A People's History of Kansas City

The occupation that saved a Wyandot cemetery, revisited

By Suzanne Hogan,

Published February 7, 2024 at 3:00 AM CST

Ways To Subscribe

In the early 1900s, the three Conley sisters barricaded themselves in a Wyandot cemetery in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, to save it from destruction. Then Lyda Conley took the battle all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — the first Indigenous woman to do so. In this episode, which originally aired in 2020, Suzanne Hogan uncovers Conley’s story and reports how the Kansas City arts community is newly celebrating her legacy.

The version of this episode that first aired in February 2020 was reported, produced and mixed by Suzanne Hogan with editing by Sylvia Maria Gross. The 2024 update was produced by Mackenzie Martin with editing by Gabe Rosenberg.

A People's History of Kansas City

Suzanne Hogan

Every part of the present has been shaped by actions that took place in the past, but too often that context is left out. As a podcast producer for KCUR Studios and host of the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, I aim to provide context, clarity, empathy and deeper, nuanced perspectives on how the events and people in the past have shaped our community today. In that role, and as an occasional announcer and reporter, I want to entertain, inform, make you think, expose something new and cultivate a deeper shared human connection about how the passage of time affects us all. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.

See stories by Suzanne Hogan

Mackenzie Martin

Mackenzie Martin is a senior podcast producer at KCUR Studios and host of the podcast, A People's History of Kansas City. Contact her at mackenzie@kcur.org.

See stories by Mackenzie Martin