N. Scott Momaday

N.Scott Momaday, renowned Native American author, visited Kingston (OK) High School on March 28 to present the Chickasaw Nation Youth Creative Writing Contest awards to student writers.

“It’s such an honor to be here,” said Mr. Momaday, “Oklahoma is very dear to me and I’m very deeply rooted in the soil.”

A citizen of the Kiowa tribe, he was born on the Kiowa Reservation in Lawton, Okla.

Mr. Momaday, Centennial Poet Laureate of Oklahoma, read two of his poems to the students and discussed how man became human when he acquired language.

“And when that language becomes literature, particularly poetry,” he said, “that is the highest level of expression that a human animal can achieve.”

Lona Barrick, administrator of the Chickasaw Nation Division of Arts and Humanities, announced the winners of the Youth Creative Writing Contest.

This year’s theme was “The Strength of the Chickasaw Family.” Writers submitted works in poetry, narrative/essay, and short story categories. Division I included grades 6 through 8, Division II, grades 9 through 12, and Division III is comprised of young adults through age 24.

Winners in the Division I Poetry competition were Micah Hart, of Ada, Okla., first place; and Tasheena Miller, Mill Creek, Okla., second place.

Division I Narrative/Essay first-place winner was Jessica Stewart, of Roff, Okla. Second place in this category went to Jordan Pharr, of Fittstown, Okla.

Short story winners for Division I were Mercedes Milligan, of Byng, Okla., first place; and Dajanae Humphrey, of Ada, second place.

Division II poetry first-place winner was Taylor Marlow. Cherokee Durant of Pierre, South Dakota, took first place for the short story category in this division.

Brett Knight, of Davis, Okla., took first place in the Division III narrative/essay category. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for the Division III poetry competition were Shelly Wall, of Ardmore, Okla; Ben Miller, of Mill Creek; and Kadesh King, of Ada.

Each student was presented his award by the Pulitzer Prizewinning author.

“It was really exciting to finally meet him,” said Mere-cedes Milligan. Mercedes lived in Santa Fe, N.M., as a toddler and was a playmate of Mr. Momaday’s granddaughter, Natachee. “I’d heard so much about him and it was cool to have him present my award.”

Mr. Momaday’s novel “House Made of Dawn” is considered by many to be a breakthrough piece, bringing Native American literature into the mainstream. The novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969.

In 2007, Mr. Momaday was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush.