Kathleen O'Neal Gear

Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Born	1954 (age 70–71) Tulare, California, U.S.
Occupation	Archaeologist, writer
Alma mater	California State University, Bakersfield, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, California State University, Chico, University of California, Los Angeles
Notable works	North America's Forgotten Past series
Spouse	W. Michael Gear
Website
www.gear-gear.com

Kathleen O'Neal Gear (born 1954) is an American archaeologist, historian, author. Her novels have been published in 29 languages.^{[ citation needed ]}

Biography

Gear was born in Tulare, California, and graduated with a B.A. from California State University, Bakersfield, then went on to do graduate work in archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ^[1] She received her M.A. from California State University, Chico, and conducted Ph.D. studies in American Indian history at the University of California, Los Angeles. ^[2]

Gear is a former state historian and archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska for the U.S. Department of the Interior. ^{[3] [4]} She is perhaps best known for the North America's Forgotten Past series, co-authored with her husband W. Michael Gear. ^[5]

Selected bibliography

• People of the Wolf (1990)
• People of the Fire (1990)
• People of the Earth (1992)
• People of the River (1992)
• People of the Sea (1993)
• People of the Lakes (1994)

Awards and honors

• 2015 – inducted into the California State University, Bakersfield, Hall of Fame. ^[6]
• 2021 – The Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement in Western literature ^[7]
• 2023 - Spur Award for Best Short Fiction of the Year for "No Quarter" ^[8]
• 2023 - THE ICE GHOST awarded International Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel of the year. ^[9]
• 2023 - inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame. ^[10]

References

1. "Kathleen O'Neal Gear | CSU". www.calstate.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
2. "Kathleen O'Neal Gear | CSU". www.calstate.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
3. "Book review". newsok.com. 2014-10-12. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
4. "Alumni". calstate.edu. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
5. "Cookies not enabled?". The Colorado Springs Gazette. 15 February 1991. Kathleen met Michael at a Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists meeting in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1981. When she pulled out her chair at lunch and put her boot squarely in the middle of his Stetson--lying on the floor--it gave them a reason to strike up a conversation. They've been finishing each other's sentences ever since, both verbally and in writing.
6. "Past Awardees | California State University, Bakersfield". Archived from the original on 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
7. "W. Michael and Kathleen O'Neal Gear to receive Western Writers of America's Owen Wister Award" (Press release).
8. "Western Writers of America Announces 2023 Spur Award Winners and Finalists". Archived from the original on 2023-03-10.
9. "International Book Awards - Honoring Excellence in Independent & Mainstream Publishing". www.internationalbookawards.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
10. "12 of Colorado's most prolific authors will be inducted into the Author's Hall of Fame | YourHub".

External links

• Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W Michael Gear's Website