Lee Francis
Encyclopedia
Elias Lee Francis III was a Laguna Pueblo
-Anishinaabe
poet, educator, and founder of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.
from 1967 to 1971 and of Lebanese
heritage, and Ethel Haines (1916-1991), a Native American of Laguna Pueblo
/Anishinaabe
and Scottish
descent. His older sister, Paula Gunn Allen
née Paula Marie Francis (1939-2008) became UCLA professor of English and American Indian studies and one of the foremost voices in Native American literature.
. His university appointments included Visiting Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico
and Interim Director of Native American Studies department, and the American Studies program at the American University
, Washington, DC, where he also served as Director of the Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS) program. He also served as Director of the Pre-Engineering Intensive Learning Academy for Native students at California State University, Long Beach
, Student Affairs Officer at University of California Santa Barbara, Associate Director of the Educational Opportunity Program at San Francisco State University, and Senior Faculty with Meta-Life Adult Professional Training Institute.
since 1992. He served on the Diversity Committee of the United Way of America, and was an active member in a variety of organizations including the National Coalition for Indian Education and the National Indian Education Association
. Lee's expertise in Native American Studies areas included: Literature (Oral and Contemporary), History, Contemporary Society (Political - American Indian Policies; Social - Reservation and Non-Reservation; Native Americans and State/Federal Relations; Health).
(former Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate), Special Assistant to U. S. Senator Pete V. Domenici, and Staff Assistant with the Joint Committee on Congressional Operations of the US Congress. He also served as a proposal reader for the US Department of Education's Javits Gifted and Talented Program and the Indian Fellowship program which funds Native American university undergraduate and graduate students, the Department of the Interior's Water Resources Training program, US Department of Education's Vocational Education program, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Secretary 's Fund for Technology as well as proposals for Field Initiated Studies and At-Risk Institute.
. In 2003 he earned the Albuquerque Arts Alliance’ Bravos Award for Excellence in Literature.
Lee was a Trustee of the Laguna Pueblo Educational Foundation and a member of the editorial board of Michigan State University
Press American Indian Literature Series, East Lansing, Michigan
. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Indian Center, the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas and the Greenfield Literary Review Center. He was an elected Life Member of the National Psychiatric Association.
Laguna Pueblo
Laguna is a Native American tribe of the Pueblo people in west-central New Mexico, USA. The name, Laguna, is Spanish and derives from the lake located on their reservation. The real Keresan name of the tribe is Kawaik. The population of the tribe exceeds 7,000 , making it the largest Keresan...
-Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
poet, educator, and founder of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.
Family
Lee Francis was one of five children of Elias Lee Francis II (1913-2001), Lieutenant Governor of New MexicoLieutenant Governor of New Mexico
Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico is an official in the state of New Mexico that ranks just below the Governor of New Mexico. The current lieutenant governor is John Sanchez.- Partial list of Lieutenant Governors of New Mexico :...
from 1967 to 1971 and of Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
heritage, and Ethel Haines (1916-1991), a Native American of Laguna Pueblo
Laguna Pueblo
Laguna is a Native American tribe of the Pueblo people in west-central New Mexico, USA. The name, Laguna, is Spanish and derives from the lake located on their reservation. The real Keresan name of the tribe is Kawaik. The population of the tribe exceeds 7,000 , making it the largest Keresan...
/Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
and Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
descent. His older sister, Paula Gunn Allen
Paula Gunn Allen
Paula Gunn Allen was a Native American poet, literary critic, lesbian activist, and novelist.Born Paula Marie Francis in Albuquerque, Allen grew up in Cubero, New Mexico, a Spanish-Mexican land grant village bordering the Laguna Pueblo reservation...
née Paula Marie Francis (1939-2008) became UCLA professor of English and American Indian studies and one of the foremost voices in Native American literature.
Academic
Lee Francis received his PhD from Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley, CA and his MA and BA degrees from San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. His university appointments included Visiting Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
and Interim Director of Native American Studies department, and the American Studies program at the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, Washington, DC, where he also served as Director of the Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS) program. He also served as Director of the Pre-Engineering Intensive Learning Academy for Native students at California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
, Student Affairs Officer at University of California Santa Barbara, Associate Director of the Educational Opportunity Program at San Francisco State University, and Senior Faculty with Meta-Life Adult Professional Training Institute.
Native American writing
Lee was the National Director of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers of Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
since 1992. He served on the Diversity Committee of the United Way of America, and was an active member in a variety of organizations including the National Coalition for Indian Education and the National Indian Education Association
National Indian Education Association
The National Indian Education Association is the only national nonprofit exclusive to education issues for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian) people of the United States.-History:...
. Lee's expertise in Native American Studies areas included: Literature (Oral and Contemporary), History, Contemporary Society (Political - American Indian Policies; Social - Reservation and Non-Reservation; Native Americans and State/Federal Relations; Health).
Government service
Lee's government service included appointments as Indian Youth Specialist with the US Department of the Interior's Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention - where he was Editor of Prevention Quarterly; Legislative Assistant to United States Senator Hugh ScottHugh Scott
Hugh Doggett Scott, Jr. was a politician from Pennsylvania who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and who also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.- Early life :He was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on November 11, 1900...
(former Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate), Special Assistant to U. S. Senator Pete V. Domenici, and Staff Assistant with the Joint Committee on Congressional Operations of the US Congress. He also served as a proposal reader for the US Department of Education's Javits Gifted and Talented Program and the Indian Fellowship program which funds Native American university undergraduate and graduate students, the Department of the Interior's Water Resources Training program, US Department of Education's Vocational Education program, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Secretary 's Fund for Technology as well as proposals for Field Initiated Studies and At-Risk Institute.
Research
Dr. Francis was actively engaged in a number of research projects. He studied Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as applied to cultural groups, describing the research in this area as cultural idiocide. Other research interests included the national problem of homelessness, testing models to radically decrease racist behavior in urban communities, and evaluating prevention programs designed to impact alcohol and substance abuse among Native American Indian populations.Lecturing
An engaging and powerful speaker, Dr. Francis enjoyed speaking to large and small groups on a variety of topics. He was regularly invited to speak to organizations throughout the country. Lee gave Keynote Addresses to audiences throughout the United States and Japan. He was an Invited Speaker at international, national, and regional conferences where he spoke on a wide variety of topics.Awards
Lee Francis was awarded the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the AmericasNative Writers' Circle of the Americas
The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas is an organization of Native American writers, most notable for its literary awards, presented annually to Native American writers in three categories: First Book of Poetry, First Book of Prose, and Lifetime Achievement...
. In 2003 he earned the Albuquerque Arts Alliance’ Bravos Award for Excellence in Literature.
Lee was a Trustee of the Laguna Pueblo Educational Foundation and a member of the editorial board of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
Press American Indian Literature Series, East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Indian Center, the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas and the Greenfield Literary Review Center. He was an elected Life Member of the National Psychiatric Association.
Writing available online
- Nyah Agnes
- Nyah Mary
- Ode to a Listserv Scholar
- Elder Wisdom: A Case for Cultural Studies
- Child of the Sun
Books by Lee Francis
- On the Good Red Interstate: Truck Stop Tellings and Other Poems, Taurean Horn Press.
- When the Rain Sings: Poems by Young Native Americans, (Editor), Simon & Schuster.
- Native Time: A Historical Time Line of Native America, St. Martin's Press.
- Reclaiming The Vision - Past, Present and Future: Native Voices for the Eighth Generation, Edited with James Bruchac, Greenfield Review Press.
Anthologies
- Genocide of the Mind, Marijo Moore (Editor), Thunder's Mouth Press.
- English Studies/Culture Studies: Institutionalizing Dissent, Isaiah Smithson & Nancy Ruff (Editors), University of Illinois Press.
- The Telling of the World: Native American Stories and Art, W. S. Penn (Editor), Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
- Columbus & Beyond: Views from Native Americans, Southwest Parks & Monuments.
- Blue Dawn, Red Earth: New Native American Storytellers, Clifford E. Trafzer (Editor), Anchor Books
- Callaloo: Native Literatures Special Issue, 17, 1994, Johns Hopkins University Press.
See also
- A short biography from the Internet Public Library's Native American Author's Project.
- Storytellers: Native American Authors Online NativeWiki project.