History books tend to include Missouri’s Indigenous population only during periods when they were a threat to the state’s white settlement. These histories overlook the fact that Native people have lived here for at least twelve thousand years and continue to call Missouri home today.
Historian Greg Olson describes the centuries of Indigenous presence in the state and how the inventiveness and adaptability of Missouri’s Indigenous population has changed and evolved in the face of extreme challenges. Olson shows how this resilience allowed Indigenous people and their traditions to survive in Missouri in the twenty-first century.
The author's latest book, Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present, published by University of Missouri Press, is available in the Richard Bookstore inside the Center for Missouri Studies and online: shop.shsmo.org.
About the Presenter
Greg Olson has written multiple books and articles on the history of the Ioway and Missouri Indians and the Indigenous people along the Lower Missouri River valley. In 2020, Olsen was a Center for Missouri Studies fellow, examining the treaties that gave the United States legal claim to the state of Missouri. His recent book published by University of Missouri Press, Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present is available online at shop.shsmo.org and other online bookstores. Olson's book received the 2024 Book Award at the Missouri Conference on History.