Native American Authors

Ofelia Zepeda, 1952-

Tohono O’odham (Papago)

Ofelia Zepeda was born and raised in Stanfield, Arizona, which is near the Tohono O’odham and Pima reservations. Zepeda received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She is a professor of linguistics and former director of the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Arizona. Zepeda is considered the foremost authority in Tohono O’odham language and literature. She has actively helped her tribe to improve literacy in their native language and English. She also directs the American Indian Language Development Institute, an annual summer institute for American Indian Teachers.

Awards and Honors

1999 MacArthur Fellow

Online resources by or about Ofelia Zepeda:

O’odham poet strives to preserve languages
Author: Pila Martinez
Type: authorbio
Description: Text of a 6/23/99 Arizona Daily Star article about Zepeda being named a MacArthur Fellow.
URL: http://w3.arizona.edu/~ling/webpages/ofelia.html

Ofelia Zepeda
Author: Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona
Type: authorbio
Description: Zepeda’s official home page at the University of Arizona. It includes links to her vita and a list of her publications.
URL: http://w3.arizona.edu/~ling/OfeliaZepeda/index.html

Ofelia Zepeda
Author: Ofelia Zepeda, Karen Strom
Type: authorbio
Description: Ofelia Zepeda biography and bibliography. Includes a photo of the author.
URL:

Thoughts by My Mother’s Grave
Author: Ofelia Zepeda
Type: etext
Description: Text of Zepeda’s essay “Thoughts by My Mother’s Grave”. From Larry Evers, ed. The South Corner of Time.Tucson, Ariz.: The University of Arizona Press, 1980, p. 182. In English translation.
URL: http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/southcorner/toh_thoughtseng.html

Thoughts by My Mother’s Grave
Author: Ofelia Zepeda
Type: etext
Description: Text of Zepeda’s essay “Thoughts by My Mother’s Grave”. From Larry Evers, ed. The South Corner of Time.Tucson, Ariz.: The University of Arizona Press, 1980, p. 182. In original Papago.
URL: http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/southcorner/toh_thoughts_toh.html

Tohono Titan: UA Prof Ofelia Zepeda wins a prestigious MacArthur Foundation Award
Author: Margaret Regan
Type: authorbio
Description: Text of a 7/5/99 Tucson Weekly article about Zepeda being named a MacArthur Fellow.
URL: http://weeklywire.com/ww/current/tw_book1.html

Books by Ofelia Zepeda:

Zepeda, Ofelia. Home places : contemporary Native American writing from sun tracks
Tucson : University of Arizona Press, 1995.
Audience: Adult

Zepeda, Ofelia. Ocean power : poems from the desert
Tucson : University ofArizona Press, 1995.
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0816515417

Zepeda, Ofelia. Ocean power : poems from the desert
Tucson : University of Arizona Press, 1995.
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0816515174

Zepeda, Ofelia. A Papago grammar
Tucson, Ariz : University of ArizonaPress, 1983.
Genre: Nonfiction
Audience: All Ages

Zepeda, Ofelia. When it rains, Papago and Pima poetry= Mat hekid o ju, ‘O’odham Na-cegitodag
Tucson, Ariz : University of ArizonaPress, 1982.
Genre: Poetry