American Masters: N. Scott Momaday

Delve into the mind of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet N. Scott Momaday on “American Masters: N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear”, which airs Monday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Watch online now.

The poet is best known for his work “House Made of Dawn” and was a formative voice of the Native American Renaissance in art and literature that led to the breakthrough of Native American literature into the mainstream.

The documentary features original animation, historical photos and aerial landscapes that compliment interviews with indigenous authors Rilla Askew and Joy Harjo, the first Native American United States Poet Laureate. Various actors and the founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Richard West, will all reveal Momaday’s creative core.

Although his heritage is a central theme, Momaday’s work asks universal questions: what are our origins and how do we connect to them through our collective memories? “American Masters – N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear” illuminates how Momaday has grappled with these questions, his identity and the challenges of being a Native American artist in the 20^th and 21^st century.