Denise Lajimodiere

BISMARCK — North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) has announced the extension of Dr. Denise Lajimodiere’s term as North Dakota Poet Laureate through June 2028.

Originally appointed in 2023 for a two-year term, Dr. Lajimodiere’s role has been extended to five years to align with House Bill No.1397, passed by the 2025 Legislature, which established the position of State Troubadour with a five-year term.

An enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in Belcourt, Lajimodiere is an accomplished poet, children’s book author, academic and cultural artist, according to NDCA information. She served for decades as a teacher, principal and professor, and is a retired associate professor from the Education Leadership program at North Dakota State University. Her published works include multiple poetry collections, the award-winning “Stringing Rosaries: The History, The Unforgivable, The Healing of Northern Plains Boarding School Survivors” and the children’s book “Josie Dances.”

During her extended tenure as Poet Laureate, Dr. Lajimodiere plans to expand her outreach across the state. “I’m so excited for the coming year,” she said in a news release. “I plan on applying for the American Academy of Poet Laureate Fellowships. My goal is to travel to all four North Dakota reservations and work with Native students to develop a poetry anthology.”

If awarded the fellowship, she hopes to include tribal language translations of student work by engaging fluent language speakers.

Lajimodiere is currently editing a middle grade novel with Scholastic, loosely based on her father’s boarding school experiences, and preparing a new poetry collection for publication. She is also collaborating with a Manhattan-based editor at Lee and Low Books on a forthcoming children’s book.

“We are deeply honored that Dr. Lajimodiere will continue serving as North Dakota’s Poet Laureate,” said NDCA Executive Director Jessica Christy. “Her work carries power and purpose, and the impact she brings to this role is a gift to our state. We’re grateful she has made time to share her experience, and we look forward to celebrating the projects that will grow from this continued service.”