The Book Prize, in its 20th year, celebrates the book published during the previous year which made the biggest contribution to advancing understanding of and appreciation for the people, cultures, and natural environment of the Great Plains.
This year’s finalists, selected by an independent panel of judges, are:
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle
“Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country.” (HarperCollins Publishers)
Bead Talk: Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics from the Flatlands edited by Carmen L. Robertson, Judy Anderson, and Katherine Boyer
“Editors Carmen Robertson, Judy Anderson, and Katherine Boyer gather conversations, interviews, essays, and full-colour reproductions of beadwork from expert and emerging artists, academics, and curators to illustrate the importance of beading in contemporary Indigenous arts. Taken together, the book poses and responds to philosophical questions about beading on the prairies: How do the practices and processes of beading embody reciprocity, respect, and storytelling? … How does beading help individuals reconnect with the land?” (University of Manitoba Press)
The Spirit of 1889: Restoring the Lost Promise of the High Plains and Northern Rockies by Samuel Western
“In August 1889, the five states that were once part of the 1861 Dakota Territory—North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho—drafted their state constitutions in preparation for inclusion in the United States. These constitutions were models of progressive and pragmatic values for their time. Wyoming, for instance, was the first state to grant women’s suffrage. In addition to suffrage, delegates from these states banned child labor, curbed the power of railroads and grain monopolies, mandated state ownership of running water, opened voting eligibility, and created state-owned banks. These states … exhibited a spirit of commonweal inclusivity that set them apart." (The University Press of Kansas)
This book prize is possible because of Jim and Cheryl Stubbendieck, who have generously supported the prize for more than a decade. The winner of the prize will deliver a talk on campus at the Center for Great Plains Studies in fall 2025.
