Mike Austin is a Cherokee poet/storyteller/essayist/lecturer/translator/speaker/social worker who was born in an U.S. Army hospital south of Joplin, MO, USA in 1953. Predominantly he has lived in Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation and Austria/Europe. Professionally, Mike is a social worker dealing with chronic drug addiction. Currently he lives in Vienna, Austria and has been employed by SocialProjects of Vienna since 1997.

Mike has published a diversity of political and socially critical articles and essays since 1988 dealing with the contemporary Indian experience in America. Also, he has been writing poetry...words in rhythmic form...for many years more. To date many of his writings and his poetry have been published in the USA, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy.

Especially in wake of the terror attacks on the USA in September 2001 and the ensuing world events his writings mirror the actuality of the unimaginable experiences and their consequences beyond the generations, which have been put upon the indigenous peoples of North America with system, specifically since 1776, and an increasing awareness of the very similar situations of all indigenous relatives on a global scale.

In light of this realization, Mike co-organized the indigenous literary project "Words from the edge" www.indigenouspoets.ch with Cheyenne poet Lance Henson in 2000, which brought four indigenous poets together for this European tour. A next such project is being planned.

With his lyrics Mike declares his tradition as a tribal poet and storyteller as an essential part of his identity. He not only tells about the mythological origins of his peoples and their long way into the present, but also about the daily struggles and resistance beyond survival, as to continue their visions in face of a highly technologically and industrially dominant Euro-American society into the 21st century. "This literary quest is a protest against cultural genocide while reluctantly admitting my inability to re-establish the distance of my ancestors to the influences of Euro-American society. However, I feel that survival and continuance of our native cultures and its peoples, relatives and friends who continue to practice our dances and ceremonies, are witness of their vital strength. By doing so I wish to honor our ancestors, who have endured so much to ensure our survival, and to pass on a living heritage to my children and all who follow after us."

Mike died January 10, 2006, in Vienna, Austria.

For further information visit http://hanksville.org/storytellers/austin.