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Press Release

August 10, 2016

Contact: Robbin Davis
Pioneer Woman Museum, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-765-6108
rdavis@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/pioneerwoman

Pioneer Woman Museum to Host Lecture on Urban Indian Literature

PONCA CITY, Okla. — Dr. Lindsey Claire Smith, will present “Searching for Pioneers: Native Women Writers of Oklahoma in Urban Homelands” on Saturday, August 13, at 10 a.m., at the Pioneer Woman Museum. 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. Dr. Smith has published and taught extensively on American Indian literature and culture, as well as edit the journal American Indian Quarterly.

For more information or questions, please contact the Pioneer Woman Museum at 580-765-6108 or piown@okhistory.org. The Pioneer Woman Museum, a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 701 Monument Rd. in Ponca City. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains 31 museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

The Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote meaningful public engagement with the humanities—disciplines such as history, literature, film studies, ethics and philosophy. The humanities offer a deeper understanding of ourselves and others by confronting us with the questions, values and meanings of the human experience. As the state partner for the National Endowment for the Humanities, OHC brings people together to explore these ideas through programming and community grants that support book groups, exhibits, film festivals, teacher institutes and more. OHC engages people in their own communities, providing forums for education, critical thinking and productive civil discourse.





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