: "My aesthetic position has always been to learn and grow from whatever sources of knowledge are available. I have, without exception, believed it extremely important to maintain a balance and give my reader the wholeness of my experience through living in both worlds. Fortunately, time has shown me how to live within this paradox. Art continues to offer the opportunity of surviving in both worlds no matter how challenging that may become at times." Niatum has taught at Johns Hopkins University, The Evergreen State College, the University of Washington, Eastern Washington University, Seattle Central Community College, Western Washington University, Northwest Indian College, and the University of Michigan. Duane Niatum was the editor of the Native American Authors Program, Harper & Row Publishers.
Works
Earth Vowels Mongrel Empire, 2017.
The Pull of the Green Kite Seattle, WA: Serif & Pixel Press, 2011
Agate Songs on the Path of Red Cedar: PoemsSequim, WA : Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, c2011
Journeys That Criss-cross Darkness and Light: Poems : D. Niatum,
"Duane Niatum, a key figure in the poetry of the contemporary Native American literary explosion, has produced a sixth collection of poems. It's an important event."
