Boozhoo and Dago’téé.
Amik indigoo. Gerry Himmelreich indizhinikaaz zhaaganaashiimong. Asabiikone-zaaga’iganiing indoonjibaa. New Mexico indaa noongom. Migizi indoodem.
I’m Gerry Himmelreich, full-time Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Institutional Research for the College and adjunct instructor of Composition (WRT 101), Fiction (WRT 287), and Poetry (WRT 288).
I am Sámi and Bois Forte Ojibwe (Zagaakwaandagowininiwag) from my mom / German and English from my dad. I grew up spending my school days in Colorado and summers in California where I developed a love for being outside. My favorite outdoor pursuits are kayaking, hunting, trail running, and hiking 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation). My goal is to summit all 58 in Colorado before I turn 58!
Strong story experiences from early life–and a desire to finally finish my undergraduate degree–compelled me to earn a BA in English Literature from Fort Lewis College. During that undergraduate experience, I took my first children’s literature class. This course in particular drove me to further my studies.
While pursuing my MA in Children’s Literature at Hollins University, I examined reinterpretations of Indigenous folk tales, particularly those translated into English as part of the 1930s Bureau of Indian Affairs’ literacy programs. My thesis involved both a critical look at these translations as well as a creative rendering of some of these stories into a contemporary context.
After completing my graduate degree, I began a career as a full-time faculty member at Diné College where I taught for more than ten years. There, I taught a variety of education and writing classes for both the Teacher Education and English departments, and also served as a thesis writing mentor for students enrolled in a Master’s degree partnership through Arizona State University.
Part way through teaching at Diné, I felt a desire to cultivate my own creativity and deepen my understanding of the writing craft. As a result, I pursued an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) through the Institute of American Indian Arts. After graduating from IAIA in 2016, I continued to teach, helping students shape their ideas into poems, stories, and academic essays.
Since leaving Diné College in 2018 to focus on using my writing skills in professional settings outside of an educational environment, I’ve completed various curriculum, evaluation, and writing projects with Providence Pictures, Culture Surge, New England’s Native Plant Trust, the Peabody Essex Museum’s Native American Fellowship Program, Shift Collective, the Highlight’s Foundation, as a children’s and young adult book reviewer for Kirkus Reviews, and as an Editorial Consultant with Curriculum Associates.
Outside of work I enjoy writing, and I recently published a short story titled “Threads” in Circumpolar Connections: Creative Indigenous Geographies of the Arctic, an anthology of poems, stories, essays, and visual art through Wesleyan University Press. I also love spending time with my wife and two kids. Some of the things we enjoy doing together are hiking, printmaking, binge-watching our favorite shows, eating, and traveling!
I’ve worked for San Carlos Apache College since Fall 2019 and am happy to continue the important work of Tribal Colleges, providing higher educational opportunities rooted in the languages, cultures, and ways of being of Native Peoples. I especially find joy in working with students, cultivating their writing by serving as an encouraging, supportive mentor. Feel free to connect: gerry.himmelreich@apachecollege.org