“WOMEN SHAPING THE WEST: STORIES FROM WYOMING” by Lindsay Linton Buk will be available March 2026
What’s inside:
25 stories of impactful Wyoming women told through medium format film photography and narratives;
Over 100 photographs showcasing the depth, physicality, and raw beauty of Wyoming and its people;
Wyoming’s suffrage story and 20 historical vignettes of groundbreaking women throughout Wyoming’s history;
The creative process and what it took to build the project, podcast, traveling exhibit, and now this book.
“‘Women Shaping the West’ is such a beautiful celebration of strength and spirit. ”
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Part memoir, part storytelling, part photography book, and part creative process, Women Shaping the West: Stories from Wyoming is a powerful portrait of over 25 extraordinary Wyoming women whose lives, work, and stories capture the strength, spirit, and soul of the modern American West.
Photographer and podcaster Lindsay Linton Buk crisscrossed the “Cowboy State,” meeting women from all walks of life, gathering their stories, and capturing them on film. The result is a striking collection that centers Wyoming voices while resonating with universal experiences of passion, purpose, and fulfillment.
From an octogenarian abstract painter to a backcountry pilot, from the first person born in India elected to state government in the U.S. to the operator of Wyoming’s only commercial flour mill, from an Eastern Shoshone language preservationist to the state’s first female Supreme Court justice—these women live remarkable lives simply by being their truest selves. Their stories encourage today’s women and girls to own their truths, dream boldly, and share their gifts with the world.
Based on the same powerful collection of portraits and stories that inspired the acclaimed podcast and museum exhibition—featured by Forbes.com, the Travel Channel, and more—this exquisite, large-format book brings the women’s voices to the page, along with Lindsay’s own behind-the-scenes journey to document them.
The Stories
Chapter I: Breaking Boundaries
Who are the modern icons, rule breakers, and women shaping the West right now? To be a boundary breaker is to be celebrated. But the reality of being the first in one’s field, or overcoming immense personal odds and obstacles, can be challenging. Growth isn’t easy. Courage is key to go where you, or no one else, has ever been before.
Marilyn S. Kite, Wyoming’s first female Supreme Court Justice and first female Chief Justice
Neltje, 1934-2021: Abstract expressionist painter, philanthropist, and author of North of Crazy
Affie Ellis: Wyoming’s first native (Navajo) female lawmaker
Marilyn S. Kite: Wyoming’s first female Supreme Court Justice and first female Chief Justice
Nimi and Nina McConigley: Nimi (mother): First Indian-born person in the US to be elected to state government. Nina (daughter): Award-winning author of Cowboys and East Indians
Clarene Law, 1933-2022: Self-made businesswoman, community leader, long-time legislator
Chapter I also features 20 historical vignettes of groundbreaking women throughout Wyoming’s history, as well as Wyoming’s suffrage story.
Chapter II: Filling the Void
The Void is not empty. The Void stands for space, potential, and energy to be harnessed. Filling the Void means trusting the unknown and having the bravery to discover what potential lives in the spaces you may overlook, if you dare to venture beyond the edges.
Lori Materi, Director of the Upton Municipal Airport, backcountry pilot, and rural airstrip advocate
Lori Materi: Director of the Upton Municipal Airport, backcountry pilot, rural airstrip advocate
Lynette St. Clair: Eastern Shoshone linguist, cultural preservationist and education consultant on the Wind River Reservation
Megan Grassell: Founder/CEO Yellowberry
Rev. Dr. Bernadine Craft: Episcopal priest, former state senator, Executive Director Sweetwater County Board of Cooperative Educational Services
Dr. Diane Noton Coale: Emergency room physician & rural doctor
Chapter III: Power
Power is the space of the matriarch and dreams. It means using your voice and standing strong in what you believe. You are not alone. The collective is key to transformation. Therefore, in addition to individual stories, this chapter explores two multi-subject stories of organizations. Power is a spirit you continually cultivate within yourself and those around you.
Rita E. Watson, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education since 1974, co-founder of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day March in Cheyenne
Mary A. (Mickey) Thoman: Cowgirl, mentor, and matriarch of the WM Thoman Ranch in Sweetwater County
Climb Wyoming: Statewide nonprofit providing skills and support for low-income single moms through job training, mental health counseling, and job placement
Rita E. Watson: Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education since 1974, co-founder of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day March in Cheyenne
Wyoming Latina Youth Conference: Leadership, science, and creativity conference
Aura Sunada Newlin, PhD: Anthropologist, Executive Director of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation
Chapter IV: Rising
Rising is a reckoning with what’s possible when you stop waiting for permission. To rise is to take risks, follow intuition, and say yes to becoming—even though the outcome is not guaranteed. Rising is found in spontaneous yet inspired action, in creative fire, and in the quiet courage to build something new. It’s about collaboration, a call answered.
Commander Lauren Gurney, Wyoming’s only female D.U.S.T.O.F.F. Medevac pilot and Commander of the G Co 2-211th Aviation Regiment
Commander Lauren Gurney: Wyoming’s only female D.U.S.T.O.F.F. Medevac pilot and Commander of G Co 2-211th Aviation Regiment
Rosie Berger: Community leader, former legislator
Hillary Walrath: Wildlife biologist, conservationist, restoration program manager for Trout Unlimited, and founder of the Seedskadee Women’s Fly Fishing Float
Jill Winger: Homesteader, influencer, podcaster, restaurateur, best-selling author
Elizabeth Fernandez: Founder, Artistic Director, and choreographer of Rocky Mountain School of the Arts and Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre
Chapter V: The Cowgirl State
The Cowgirl State is more than just geography—it’s a mindset. A culmination of grit, grace, irreverence, determination, and pride. This chapter is a declaration, a homecoming, and an invitation to claim space, own your story, and carve your initials into the wide-open sky.
Ann Simpson, Community and mental health advocate, champion for the arts
Jessie Allen Gottwald: Director and owner of Allen’s Diamond 4 Ranch, yoga instructor, hunting guide, National Outdoor Leadership School instructor and former Miss Wyoming
Ann Simpson: Community and mental health advocate, champion for the arts
Marnie Peterson: Scientist, inventor, entrepreneur
Sara Wood: Regenerative farmer, heritage grain grower, operator of Wyoming’s only commercial flour mill
Jasmine Pickner Bell, “Good Road Woman”: Two-time world champion hoop dancer and educator
