Sydney Neel

Institute of American Indian Arts | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)

Major / Minor: Creative Writing

Graduation Year: 2025

S. Claire Neel (she/her) is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation whose passion for the natural world and her people has manifested through her rich poetics. She is currently pursuing a degree in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her poetry often features the land that raised her and the people of her communities. Claire grew up on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma where she was able to spend most of her time outdoors exploring nature and getting into trouble. She has had to receive several emergency tetanus shots. These childhood experiences have left her with a deep respect for food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture. Claire has previously worked for Human Rights Watch, the Graphix Project, and Usapang Atin focusing on the protection and advocacy for human rights around the globe. Currently she is the Editor in Chief of the Indigenous Youth Initiative Zine where she gets to do her favorite thing in the world; obsess over poetry. In her free time, Claire likes to cook for her family and friends, scrapbook, and take her beloved dog Harjo for hikes around the arroyo. She strongly believes that rematriation of land, history, and art is the solution to many of Indian Country’s problems and advocates for policies and movements that call for this.