Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Encyclopedia
Marie Louise Defender Wilson (October 14, 1930), also known by her Dakotah name Wagmuhawin (Gourd Woman), is a storyteller, traditionalist, historian, scholar and educator of the Dakotah
/Hidatsa
people and a cultural director working in health care organizations.
on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation
in North Dakota
. Her mother Helen Margaret See The Bear, was a midwife and her grandfather, Tall Man See The Bear herded sheep. From a young age, Wilson was surrounded by the storytelling of her Dakotah speaking family. In 1954, Wilson became the second Miss Indian America
.
in Fort Yates, North Dakota
.
In 1999, Wilson released her first spoken word album, The Elders Speak. In 2002 her second album, My Relatives Say won the Nammy
for Best Spoken Word Album.
The value of storytelling, Wilson says, is "Civilization means trying to understand ourselves as human beings, what we are born with. The Dakotah believe that all human beings born into this world have certain primitive characteristics and people have to be careful otherwise those will dominate that human being."
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
/Hidatsa
Hidatsa
The Hidatsa are a Siouan people, a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The Hidatsa's autonym is Hiraacá. According to the tribal tradition, the word hiraacá derives from the word "willow"; however, the etymology is not transparent and the similarity to mirahací ‘willows’ inconclusive...
people and a cultural director working in health care organizations.
Early life
Wilson was born on October 14, 1930 near ShieldsShields, North Dakota
Shields is an unincorporated community in Grant County, North Dakota, United States. Founded by Nathaniel J. Shields and his wife Mary and their four children in 1896. Shields' population peaked in 1920 with 250 people. Its elevation is 1,808 feet...
on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation
Standing Rock Indian Reservation
The Standing Rock Indian Reservation is a Lakota, Yanktonai and Dakota Indian reservation in North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States...
in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Her mother Helen Margaret See The Bear, was a midwife and her grandfather, Tall Man See The Bear herded sheep. From a young age, Wilson was surrounded by the storytelling of her Dakotah speaking family. In 1954, Wilson became the second Miss Indian America
Miss Indian America
Miss Indian America was a pageant from 1953 to 1985 that was part annual All-American Indian Days festival in Sheridan, Wyoming. Each contestant was assessed on the basis of her appearance, communication skills, knowledge and practice of her culture, knowledge of tribal, federal and state...
.
Career
Wilson held administrative jobs with Native American related government agencies before returning to the reservation in 1976. In the 1980s, she taught tribal culture and language at Sitting Bull CollegeSitting Bull College
Sitting Bull College is a tribal college in Fort Yates, North Dakota. It was founded in 1973 by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of the Standing Rock reservation in south-central North Dakota. It is one of 34 tribally controlled colleges nationwide. It is also a member of the American Indian Higher...
in Fort Yates, North Dakota
Fort Yates, North Dakota
Fort Yates is a city in Sioux County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the tribal headquarters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and county seat of Sioux County...
.
In 1999, Wilson released her first spoken word album, The Elders Speak. In 2002 her second album, My Relatives Say won the Nammy
Native American Music Awards
The Native American Music Awards , commonly known as the Nammys, are an awards program presented annually by The Native American Music Association & Awards, which recognizes outstanding musical achievement among Native Americans...
for Best Spoken Word Album.
The value of storytelling, Wilson says, is "Civilization means trying to understand ourselves as human beings, what we are born with. The Dakotah believe that all human beings born into this world have certain primitive characteristics and people have to be careful otherwise those will dominate that human being."
Honors and awards
- National Heritage FellowshipNational Heritage FellowshipThe National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
from the National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current... - H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award from the National Education Association for Human and Civil Rights
- Best Spoken Word Album, Native American Music Awards (2002), for My Relatives Say
- Community Spirit Award (2009) from First Peoples Fund
- Enduring Vision Award (2009)