Hey! So Glad You're Here.

I’m Shannon Smith—a historian, storyteller, and cultural ambassador exploring the deep connections between heritage, memory, and place. My work has always centered on understanding how people carry their stories: through family, community, land, and the moments that shape them.

 

My professional journey began at home on the Great Plains, where I’ve spent decades working closely with Native American communities through cultural preservation, public humanities, and collaborative projects rooted in trust and shared purpose. These experiences taught me that history isn’t only found in archives—it lives in people, memory, landscape, and relationships.

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🌍 A Growing Path: From the Northern Plains to the World

I inherited a passion for Mexican culture from my mother and her mother. I have dedicated many years to studying Spanish and Latin American history, and over the last decade have moved beyond tourism to exploring the culture and contemporary life of Mexico while continuing my Spanish language lessons. Those experiences were formative. Mexico taught me:

 • how ancestral and modern identities coexist,

 • how spirituality and daily life intertwine,

 • how communities preserve memory through ritual, art, and storytelling,

 • the similarities of Indigenous cultures,

 • and how cross-cultural relationships enrich our understanding of humanity.

 

My Spanish language study and cultural immersion opened my heart and perspective long before I ever imagined traveling farther across the world. In recent years, my work and my heart expanded globally. Through my involvement with CARAVAN Arts, I hope to serve as a cultural ambassador to places where ancient civilizations, sacred traditions, and modern life exist side by side.

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My most recent journey—an extraordinary 11-day experience in Egypt—reshaped the way I understand human continuity and cultural resilience. From the prehistoric fossils of Wadi Al-Hitan to the deep spirituality of Coptic Cairo, from the grandeur of Luxor’s temples to the everyday courage and ingenuity of the “garbage city people” of Manshiyat Naser, Egypt offered moments of insight that will stay with me forever.

 

These experiences deepened my understanding of what connects us—across time, across continents, and across cultures.

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✨ My Purpose

Across all of my work, the constant thread is this:

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To honor tradition, learn deeply, listen with humility, and share what I’ve learned in ways that build connection and understanding.

 

Whether I’m documenting Native American heritage, exploring global histories, researching archival materials, or writing “Field Notes” from my travels, I am guided by the belief that every culture has wisdom to offer—and that we grow when we open ourselves to that wisdom.

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🤝 Walking This Path Together

I invite you to join me as I explore the intersection of history, culture, spirituality, and humanity—whether through my work on the Northern Plains, my explorations in Mexico and Latin America, my travels abroad, or the ongoing journey of understanding our world one story at a time.