Heid E. Erdrich at Western Oregon University
Ojibwe author, Heid E. Erdrich, presented to an overflowing audience in WOU’s Willamette Room on May 22, 2025. Supporters in the crowd included State Senator Deb Patterson; Dr. David Lewis, an OSU anthropology professor and member of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde; and Write Place founder, John Purdy.
Western Oregon University President Jesse Peters with Heid Erdrich
Professor Erdrich was introduced by university president, Jesse Peters. Dr. Peters spoke of meeting Professor Erdrich at NALS (Native American Literature Symposium) in 2006, and they remained friends and colleagues in the study and advancement of indigenous literatures. “She’s done so much for the field,” Dr. Peters said. “And she’s a wonderful person.”
Professor Erdrich read poems and discussed connections to both Ojibwe and mainstream American culture and language. She also talked about her writing process and responded to questions from the audience.
Freshman English major, Guthrie Romas, found her work “steeped in a culture and place different from what I know—it was fascinating and enlightening.” Graduating senior, Catrina Kelly, was “. . . inspired by Erdrich’s poems. Her work got me excited about my own writing.”
Professor Erdrich also visited classes, including Dr. Ryan Topper’s Global Literature survey. “Heid was smart, generous and down to earth,” reported Dr. Topper. “The students loved her.” She also spent time with Henry Hughes’ Advanced Poetry Workshop. Malia Vican, a student poet and psychology major from Alaska, described Professor Erdrich as “warm, funny, thoughtful, and open to any questions about her creative process.” Malia observed that “Heid brilliantly explored the intersection between art forms (poetry, dance, sculpture, even road signage), as well as nature, her Ojibwe culture, and just being human.”
Writing student, Gwyneth Couey, appreciated Professor Erdrich’s “varied approaches to form, her unconventional spacing and line breaks, creating what she called ‘breath-scripts.’” Gwyn added, “I’d like to try these forms in my new poetry.”
Aidan Korff, a junior in psychology, spoke of Professor Erdrich’s “sincere interest in us as students, aspiring writers, and as people. She’s the best kind of writing teacher.”
About Heid E. Erdrich
An Ojibwe writer, editor and activist enrolled at Turtle Mountain in North Dakota, Heid Erdrich is the author of several poetry collections, including Little Big Bully, which won the National Poetry Series award and the Bobbitt Prize from The Library of Congress, Cell Traffic, National Monuments, The Mother’s Tongue and her latest, Verb Animate: Poetry and Prose from Collaborative Acts. She edited the American Book Award-winning New Poets of Native Nations and, along with Winona LaDuke, Sister Nations: Native American Women and Community. A culinary enthusiast, Heid Erdrich is also the author of Original Local: Indigenous Foods, Stories, and Recipes from the Upper Midwest.
Professor Erdrich has received two Minnesota Book Awards and has served as the Minneapolis Poet Laureate.
With her sister, the author Louise Erdrich, she founded and directed the Turtle Mountain Writing Workshop. In 2008 the sisters co-founded The Birchbark House to support indigenous language revitalization efforts. Since 2010, Heid Erdrich has directed Wiigwaas Press, publishing Ojibwe/Anishinaabe language books and films. She is currently a visiting professor at the University of Montana.
Jensen Lecture Series
This Jensen Lecture Series event was made possible through generous support from Western Oregon University’s Office of the Provost and the Dr. Arne S. Jensen Endowment. Learn more about the Jensen Lecture Series.