Mari Sandoz’s Legacy Lives On: Nature Writing Students Claire Thompson and Lizbeth Bárcena Awarded First Scholarships 

Two students in Western Colorado University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing’s Nature Writing concentration are the beneficiaries of the newly established Mari Sandoz Scholarship.

Claire Thompson, recipient of the 2024 inaugural scholarship, is a teacher, writer, and Forest Service trail worker who returned to school to prioritize her own writing and have the rigor and community offered by one of the few place-based environmental programs in the country. Thompson is currently working on her thesis and is writing about her place, its past people, and its current struggles.

“With Sandoz’s work and legacy in mind, I’ve spent my first semester delving deeper into explorations of my own relationships to the landscapes and communities that have shaped me,” she said. “Last fall, I learned more about the displacement and ongoing legal battles of the Wenatchi tribe, on whose ancestral lands I’ve been living and working for close to a decade, and whose traditional fishing grounds have been developed into a bustling Bavarian-themed tourist town that barely acknowledges its first inhabitants. I drafted an essay exploring my own relationship, as a public-lands employee, to both the exploitation and stewardship of this place that I’ve come to call home, too. I’m looking forward to revising and developing this and other related work!”

The 2025 recipient is Lizbeth Bárcena, a writer, naturalist, and designer exploring the desert Southwest. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, she now splits her time between Los Angeles and the desert community of Borrego Springs, where she volunteers for the State Park and nonprofits in the Colorado and Mojave Deserts.

“I am humbled to be able to acknowledge Mari Sandoz’s work and contribute to her message and legacy that revered the landscapes and Native People of the Great Plains and the West,” she noted. “Receiving this scholarship means the opportunity to advocate and further investigate the landscapes and voices of the West, which have been the focus of my literary explorations. By participating and volunteering for the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, I plan to build upon my knowledge of the natural world and the human and non-human relationships and their stories.

“As a woman and Mexican American, my writing reflects on diversity, the unrepresented voices, the unique cultural perspectives, and the complex relationships to illustrate how we survive life’s challenges in a changing environment. The desert is my muse, and at the center of all my work are stories inspired by the ecology of our deserts in the Southwest, which centers on resilience, adaptiveness, wonder, and fragility. My writing journey has taken me into the outdoors where I volunteer for non-profits to educate, conserve, and restore our deserts. It has also led me to examine the more profound questions about human and non-human life, environmental ethics, and our role on Earth. I aspire to share those stories and hope to inspire others to explore and protect their natural surroundings.”

Dr. Laura Pritchett, who directs the Nature Writing program, hoped to express just how much the financial contribution means to students. “The simple truth is that money is the number one reason talented applicants are not able to pursue an advanced degree,” she said. “Let’s face it: Schooling is expensive, writing is often not lucrative, and money is a barrier. This scholarship not only supports significant writing about place and helps a student, though — it also has the benefit of reminding contemporary writers of one of our great forebears. Sandoz’s name and spirit are kept alive. It’s a win-win.”

Mari Sandoz (1896-1966) was a novelist, biographer, and one of the earliest writers of creative nonfiction, as seen in her biography, Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas. Sandoz’ writing emphasized the environmental and human landscape of the West and was recognized for her no-nonsense yet deeply evocative style. She was passionate about sharing her hard-earned and well-honed writing skills, and taught Advanced Novel Writing at the Writers’ Institute Summer Session at the University of Wisconsin. The Mari Sandoz Society, which also sponsors the Storycatcher Festival, held in the spring at Western Colorado University, offers this scholarship to ensure the legacy of Mari Sandoz and her passion for writing and love of the landscapes and peoples of the West.