▁unknown ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁closed ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁Thus ▁the ▁ap ology ▁itself ▁was ▁never ▁directly ▁appointed ▁towards ▁any ▁people ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁descent . ▁Where as ▁is ▁a ▁personal ▁reaction ▁to ▁this ▁and ▁a ▁documentation ▁of ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁O gl ala ▁Si oux ▁tribe . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Where as ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁National ▁Book ▁Crit ics ▁Circle ▁Award ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁National ▁Book ▁Award ▁for ▁Po etry . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁community ▁continued ▁its ▁pra ise ▁by ▁award ing ▁the ▁collection ▁the ▁P EN / Jean ▁Stein ▁Book ▁Award ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁Griff in ▁Po etry ▁Prize . ▁▁ ▁Where as ▁has ▁received ▁primarily ▁positive ▁and ▁enthus i astic ▁reviews . ▁Natal ie ▁Dia z ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁ha ils , ▁“ Long ▁Sold ier ▁rem inds ▁readers ▁of ▁their ▁physical ▁and ▁lingu istic ▁bodies ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁returned ▁to ▁language ▁through ▁their ▁mouth s ▁and ▁eyes ▁and ▁tong ues ▁across ▁the ▁fields ▁of ▁her ▁po ems ." ▁In ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁John ▁Fre eman ▁writes , ▁" She ▁has ▁rub bed ▁two ▁languages ▁together ▁and ▁made ▁their ▁shared ▁sil ences ▁into ▁gra vel ▁— ▁p aving ▁a ▁per ch ▁from ▁which ▁a ▁reader ▁can ▁see ▁clearly . ▁Like ▁all ▁bal con ies ▁built ▁of ▁stone ▁and ▁glass , ▁you ▁will ▁not ▁believe ▁how ▁strong