Ofelia Zepeda

{{Infobox academic

| name = Ofelia Zepeda

| website = [https://linguistics.arizona.edu/user/ofelia-zepeda University of Arizona Faculty Page]

| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|

University of Arizona {{Small|(BA, MA, PhD)}}

}}

| nationality = American

| discipline = Linguistics

| sub_discipline = Language documentation, language activism, Tohono O'odham, indigenous languages of America

| thesis_title = Topics in Papago Morphology

| thesis_url = https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/187810

| thesis_year = 1984

| doctoral_advisor = Susan Steele

| workplaces = The University of Arizona

| awards = Macarthur Fellow{{cite web |url=http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/linguistics/webpages/ofelia.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324101833/http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/linguistics/webpages/ofelia.html |archive-date=2018-03-24 |author=Pila Martínez |title=O'odham poet strives to preserve languages |publisher=The Arizona Daily Star |date=1999-06-23}}

| title = Professor

| birth_date = 1952

| birth_place = Stanfield, Arizona, United States

}}

Ofelia Zepeda (born in Stanfield, Arizona, 1952) is a Tohono O'odham poet and intellectual. She is Regents' Professor of Tohono O'odham language and linguistics and Director of the American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI){{Cite web|url=https://aildi.arizona.edu/person/ofelia-zepeda|title=Ofelia Zepeda | AILDI|website=aildi.arizona.edu|accessdate=May 7, 2021}} at The University of Arizona."[http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/linguistics/OfeliaZepeda/ Dr. Ofelia Zepeda] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124141254/http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/linguistics/OfeliaZepeda/ |date=2017-11-24 }}". Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona. Retrieved 2016-12-26. Dr. Zepeda is also the recipient of a Department of Education grant that establishes a regional resource center for indigenous languages, the West Regional Native American Language Resource Center.{{Cite web |title=New center to help lead national Indigenous language revitalization efforts {{!}} University of Arizona News |url=https://news.arizona.edu/news/new-center-help-lead-national-indigenous-language-revitalization-efforts |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=news.arizona.edu |language=en}} Zepeda is the editor for [https://uapress.arizona.edu/series/st Sun Tracks], a series of books that focuses on the work of Native American artists and writers, published by the University of Arizona Press.{{Cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ofelia-zepeda|title=Ofelia Zepeda|date=2019-03-04|website=Poetry Foundation|language=en|access-date=2019-03-04}} She is an inductee to the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.

Life

Zepeda is a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and is well-known for her efforts in the preservation of and promotion of literacy in Tohono O'odham. She served as director of the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Arizona from 1986 to 1991."Ofelia Zepeda." Contemporary Authors Online. Gale: 2011. Retrieved via Biography in Context database, 2016-12-26. She is a consultant and advocate on behalf of some American indigenous languages. She is the author of A Papago Grammar and co-author of the article "Derived Words in Tohono O'odham", published in the International Journal of American Linguistics.{{Cite web|url=https://linguistics.arizona.edu/user/ofelia-zepeda|title=Ofelia Zepeda {{!}} The Department of Linguistics|website=linguistics.arizona.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-03-23}} She was a student of MIT linguistics professor Ken Hale.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ssila.org/awards/hale/|title=The Ken Hale Prize|date=2018-08-03|work=SSILA|access-date=2018-10-24|language=en-US}}

Zepeda has worked with her tribe to improve literacy in both English and Tohono O'odham.{{Cite book|title=Native American Women|publisher=Routledge|year=2001|location=New York|pages=343}} In 1983, she developed A Papago Grammar from tapes of Native speakers because no textbook existed for the classes she taught. Her work with the reservation committee for Tohono O'odham language policy yielded an official policy that encourages the speaking of the Native language at all grade levels.

In 1995 she published a book of poetry, Ocean Power: Poems from the Desert, and she titled the introduction, "Things That Help Me Begin to Remember".

In 1999, Zepeda received a MacArthur Fellowship.{{Cite web|url=http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/linguistics/webpages/ofelia.html|title=MacArthur Fellow Ofelia Zepeda|website=dingo.sbs.arizona.edu|access-date=2018-03-23}} She was a member of the literary advisory committee for Sun Tracks, a publishing program featuring Native American works, and is the series editor. In 2012, her book of poetry was banned by Tucson schools.{{cite web | url=http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/brenda-norrell/2012/01/tucson-schools-bans-books-chicano-and-native-american-authors#.TxOEmuBLVKr.facebook | title=Tucson schools bans books by Chicano and Native American authors | publisher=narcosphere | date=January 14, 2012 | access-date=January 16, 2012 | author=Brenda Norrell | archive-date=January 18, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118042440/http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/brenda-norrell/2012/01/tucson-schools-bans-books-chicano-and-native-american-authors#.TxOEmuBLVKr.facebook | url-status=dead }}

Works

{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |url=https://archive.org/details/wherecloudsarefo0000zepe |title=Where Clouds Are Formed |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=2008 |isbn=9780816527786 |location=Tucson |author-mask=2}}
{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |title=Jewed 'i-hoi : O'odham c milga:n s-ke:g ha'icu cegĭtodag |publisher=Kore Press |year=2005 |isbn=9781888553062 |trans-title=Earth movements : a collection of poems in O'odham & English |author-mask=2 |lang=ood, en |orig-year=1997}}
{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |url=https://archive.org/details/homeplacescontem0000ever/ |title=Home Places: Contemporary Native American Writing from Sun Tracks |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1995 |isbn=0816515212 |location=Tucson |author-mask=2}}
{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |url=https://archive.org/details/oceanpowerpoemsf0000zepe |title=Ocean Power: Poems from the Desert |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1995 |isbn=0816515174 |location=Tucson |author-mask=2}}
{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |title=A Papago Grammar |publisher=The University of Arizona Press |year=1983 |isbn=0816507929 |location=Tucson |author-mask=2}}
{{Cite book |last=Zepeda |first=Ofelia |url=https://archive.org/details/whenitrainspapag0007unse |title=Mat hekid o ju, 'O'odham Na-cegitodag |publisher=University of Arizona Press |year=1982 |isbn=0816507856 |location=Tucson |trans-title=When It Rains, Papago and Pima Poetry |author-mask=2}}

References

External links

[http://nelsonpoetry.blogspot.com/2008/11/interview-with-ofelia-zepeda-on-where.html Interview with Ofelia Zepeda on Where Clouds are Formed by Christopher Nelson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203051758/http://nelsonpoetry.blogspot.com/2008/11/interview-with-ofelia-zepeda-on-where.html |date=2013-12-03 }}, November 30, 2008
[https://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/apr/010426.zepeda.html Poems by Zepeda, and recording of her appearance on All Things Considered], NPR, April 26, 2001
[http://www.hanksville.org/storytellers/zepeda/index.php3 Ofelia Zepeda's author page] on ''Storytellers: Native American Authors Online

Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:University of Arizona faculty

Category:Tohono O'odham people

Category:MacArthur Fellows

Category:People from Pinal County, Arizona

Category:Poets from Arizona

Category:American women poets

Category:Writers from Tucson, Arizona

Category:20th-century American poets

Category:20th-century American women writers

Category:21st-century American poets