Author Wilson to present at Minot State
MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University’s Gordon B. Olson Library, the MSU English Department, the Native American Cultural Center, the MSU Diversity Council, and the POWER Center have collaborated to bring Minnesota author Diane Wilson to the University for a book discussion and reading on April 24.
The discussion and reading are part of Minot State's 34th annual Spring Honor Dance and Powwow Celebration week (April 26-27).
Wilson, a descendent of the Mdewakanton Oyate and enrolled on the Rosebud Reservation, is currently serving as the executive director for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance. She is the author of “Spirit Car: Journey to a Dakota Past,” an award-winning book. Wilson will give a discussion of “Spirit Car” at 3 p.m. on the main floor of the Gordon B. Olson Library and will follow that with a reading at 7 p.m. at the Northwest Arts Center.
“Diane Wilson’s visit will extend campus and community engagement with Native American traditions, deepening our understanding of the historical peoples and present-day tribes of North Dakota,” said Lizzy LeRud, MSU associate professor of literature and rhetoric. “As a Mdewakanton descendent and enrolled member of the Rosebud Reservation, Wilson writes extensively about the legacies of Native American culture. As the daughter of a Swedish American father, Wilson is also attuned to the experiences of European settlers, and her personal story recounted in ‘Spirit Car’ navigates the cultural intersections of multiple ethnic groups in the Northern Plains region.
“Specifically, ‘Spirit Car’ narrates the experience of learning about her mother’s past, leaving her home in suburban Minneapolis to travel across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska in search of her Dakota Indian family. By demonstrating the process of discovering her own past, Wilson’s writing offers a model for campus and community members seeking to connect their present-day experiences of North Dakota life with its complex histories and traditions.”
“Spirit Car” won a 2006 Minnesota Book Award and was selected for the 2023 One Minneapolis One Read program. Wilson’s nonfiction book, “Beloved Child: A Dakota Way of Life” was awarded the 2012 Barbara Sudler Award from History Colorado.
The Minot State Bookstore will sell copies of “Spirit Car” and Wilson will sign them during each of the events. The event was partially funded by a Minot State Cultural and Intellectual Engagement Council grant.
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Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 04/09/24
