A citizen of the Navajo Nation and an acclaimed poet, artist, and educator, Esther Belin joined Michigan State University this fall as the new Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies in the Department of English. She is the second scholar to hold this position, following Gordon Henry, who retired in 2023 after serving as the inaugural Leslie Chair.

“We are absolutely delighted to have an accomplished poet and artist like Professor Belin join our Creative Writing Program. Professor Belin’s work reflects a career-long dedication to the poetics of Native languages and literature, and an inspiring commitment to tribal communities,” said Justus Nieland, Chairperson of the Department of English. “Professor Belin’s creative practice and teaching will inspire our students to think more deeply about the entwined histories of language and land.”

The main purpose of the Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in North American Indian and Indigenous Literary Studies is to promote the transformative potential of literature.