Bemidji Professor Honored With Award

The Minnesota Humanities Center names Anton Treuer of Bemidji as the 2026 Ruth & Ray Reister Award for Historical Contributions to the Humanities awardee.

Anton Treuer is a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, author, historian, and cultural educator whose work has advanced understanding of Ojibwe and Minnesota history for more than three decades — by bringing Ojibwe voices, language, oral history, and community knowledge into the historical record and public conversation. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Minnesota and has authored or edited more than twenty books, including The Assassination of Hole in the Day, Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe, Ojibwe in Minnesota, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, and The Language Warrior’s Manifesto.

Beyond publication, Anton Treuer has brought his work to Minnesotans through teaching, public humanities, language revitalization, community-based research, and public presentations. Across these efforts, his purpose has remained consistent: to preserve knowledge, broaden whose voices shape Minnesota history, and help Native and non-Native Minnesotans better understand one another and the histories that shape our shared life.

The Reister Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the understanding, preservation, interpretation, and public appreciation of Minnesota history.