Indigenous women are often stereotyped in our culture and have been throughout history. Misrepresentation continues to be a tool that perpetuates the devaluation of Native women, and consequently, violence against Native women. Tommy Orange’s novel, There, There, is arguably a representation of the diversity and complexity of Native women and Native identity. While the book engages critically, it also portrays violence against Native women. Join us for a discussion with members of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and award-winning author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle.  

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and resides in Qualla, NC with her husband, Evan and sons Ross and Charlie. She holds degrees from Yale University and the College of William and Mary. Her debut novel, Even As We Breathe, was released by the University Press of Kentucky in 2020, and named one of National Public Radio’s Best Books of 2020. 

Her first novel manuscript, Going to Water is winner of the Morning Star Award for Creative Writing from the Native American Literature Symposium (2012) and a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction (2014). Clapsaddle’s work has appeared in Yes! Magazine, Lit Hub, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, and The Atlantic. After serving as executive director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Annette returned to teaching at Swain County High School. She is the former co-editor of the Journal of Cherokee Studies and serves on the board of trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network. 

A book signing of Clapsaddle’s book will follow the presentation. Books may be purchased in advance at Scuppernong Books.