Mary Louise Defender Wilson

This article is about the Native American storyteller. For the American actress, see Mary Louise Wilson.

Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Wagmuhawin
black and white portrait taken in 2016 of Native American tribal elder and storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Defender Wilson in 2016
Born
Mary Louise Defender

(1930-10-14) October 14, 1930 (age 94)
Shields, North Dakota, U.S.
Other namesGourd Woman
Occupation(s)Storyteller, tribal elder, administrator
Years active1980s–present
SpouseWilliam Dean Wilson (married 1969–99)
AwardsNational Heritage Fellowship, United States Artists fellowship

Mary Louise Defender Wilson (born October 14, 1930), also known by her Dakotah name Wagmuhawin (Gourd Woman),[1] is a storyteller, traditionalist, historian, scholar and educator of the Dakotah/Hidatsa people and a former director working in health care organizations. Her cultural work has been recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship in 1999 and a United States Artists fellowship in 2015, among many other honors.

  1. ^ "Mary Louise Defender Wilson: Dakotah-Hidatsa Traditionalist/Storyteller". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 19, 2020.