Poetry Reading Inspired By Free Land Exhibition

Join poets Tami Haaland, Melissa Kwasny, David L. Moore, and M.L. Smoker for a powerful evening of poetry inspired by Jason Elliott Clark’s Free Land exhibition. Each poet will share works that reflect on the prairie’s rich history and ongoing transformation, exploring themes of land, Indigenous culture, and environmental change.

This special reading offers a unique blend of art and poetry, allowing the land’s stories to come to life through the voices of these talented poets.

David Axelrod of Bear Scratch Press will also be present to offer broadsides and chapbooks featuring the poets’ works for sale.

This special gathering brings together four of Montana’s most revered literary voices:

🎙️ M. L. Smoker (Assiniboine and Sioux, Fort Peck)

Award-winning poet, Emmy recipient, and advocate for Indigenous education. Smoker’s work, including Another Attempt at Rescue, bridges art, justice, and culture.

🎙️ Melissa Kwasny

Co-editor of I Go to the Ruined Place and author of Pictograph, Kwasny’s work weaves environmental and spiritual insight with deep poetic vision. Her most recent collection, written during a residency at American Prairie, explores the question: What does the prairie know?

🎙️ David L. Moore

Professor and scholar of Native American literatures and ecocriticism, Moore is the author of That Dream Shall Have a Name. He brings thoughtful context to contemporary Indigenous writing and its relationship to the American landscape.

🎙️ Tami Haaland

Former Montana Poet Laureate and author of If I Had Said Beauty, Haaland’s poetry reflects an enduring curiosity for language, myth, healing, and human connection.

Come experience the prairie's stories through poetry and reflection, in an evening that honors land, memory, and voice.

This event is free and open to the public.