The Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their lands in the early 1800s. American Sunrise is a spiritual collection of poems from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States as she returns to the original Mvskoke lands east of the Mississippi. Harjo connects with her ancestors and the land, calling out the violence and displacement of tearing Native Americans from their homes, families, and culture. The collection also celebrates Mother Earth and the beauty of the present day. "Redbird Love" is a sweet tribute to the natural world and connection to the land. The poems provide a sense of hope and healing amidst the pain of the past and present.
Harjo is Executive Editor of the anthology When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through — A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry and the editor of Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry.
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