Pulitzer-Winning Historian Kathleen DuVal Rewrites American History in Native Nations

ORANGE SLICES

Kathleen DuVal at graduation.

“We can’t understand American history without Native American history.” That’s what UNC–Chapel Hill professor Kathleen DuVal believes — and it’s a proposition that just earned her one of the highest honors in writing.

DuVal, a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, has always been fascinated by American history. Her drive to uncover the real stories about Native American communities — not the myths or stereotypes — led her to write Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. In 2025, that book earned her the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in History.

So what does it feel like to be told you won a Pulitzer?

“It was very rewarding and somewhat matter-of-fact,” DuVal recalled. “There’s a long list of winners published and suddenly my name appeared on the American History list. I was stunned for a few moments, and then my publisher called to congratulate me.”

She’ll receive $15,000 and honored at a formal ceremony at Columbia University alongside winners in journalism, literature, and the arts. Back home in North Carolina, UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts and his wife celebrated the achievement with a dinner in her honor. “I felt honored and pleased that my work was so well received,” she said.

Kathleen DuVal with her son and husband.

DuVal, who lives with her family in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, has taught at UNC since 2003. She studied at Stanford University (B.A.) and earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. Known for blending oral history, archaeology, and archival research, she is deeply connected to North Carolina’s rich Indigenous history.

Native Nations isn’t just a textbook. It’s a cultural wake-up call. One reviewer called it “a seamless panorama of 1,000 years of American history,” and another praised how her depiction of the Native American’s endurance despite the horrific experiences they endured makes their survival even more remarkable. The book challenges their historical portrayal — a history that either ignores them or reduces them to victims of colonization. Instead, DuVal shows they were builders of cities, innovators in trade, and leaders of complex political alliances who continue to shape the nation to this day.

Before 1492, she writes, the land that would become the U.S., Canada, and Mexico was already going through many of the same massive global changes as Europe and Asia — climate shifts, agricultural revolutions, and the rise of cities. Native communities were connected by continent-wide trade routes and were developing workshop-style manufacturing long before Europeans arrived.

In telling this bigger and more expansive story, DuVal also dives into the invention of race and how it shaped U.S. policy. In 1808, Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa told U.S. officials that his movement was about spiritual and cultural unity, not military resistance. But his growing influence across tribes was seen as a threat. Europeans had created racial hierarchies to justify their dominance. Even into the 20th century, U.S. policy flip-flopped between trying to “civilize” Native Americans through forced assimilation and treating them as biologically inferior.

Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Photo by Mathis Photography.

DuVal doesn’t shy away from the painful parts of history — genocide, displacement, forced assimilation. But she also highlights the resilience and innovation of Native nations. Even in the face of violence and discrimination, many communities adapted and endured. In North Carolina, the Lumbee tribe is a prime example — descended from various groups who united for survival, they became one of the largest Native nations in the Southeast.

By starting her story in Chapel Hill, where she mentors students, and ending in today’s Native communities where languages and traditions are being revived, DuVal brings history full circle. She insists that Native Americans are not just a part of the past — they are part of our present and future. Their stories aren’t about erasure, but about sovereignty and survival.

In closing, DuVal reminds us: “Our society has an obligation to recognize and honor treaties of Native Americans and respect the land and commitments made within these treaties.”

Her Pulitzer-winning book proves that understanding Native history isn’t optional — it’s essential to truly understanding America.

Native Nations is a career-defining work. As UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts put it, the book enriches not just the university with its insight, but the entire world.

Honorary Dinner for Kathleen DuVal at Chancellor Roberts’ home.

“This prestigious recognition is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful testament to the impact of Kathleen DuVal’s work,” Chancellor Lee H. Roberts said. “We are deeply grateful to have such a renowned historian at Carolina, where her scholarship and dedication to illuminating often-overlooked perspectives in history continue to inspire our students and enrich our community. She has set a meaningful example for all of us and we are proud to celebrate her success.”

Save the date!

Mark your calendars for the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Powwow 2025, a vibrant celebration of heritage, community, and culture in Burlington, North Carolina. Join us on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12, 2025, for a full weekend of traditional dancing, drumming, storytelling, arts, crafts, and delicious native cuisine. The event will take place at 4902 Dailey Store Road, Burlington, NC 27217, and is open to all.

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Laurie Paolicelli

Disclaimer: Published by Orange County’s Tourism Department through its Public Relations team, this story includes interviews and repurposed content from websites and partner press releases. For more, visit www.visitchapelhill.org or contact Laurie Paolicelli.

Laurie Paolicelli is executive director for the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, a position she has held since 2005. Laurie has worked in tourism and marketing for twenty-five years, having served in leadership roles in Houston and California convention and visitor bureaus. She is a native of the Twin Ports of Duluth, MN/Superior Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Communications from the University Wisconsin-Superior and graduate certification in Technology In Marketing from the UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. This reporter can be reached at Information@TheLocalReporter.press