Clara Sue Kidwell, Ph.D., 84, passed away Nov. 26, 2025.
Kidwell was not just an author, historian, teacher, feminist and academic scholar. She left a significant legacy. Her life was dedicated to educating others about Native Americans. She was Choctaw and Chippewa. Kidwell earned all her degrees from the University of Oklahoma. When she completed her doctorate, it was rare for a Native American woman to achieve such a milestone.
She became a leading proponent of Native American studies at universities nationwide. Her academic career included teaching at the Kansas City Art Institute, the University of Washington, Haskell Indian Junior College, the University of Minnesota, the UC Berkeley, the University of Oklahoma, Dartmouth and Bacone College.
Kidwell also served as associate director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., director of OU’s Native American studies program and founding director of the American Indian Center at the University of North Carolina. She later served as interim operations director of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum before retiring.
She authored numerous books, many of which have become key teaching tools in Native American studies. In 2022, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Ethnohistory for her contributions to the field. In 2023, the Choctaw Cultural Center published “Dr. Clara Sue Kidwell, Teacher and Mentor,” highlighting her national leadership in American Indian studies.
Her work will remain influential and indispensable in academia for years to come.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Native American Student Association, 1501 Ash St., Owasso, OK 74055.