On July 28th, author Shannon Smith presented a talk about authors Dee Brown and Mari Sandoz at Fort Phil Kearny. Smith, who has been researching and studying the area since 2000, discussed the backgrounds and writing styles of the two historians.

Historical Significance

Smith, who is the president of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society in Nebraska, talked about how she became interested in the two authors while studying history at the University of Nebraska. She found books in the archives that were from Mari Sandoz’s apartment, including one with Sandoz’s red pencil notes.

Mari Sandoz was born in 1896 in Sandhill County, Nebraska, and had a rough upbringing on the family homestead. Despite her father’s discouragement, she continued to write and published several books, including a biography of her father, Old Jules, and Cheyenne Autumn and Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas. Dee Brown, on the other hand, was a well-known western historian born in 1908 in Alberta, Louisiana, and wrote several notable books, including Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Showdown at Little Bighorn.

Both authors wrote about the Plains Indians and the Indian Wars, and their writings are considered classics. Smith’s talk was well-attended and held in the new Fort Phil Kearny Interpretive Center.

Original reporting: Sheridan Media (Sheridan WY) — read the source article.