Paul Chaat Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Chaat Smith
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Gerald McMaster (left), Paul Chaat Smith (center), and Joseph Sanchez (right) in a panel discussion, 2008
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| Occupation | Author, curator |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American (Comanche Nation) |
| Genre | Native American studies |
Paul Chaat Smith is a talented author and a special kind of expert called a curator at the National Museum of the American Indian. He is a member of the Comanche Nation. Paul often writes and talks about American Indian art and important political topics.
Contents
Paul Chaat Smith's Early Life
Paul Chaat Smith was born in Texas. His mother, Pauline Rosalee (Chaat) Smith, was Comanche. His father, Clodus R. Smith, is Choctaw. His father also led several colleges as their president.
Paul's family moved around a lot when he was young. They lived in Ithaca, New York, then Maryland, and later Cleveland, Ohio. Both of Paul's parents believed strongly in education. They even created a scholarship at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. This scholarship helps American Indian students go to college.
Career Highlights
Paul Chaat Smith has had an exciting career. He has worked as a museum curator and a writer.
Being a Curator
Since 2001, Paul Smith has been a curator at the National Museum of the American Indian. A curator is like a detective and storyteller for museums. They choose, organize, and explain the art and objects on display.
- In 2004, he helped set up the museum's main history gallery.
- He created a big exhibit called Americans that opened in 2017. This exhibit explored how Native Americans are seen in American culture.
- In 2005, he worked with another curator, Truman Lowe, to show the art of James Luna at a famous art show in Venice, Italy.
- He also organized a major art show for the artist Fritz Scholder in 2008 and 2009. It was called Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian.
- From 2009 to 2010, he put together a show for Canadian artist Brian Jungen. This exhibit was named Strange Comfort.
- Paul Smith has helped many other Native American and Aboriginal Canadian artists share their work. Some of these artists include Richard Ray Whitman and Kent Monkman.
Writing Books
Paul Smith is also a well-known author. He has written two important books.
- Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee (1996): He wrote this book with Robert Allen Warrior. It tells the story of important Native American protests. These included the 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz and the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation. The book is considered a very important work about Native American activism.
- Everything You Know about Indians Is Wrong (2009): This book took him over 16 years to create! It's a collection of funny and informative essays. The book shares his thoughts and experiences, helping readers learn new things about Native American cultures.
Other Work
Paul Smith has given talks at famous places like the National Gallery of Art. He also helped as an advisor for a PBS TV series called We Shall Remain. He worked on the episode about Wounded Knee.
Family Life
Paul Chaat Smith has a sister named Marti Chaatsmith. She is also Comanche and Choctaw. Marti works to protect ancient Native American earthworks in Ohio. These are large mounds of earth built by Native Americans long ago.
