We perceive existence by means of words and names. To this or that vague, potential thing I will give a name, and it will exist thereafter, and its e… - N. Scott Momaday

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We perceive existence by means of words and names. To this or that vague, potential thing I will give a name, and it will exist thereafter, and its existence will be clearly perceived. The name enables me to see it. I can call it by its name, and I can see it for what it is.

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About N. Scott Momaday

N. Scott Momaday (February 27, 1934 – January 24, 2024) was a Kiowa novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet. His novel House Made of Dawn was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969, and is considered the first major work of the Native American Renaissance. His follow-up work The Way to Rainy Mountain blended folklore with memoir. Momaday received the National Medal of Arts in 2007 for his work's celebration and preservation of indigenous oral and art traditions. He held twenty honorary degrees from colleges and universities and was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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Also Known As

Birth Name: Navarre Scott Momaday
Alternative Names: Navarre Scott Mammedaty • Tsoai-talee • Rock Tree Boy
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There was a time when “man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent,” this New World, “commensurate to his capacity for wonder.” I would strive with all my strength to give that sense of wonder to those who will come after me.
Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land · November 3, 2020 Verified in 1 source Sign up to see the complete provenance
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