Minneapolis poet laureate Heid E. Erdrich presents official poem to the city
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Heid E. Erdrich is the city of Minneapolis’ inaugural poet laureate — an appointed figure who writes poetry for special occasions, typically for a city, state or organization. Erdrich took on the role in January for a one-year term.
Erdrich was honored for her time as poet laureate during a community gathering at the Minneapolis American Indian Center on Thursday. During the event, she presented her poem to the city.
“This is the city dreaming in its original language,” recited Erdrich, as she began reading the poem to the audience.
Erdrich’s “Poem for Minneapolis/Bde Óta Othúŋwe/Gakaabikaang,” leads audiences through the four seasons in Minneapolis, describing community and locations.
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The title of the poem includes what the Dakota and Ojibwe call the city in their Native languages, which are also seen throughout the poem in other words and phrases.
The poem is published on the Minneapolis Arts and Cultural Affairs website.
Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. She has an extensive background in poetry with published books and multiple awards. She’s lived in the metro area for over 30 years.
Erdrich says she could not write the poem alone and enlisted the voices of Minneapolis community members.
She says she visited important landmarks in the city and held gatherings, “convenings” as she called them, for collaborative activities such as readings and poetry workshops. Erdrich also had input from other poets.
“I was crowdsourcing — for a poem from Minneapolis to Minneapolis — by going to places important to Native people in the city and asking folks to answer four questions,” Erdrich said. “Their answers to these four questions go into this poem.”
The four questions Erdrich asked were:
What is everyday Minneapolis to you?
What does Minneapolis need?
What memory do you want us to keep of Minneapolis?
And what does Minneapolis of the future look like?
“I never really thought of being the only one to represent from the beginning. I wanted to share what I was doing with other people so that we could all represent Minneapolis,” Erdrich said.
Audience member Sarah McCarron moved to Minneapolis from Los Angeles. She says the poem is inclusive. “The poem is unafraid of the history but optimistic of the future,” McCarron said.
The evening event also included music from the Asigaanak Singers and readings from several poets. Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis council member Andrea Jenkins were two of approximately half dozen speakers who thanked Erdrich for her service as poet laureate.
The poet laureate program
Ben Johnson is the director of Minneapolis’ Arts and Cultural Affairs department. He says poet laureate programs exist in many cities across the United States, including several in Minnesota.
“This role is so symbolic of what it means to be a great and powerful art city,” Johnson said.
Both Erdrich and Johnson say there is a thriving poetry scene in Minneapolis.
“This is a poet [Erdrich] that represents a really important community and art sector,” Johnson said. “I think that it just becomes a testament to the role that arts play in the city of Minneapolis.”
According to Johnson, the selection process for Minneapolis’ next poet laureate is underway. The next term is expected to last two years starting in 2025.
Erdrich expressed her excitement for what is to come next with the program. She hopes to inspire young poets with her work from the last year.
“Don’t be afraid of poetry. Poetry has its role in how we think about the world, and especially at times when people need hope and vision and tenacity that can be found in poetry,” Erdrich said.
The City of Minneapolis Poet Laureate Program is a partnership between the city’s Arts & Cultural Affairs department and the Loft Literary Center.
“Poem for Minneapolis/Bde Óta Othúŋwe/Gakaabikaang” will be displayed in Minneapolis City Hall.
