Pohl’s short story, “She Who Helped Nanaboozhoo,” was named a finalist in The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Indigenous Fiction Prize, which accepts submissions from Native authors across the country.

“I wanted to try something different,” Pohl said. “Spooky and gory, maybe even a touch of fantasy since I usually stick to creative nonfiction. I wanted to show how settler colonialism has shaped the world we live in today and how stereotypes continue to define and often distort the way Native people—especially the women—are seen.”

Pohl developed the story as her final project for Native New Worlds, a course taught by Professor Carter Meland this past spring.

"The story is a really brilliant blending of traditional figures from Ojibwe teachings like the Little People and Nanaboozhoo, with contemporary problems facing Native women as targets of misrepresentation and the often violent consequences of those misrepresentations in the experience of Native women,” Meland said. “Her story is unflinchingly engaged with traditional figures and contemporary social realities in a beautifully evocative way that is both intellectually provocative and emotionally satisfying. This is a very delicate balance to maintain, and ‘She Who Helped Nanaboozhoo’ rides that edge perfectly.”

Pohl is studying Tribal Administration and Governance at UMD, has a son, and plans to attend law school and become a tribal judge. 

Acclaimed writer and University of Montana professor emeritus Debra Magpie Earling judged the contest, saying, “I was thrilled to judge the Summer Issue Indigenous Fiction Prize and even more thrilled to see that Native fiction continues to explore the grand universe of storytelling.” 

Awarding Pohl second place in the entire competition, Earling praised her story as a “welcoming fantasy and traditional story that brilliantly takes on colonialism.”

"It’s the story of a Native woman who, as a child, befriends Nanaboozhoo — a clever, unpredictable figure we all know from the old stories. At first, he seems like the perfect escape from reality, creating a world where nothing can go wrong. But in his true trickster fashion, his friendship isn’t what it seems. He reveals that his tricks are fueled by the harmful stereotypes about Native women, the ones born from settler colonialism, and strips them of their identity. What felt safe and magical turns out to actually be a trap. In the end, they both end up healing from betrayal and build a stronger connection with the land. Instead of following a path of harm, they both carve out a path of resilience, balance, and transformation."

~Hilary Pohl, author of "She Who Helped Nanaboozhoo"

Writing for me feels like a superpower,” Pohl said. “It carries your voice into places you might never step foot in. And that’s what I want–justice for myself, my ancestors, the generations to come, and for my culture. Being half white and half Native gives me this unique ‘dual lens’ on the world, and I love using that perspective to tell stories that open people’s eyes. I try to share the hard truths about my culture in a way that doesn’t point fingers but instead invites readers in. My hope is that they walk away not only knowing our history, but also seeing how it lives on in the present day, all while nudging them toward imagining a decolonized future.”

This story was first published on September 26, 2025, by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.