We had a truly special afternoon at Heights today, as we listened to beautiful, heartfelt, and creative poetry written and performed by our 6th–8th grade students.
Each year, our students have the exciting opportunity to submit their original poems to Pine Tree Publishers, with the possibility of being selected for publication. If you visit the school library, you’ll find past collections featuring Heights students.
Before sending their poems off for submission, students took part in a fun and meaningful poetry slam event. In this safe and supportive space, they courageously stood before their peers to share personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences through poetry—an empowering moment for many.
This year’s poetry slam was made even more special by the visit of award-winning Diné poet, artist, and educator Ms. Esther Belin. Ms. Belin shared a bit about her life, her love for family and writing, and how poetry has played a powerful role in preserving Indigenous history and teaching English in Native communities.
After a classroom lesson on poetic forms and rhythms, students were invited to draw inspiration from Ms. Belin’s poem My Tongue is a Fire—and many wove her words into their own original poems during the slam. It was a touching blend of student creativity.
We’re so grateful to Ms. Belin for sharing her time and knowledge with our students. Her presence was truly inspiring.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to our amazing staff and partners who helped make this event possible: Librarian Ms. Brianne Salazar-Haskill, 7th-grade teachers Ms. Tina Akins and Ms. Laura Dalton, and the team at Native American Programs.
Ms. Esther Belin is an acclaimed Diné poet and artist who calls Durango home. She is the author of two poetry collections published by the University of Arizona Press, with her debut receiving the prestigious American Book Award in 2000. In 2022, she was honored again as one of the co-editors of The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature, which also received the American Book Award. Ms. Belin currently teaches in the Native American & Indigenous Studies Department at Fort Lewis College and serves as a faculty mentor in the Creative Writing MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts.