Wisconsin poet laureate Kimberly Blaeser proud of Ojibwe ancestry


Kimberly Blaeser. Photo from Facebook

Kimberly Blaeser, Wisconsin's poet laureate, is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Blaeser grew up on the White Earth Nation, according to her website. She traces her love of poetry and performance to her tribal heritage.

“Oratory is very important to the transmission of Native American culture,” Blaeser told The Wisconsin Gazette. “Also, in northwestern Minnesota we didn’t have any TV growing up, so it also was part of our entertainment.”

Blaeser, who is a professor at UW-Milwaukee, is in her second year as the state's poet laureate.

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Wisconsin's poet laureate taps Native American roots (The Wisconsin Gazette 3/8)

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