Description:
In her debut collection of poetry, Autumn White Eyes explores being guided by the feminine and queer energies gifted to her by the moon, given to her in phases and cycles on her journey towards understanding her identities, relationships, and responsibilities as a young Native two-spirit femme.

This poetry book is self-published and printed at Independent print shop in Tecumseh, MI. Limited first edition.

About the Title:
The title of my book, Instructed by Hanwí comes from my personal research on two-spirit societies of tribes in the U.S.. I came across a list of two-spirit terms in different Native languages, and the English translation for many of the two-spirit terms is "Instructed by the Moon."

In Lakota culture, Hanwí, is the spirit of the moon. In our oral history, she is betrayed by her lover, Wi (the sun), and is displaced. I was struck by the idea of what it means to be instructed by the moon. In my life, what has Hanwí taught me about my femininity, my queerness, and my body? How does she empower the duality of my spirit? How does she determine my ceremony? This book is a reflection of lessons I learned towards understanding my identity, relationships, and responsibilities.

About the Author:
Autumn White Eyes is Oglala Lakota and Turtle Mountain Band of Anishinaabe, and was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in present-day South Dakota. She received a B.A. as a double major in Native American Studies and English with a concentration in Creative Writing at Dartmouth College. She received an Ed.M. in Arts in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a member of the Intercultural Leadership Institute and a recipient of the South Dakota Arts Council’s 2019 Artist Career Development Grant.

Autumn identifies as a Queer, two-spirit femme spoken-word artist, multimedia storyteller, and arts educator. Her artwork focuses on releasing the femme, Queer, and Indigenous rage that lives deep within. Her Lakota name, Wanbli Ohitika Win means Brave Eagle Woman.