Sarkisian Workshop Series: Centering Indigenous Experiences in Climate Narratives with Diane Wilson

The International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA), Mizna and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) invite you to the second installment of the Sarkisian Workshop Series: Centering Indigenous Experiences in Climate Narratives with Diane Wilson. The virtual workshop will take place on April 19, 2026, at 9:00 AM Pacific | 12:00 PM Eastern | 8:00 PM Armenia Time.

Foundational to Indigenous culture is a worldview that is relational to all other beings, a perspective that also shapes our storytelling. Climate narratives from that viewpoint are stories that emphasize this relationality, that accept the responsibility that is intrinsic to being a good relative, and has social justice embedded in its foundation. This workshop will provide context about Dakota people, and key teachings related to this world view, in particular, the concept of Mitakuye Owasin (We Are All Related), food sovereignty, and cultural recovery. Students will explore literature that embodies these teachings, as well as generative writing prompts.

Diane Wilson is a Dakota writer, educator, and bog steward, enrolled on the Rosebud Reservation. She has published six award-winning books as well as essays in numerous publications. Her novel, The Seed Keeper, won the 2022 MN Book Award and is a selection for the 2026 NEA Big Read. Wilson’s work explores seed sovereignty, social justice, cultural recovery, and environmental stewardship. She is currently working on a memoir, Mapping My Way Home: A Story of Loss, Renewal, and a Bog.

Recommended Reads

• The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson

• Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Traditional Ecological Knowledge, edited by Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling

• Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science, by Jessica Hernandez

• Eating the Landscape: American Indian Stories of Food, Identity, and Resilience, by Enrique Salmon

• Solar Storms, by Linda Hogan

Ticket Prices: $20 for each individual workshop

Purchase your tickets here.

Please reach out to info@armenianliterary.org if you are interested in joining but the registration price is prohibitive.

IALA programs are shared spaces for creative work, dialogue, and learning. We invite all participants to contribute to an environment of respect, care, and thoughtful engagement. IALA reflects the multiplicity of identities in the Armenian community and beyond, and we do not tolerate any offensive behavior regarding gender identity and _expression_, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, national origin, socio-economic class, educational background, personal style/appearance, citizenship and immigration status, or political affiliation. Participants whose behavior disrupts programs or harms the community may be asked to leave the space or restricted from future participation.

The Sarkisian Workshop Series 2026: Can Storytelling Save Us? is brought to you by IALA, Mizna and AAWW. Funded by the Sarkisian Foundation for the Arts and Engineering, the series offers six writing workshops that will include literary analysis and generative writing exercises. Designed to bring together writers from diverse backgrounds, these workshops will encourage writers to engage with the pressing issues of our time.

Explore the full series and read along with it by purchasing titles at IALA’s Bookshop.org storefront.