Teresa Peterson never considered herself a reader and never imagined she would one day become a writer.  A member of  Pezihutazizi k’ápi Oyáte or Upper Sioux Community, Peterson whose Dakota Iápi name is Utuhu Cistinna Win (Little Oak Tree) comes from a long line of storytellers. Her great grandfather, Wanbdiska (Fred Pearsall) shared story of Dakota people of long ago, including those from his mother in law, Tasina Susbeca Win. Today, her uncle, Walter “Super” LaBatte is who Peterson refers to as her family’s historian and culture bearer. “I have come to understand that we all have story. Our story shapes our sense of belonging and place in the world. When we know our story, we belong- no matter where we go, where we are,” Dr. Peterson says. 

The evolution from first reader to writer began while in her doctoral program at the University of Duluth in 2015.  Dr. Peterson’s dissertation, “Exploring a Cultural Intervention’s Influence on Sense of Belonging: Bringing Dakota Story into 6th and 10th Grade Social Studies Classrooms: was about how storytelling can influence or impact sense of belonging. “I played around with examples of storytelling and one of them was the larger version of what became Grasshopper Girl,” she says. The book is a blend of history, including information she gained from interviewing her mother on her experiences, along with story – a story of the decline of the tradition of storytelling in the Dakota Community and the importance of it. “I had a colleague that read the story and said – I could see this becoming a children’s book,” Peterson said.  

A mentor and his wife had, at the time, also recognized that Native writers were not well represented in the industry and started a children’s book publishing company with a focus on Native writers and Native artists. Seeing the call for authors and artists, Teresa had the idea to submit her work on Grasshopper Girl and it became one of the first book publications of Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing.  

Having never imagined herself as a writer, Peterson struggled with imposter syndrome, and as she worked through ways to get out of her comfort zone to share her work, she thought about how accountability played a factor in how she achieves goals. “Part of my value system is always being accountable, so if I make a commitment, I really honor that,” she says. That led to Peterson applying for a grant through Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.  This grant helped her to expand her reach, allowing her to connect with diverse audiences across Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. She visited libraries, schools, bookstores, nursing homes, senior centers and more, sharing her story with all ages.  

In addition to Grasshopper Girl, Dr. Peterson’s second project, Voices from Pejuhutazizi: Dakota Stories and Stoytellers, received grant support as well. The funding enabled her to increase the visibility of the book, creating a professional online presence that includes a website (teresapetersonwords.com) and social media presence. This platform offers readers direct access to her work, an event calendar, and a storefront for purchasing books. Teresa Peterson is proud of how the new site elevates her presence as a Native author and allows her to reach an even wider audience. 

Peterson explains that there are two types of stories in Dakota tradition- Wičhóoyake stories which include history, migration and genealogy of people and Hithúŋka-kaŋpi stories which deal with legends, tales and myths that foster teachings.  One of the main characters in Grasshopper Girl, Uŋktómi (trickster/spider) is a teaching story that has been shared for generations.  

Another area of impact the grants afforded was the variety of venues that Teresa was able to connect her website and social media presence with, including interviews, conferences, and podcasts. Being able to refer or direct people to the website provides an opportunity to extend a casual conversation to a continued follow up. “In some ways it also supports my credibility as an author/writer by providing an artist resume and biography,” she says. An example of how this online presence amplified her work and gave it a greater voice, Teresa and her uncle Walter LaBatte Jr.  who is co-author, were invited to the University of Minnesota Morris’ Prairie Gate Literary Festival alongside Minnesota poet laureate Gwen Westerman.  

“Having the store front also helped me professionally as it required setting up a way for book transactions to occur (e.g., paypal). This in turn allows me to sell books in person for a younger generation to purchase through this app versus cash/check (which I found out many young people do not carry). This was beyond what I expected my project to do,” she says. 

The Canby Area Arts Council invited Teresa for book events due to the online/social media presence the project supported. While there were book events with more people or those that might be considered more prestigious, Peterson says, “Being invited into a southwest rural community right in my own backyard has huge impact.”  

Peterson has also partnered with the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Morton to provide a reading/book event for the community and the agency staff. It was an opportunity to highlight a contemporary storytelling event at a historic site that connected people to land, language, and relatives. “It is so important to increase the visibility of Dakota people and disrupt the narratives that are often void of Native voice in these small rural communities near our two Dakota Nations. By doing events like these, using arts to bridge divides, it supports the belongingness of Dakota/Indigenous/BIPOC people,” Peterson says.  

Grant opportunities like these allow Teresa Peterson to impact countless readers over time as she carries on a tradition that runs deep in her family tree.  In recognition of the impact this book is having on our state, the Understand Native Minnesota campaign organized a One-Read program in schools across Minnesota in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society Press. To coincide with Native American Heritage month in November the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community partnered with Understand Native Minnesota campaign and donated 20,000 copies of the book free of charge to schools and teachers.   

Peterson’s most recent book Perennial Ceremony has recently been selected as a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. She will find out in April if it has been selected. She has also been contacted to be featured in the Minnesota Historical Society Teacher and Education Curriculum Developments “Northern Lights” book – a sixth grade Social Studies curriculum.  

Throughout this process Teresa Peterson remains humbled by the reception of her work and is inspired to continue writing. “I now realize it is stories that carry us from our past to our present and into our collective future. My ancestor’s stories remind me that I am here not by chance, but for purpose. I am meant to be here.”