The Imagined West: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

The American West. Cowboys. Indians. Possibilities. Conflict. The West has captured the public imagination for more than two centuries. But our pop-culture visions of heroes and villains are only part of the story. From the “49ers” who came in search of gold, to the lives of the indigenous and native peoples who had lived on those lands for centuries, we’ll explore the long-lasting legacy of westward expansion.

Josh Garrett-Davis, associate curator of LA’s Autry Museum of the American West, moderates this panel discussion featuring H.W. Brands, historian and author of more than two dozen books, including Dreams of El Dorado; T.J. Stiles, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Custer’s Trials, which cast new light on one of America’s most controversial figures; and David Treuer, who explores his own Ojibe heritage amid the sweeping history of Native American life in his book The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee.