Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Mary Louise Defender Wilson | |
|---|---|
Wagmuhawin | |
Defender Wilson in 2016 | |
| Born | Mary Louise Defender October 14, 1930 Shields, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Other names | Gourd Woman |
| Occupation(s) | Storyteller, tribal elder, administrator |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Spouse | William Dean Wilson (married 1969–99) |
| Awards | National Heritage Fellowship, United States Artists fellowship |
Mary Louise Defender Wilson (born 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 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.