Ortiz’s poetry first appeared in 1969 in the South Dakota Review’s special Indian issue, “The American Indian Speaks.” Since that time, Ortiz has been critically acclaimed as among the best of the contemporary Native-American poets, a recognition that extends to Indian circles. While the Native-American oral tradition, which includes song and prayer, has generally been unchronicled, contemporary American Indians such as Ortiz are creating a canon of prose and poetry that draws on this tradition.
