“Searching for Pioneers: Native Women Writers of Oklahoma in Urban Homelands” presentation, Pioneer Woman Museum

On Saturday, August 13, at 10 a.m., the Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City will host a presentation by Dr. Lindsey Claire Smith. Dr. Smith will present “Searching for Pioneers: Native Women Writers of Oklahoma in Urban Homelands.” The event is free and is made possible by a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Dr. Smith is associate professor of English at Oklahoma State University. She is the editor of “American Indian Quarterly” and author of two books, a monograph entitled “Indians, Environment, and Identity on the Borders of American Literature” and an edited collection of essays entitled “Alternative Contact: Indigeneity, Globalism, and American Studies.” Smith is currently at work on a book project on urban Indian literature.

In her lecture, Dr. Smith will discuss writings by LeAnne Howe (Choctaw) and Joy Harjo (Creek) that link homelands in Oklahoma with often overlooked indigenous legacies in cities such as New Orleans and Santa Fe, where American Indian women have long been thriving participants in arts, music and commerce. In addition, Dr. Smith will draw upon her research on urban Indian culture and literature conducted at the Historic New Orleans Collection and in various sites in Santa Fe, including the Museum of Contemporary Arts.