Gwen Nell Westerman is a

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

educator, writer, and fiber artist. She is a professor at

Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 145,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is t ...

, and the Director of the

Native American Literature Symposium The Native American Literature Symposium (NALS) is a Native American literature conference. It was founded in 2001. It is held at a tribal venue every spring. The NALS was first established by a group of independent scholars committed to creating a ...

. Governor

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...

appointed her as Poet Laureate of Minnesota in September 2021.

Background

Westerman is

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...

and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

. She is an enrolled citizen of both the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation and the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...

. She speaks the

Dakota language The Dakota language ( or ), also referred to as Dakhóta, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, commonly known in English as the Sioux. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lak ...

. Her mother was Cherokee, and Westerman grew up in Kansas.

Education

Westerman earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in English from

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

. She received a doctoral degree in English from the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

Teaching career

She is a professor of English and director of the humanities program at

Fiber arts

Westerman is a fiber artist who specializes in quilt-making.

Awards

* 1999: ''Native American Inroads'', The Loft, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mentor: Diane Glancy (American). * 1999: ''Native American Inroads'', The Loft, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mentor: Mona Susan Power ( Standing Rock Dakota). * 2004: Fellowship,

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

American Indian Programs Native American studies (also known as American Indian, Indigenous American, Aboriginal, Native, or First Nations studies) is an interdisciplinary academic field that examines the history, culture, politics, issues, spirituality, sociology and co ...

. Research project: Traditional Dakota beadwork, under the direction of JoAllyn Archambault, PhD (Standing Rock Sioux). * 2012: Douglas R. Moore Research Award Fellow.

. * 2012: Presidential Teaching Scholar, Minnesota State, Mankato. * 2013:

Minnesota Book Award The Minnesota Book Awards are presented annually for books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans. The award, originally established in 1988, is organized by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. History ...

, Minnesota Category. * 2013: Leadership in History Award, American Association for State and Local History. * 2014: Hognander Minnesota History Award * 2014: Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Minnesota State University, Mankato. * 2015: Native American Artist in Residence at the

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...

Publications

Books

* * *Gwen Nell Westerman (2023). ''Songs, Blood Deep.'' Holy Cow! Press.

Articles and chapters

* * * * *

Poetry

* * * * * * * *

Art

* *

References

External links

*
"Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Appoint Gwen Nell Westerman as Minnesota Poet Laureate," Gov. official website, September 9, 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westerman, Gwen Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American poets 21st-century American textile artists 21st-century American women writers 21st-century Native American artists 21st-century Native American women 21st-century Native American writers 21st-century American women textile artists American non-fiction writers American quilters American women non-fiction writers American women poets Cherokee Nation artists Cherokee Nation women artists Cherokee Nation women writers Cherokee Nation writers Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty Native American poets Native American textile artists Native American women artists Native American women poets Poets laureate of Minnesota Oklahoma State University alumni Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate people Textile artists from Minnesota University of Kansas alumni