Native Writers' Circle of the Americas
The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas (NWCA) 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". The awards are voted upon by Native American writers, making it one of the few literary awards presented to Native Americans by Native Americans. The Circle (along with its sister organization, the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers) was formed as the outgrowth of the 1992 "Returning the Gift" Native Writers' Festival , a gathering of Native American writers from Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Central America. The NWCA maintains contact information for Native American writers and a collection of Native American literature. The organization has been hosted by the University of Oklahoma's department of Native American Studies and is currently housed in the Department of English. Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas awarded the following Native authors with Lifetime Achievement Awards: