Youth Writing Prompts

A Note from the 3rd Navajo Nation Poet Laureate and Hootso Founder Jake Skeets

The Saad Prize Cycle theme for 2026 is VERBS: Land / Language / Future.

A verb is an action word. It shows movement, change, and life. For this theme, I invite you to think about land, language, and the future not as things that stay the same, but as actions we take every day.

• How do we live with the land?

• How does language move between generations?

• What actions help shape the future of Diné people?

Poetry is a powerful way to explore these questions. It helps us tell our stories, share our ideas, and imagine new possibilities for our communities. These writing prompts are designed for Diné high school students who are interested in writing poems for the Saad Prize Youth Incubator Awards. They are also designed to help students think through the 2026 Prize Cycle theme. Students are welcome to use and adapt them as necessary for their writing. I’m busy right now reaching out to Diné high schools to share these prompts with students and teachers.

Prompt 1 - Land as Action

Think about a place that matters to you, such as a canyon, a road, a sheep camp, a neighborhood, a schoolyard. Write a poem that begins with the line:

• “The land remembers when…”

What actions happen in this place?

Prompt 2 - Language between Generations

Think about a moment when someone shared language, advice, or a story with you. Write a poem about a word, phrase, or teaching that has stayed with you. What does that word do? How does it move through your life?

Prompt 3 - Diné Futures 

Imagine Diné life 20 years from now. What does the land look like? What languages are people speaking? What are young people doing?

Write a poem that begins with:

• “In the future, we are still…”

Prompt 4 - Everyday Actions

Think about small actions that connect you to family or community.

Examples:

• hauling water

• feeding animals

• helping grandparents

• driving long roads

• cooking

• speaking Diné bizaad

Write a poem about one of these everyday actions.

Recommended Reading

Students and teachers might find inspiration in the following work by Diné poets and writers.  

Poetry Magazine - March 2025 issue on Diné Poetics, edited by Esther Belin 

Available for free online at the Poetry Foundation.  

Example Poems from this issue: 

• “‘Álastsii’ Dah Deidiijaa’” by Nia Francisco  

• “Resilience” by Danielle Manygoats 

• “If I Were an Ewok, My Sister Would Take Me and Name Me Sunshine” by Rowie Shebala