Good evening, my fellow students.
Welcome to our fourth edition of our Poetics and Politics.
This semester, we are honored tonight
with Leslie Marmon Silko.
Before we begin, we will have a blessing by Arista LaRusso.
Arista is a student here in--
a PhD student.
She is also a graduate teaching assistant,
and she is teaching TRAD 101 this semester, also
this summer.
She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation.
She was born and raised traditionally
in Sand Springs, Arizona, which is
located in the western area of the Navajo Nation.
She's currently, as I said, in AIS.
She's also an artistic fashion designer.
She operated a studio and boutique called
Deerwater Designs in Flagstaff.
She's a consultant to political campaigns.
She's been a service to the Indian community,
and it's always been a priority in her life,
and she continues it till to this day.
And growing up in transition between a traditional
and a modern lifestyle has been an influence on her
to become more involved in helping
American Indian people address important issues
in Indian country.
Please welcome Arista LaRusso.
[APPLAUSE]