The Word Sender Award from the John G. Neihardt Foundation is given annually to someone dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the life and works of Neihardt. For the first time it was given to an organization this year.

“The Neihardt Foundation recognizes the contributions of the University of Nebraska Press in spreading the words of John Neihardt throughout the United States and around the globe,” said Dr. Jon Cerny, the current president of the Neihardt Foundation. “It is fitting that they are the recipients of the 2018 Word Sender Award.”

UNP publishes important works from John G. Neihardt, including Black Elk Speaks which has surpassed a million copies sold in its lifetime. Donna Shear, director of UNP, thanked the Neihardt Foundation for breaking with tradition by awarding the Word Sender to an organization in her acceptance speech on Nov. 11 at the Laureate’s Feast in Omaha.

“Please know that this is in no way the culmination of the Press’s efforts on behalf of the Neihardt corpus,” Shear said. “Rather, it will help to serve as another reminder of the importance, brilliance, and significance of his works and our special role in keeping them in front of readers all over the world.”