Clemmons’ article applies ethnohistorical tools to the analysis of the Treaty of 1837 mandating that Dakota Indians relinquish their lands in Minnesota. By focusing on the reaction among the Dakota to the treaty, largely ignored by historians in their scrutiny of federal government policy, Clemmons has been able to show how this overlooked event soured government-Indian relations and affected the relationship between the tribe and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

Clemmons earned her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before coming to Illinois State in 1999, she taught at Binghamton University for one year. Clemmons teaches a variety of courses in early nineteenth century U.S. history, especially the Early National and Jacksonian Eras as well as Native American history. Her research focuses on the clash of cultures resulting from the interaction between Protestant missionaries and Native Americans.