A slate of seventy speakers with the 2019 SDHC's Speakers Bureau offers a depth of topics that groups across South Dakota can bring to their communities. The Council supports nearly 150 Speakers Bureau events annually, across a range of humanities-related subjects. Each speaker offers a specialized program, and many speakers offer multiple programs. Some presentations are specific to the South Dakota and Northern Plains, while others explore greater themes of society and the human experience.
Directly below are the categories covered by our 2019 speakers. To find a scholar nearest you, refer to the PDF below the Scholar Key. The PDF is sorted by city and details each scholar's presentation/discussion categories. Scroll through the scholar photos and presentations offered, or browse the alphabetical list of speakers located at the bottom of the page. Be sure to contact the scholar directly to discuss availability for your event before filling out a grant application.
Aronson discusses how modern technology has tried to tame the mighty Missouri River and harness its energy to meet the growing needs of the people in the Missouri River Basin, exploring the building of the six giant dams on the Missouri River and which groups benefited most and least from the flood control projects. Aronson believes that the Missouri River eludes the efforts of modern technology to tame it fully, and it continues to provide water of uncertain quantity and quality. Q&A period will follow.
On April 30, 1975, at 8:35 am, the last Marine left the American Embassy in Saigon. Thus, ended America's most controversial war. Fifty years later, we have often forgotten the lives and stories of those who fought so bravely. Now, an increase in public interest allows studying the Vietnam War experience to blossom. This program presents "war time images" through the novel, short-story, poetry, film, and veterans' stories. Stories from Vietnam veterans in our own area add substance to this presentation.
This presentation explores the harsh lessons taught by war - the work of the local commanders of the South Dakota National Guard in calling both active and inactive members into active service, the hurried mobilization which affected South Dakota families, farms, schools, universities, towns, and cities dramatically, the involvement of South Dakotans in the all-out war effort, the free courses and special training programs used as incentives for young people to gain civilian skills and help in the all-out war effort, the early work of the Civil Air Patrol and its licensed pilots, the iconic stories of some fearless SD pilots, and stories by South Dakotans who fought in World War II on various battle fronts. The topic also provides a voice for some selected World War II veterans.
Aronson presents the background of the National Park Service as we celebrated its 100-year history. The topic highlights and gives the history and description of national parks in ten states that she has personally visited, and provides the varied and professional roles of women in the National Park Service today.
This is an oral/visual presentation entitled "Cultural Diversity" which was presented for the Sons of Norway luncheons in Canton, SD and Brookings, SD. Photos highlight the beauty of the Norwegian landscape. The presentation focuses on Aronson's experiences and reflections from teaching at Sor Trondelag University in Trondheim, Norway as an exchange professor. She compares her college teaching experiences in the Midwest with her experiences in Norway, particularly in the areas of climate, history, culture, diet, and educational differences. Aronson brings items from Norway, adding interest to the presentation.
In the 2020 centennial year of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the Constitution, we will look at women and the vote, women and politics, women and American history. Who have they been, and why were they that? This is a political story worth exploring.
Cowboy boots, Air Jordans, Redwing boots, Earth Shoes, Manolo Blahniks? Our shoes tell a lot about us, and it turns out, a lot about the United States. We can trace some of the most important economic, social, cultural -- even some political -- trends in America by looking at shoes. Where were they made and sold, and how has that changed over time? Why did my grandmother need only a half dozen pairs and I need at least two dozen? This is history that you'll wish you'd had in school.
How was it that teaching -- along with nursing and secretarial work -- came to be one of the jobs "appropriate" for women when so many other occupations were not? How is it that school work is still considered by many to be "female" and concert hall seats and church benches are occupied by so many more women than men?
What Is the Use of History, Anyway?
So many people have reported that they had horrible school experiences with history. Rather than emphasizing memorization and dates, Atkins says history that matters emphasizes time and imagination. It gives us a way to understand the worlds and world views of people other than ourselves (our parents, for example). Done well, it helps us explain ourselves to ourselves. In this workshop Atkins helps us look at ourselves in historical perspective and to remember and write about our own history.
Ball adapts her conference paper on Marilynne Robinson's Gilead; she explores the unique beauty found on the prairie and in small prairie towns. This presentation could be adapted to a discussion format as well, and expand beyond this particular novel.
This workshop focuses on brainstorming and developing memoir-type writing to be shared primarily with family.
Barari helps adults identify important life memories and record their stories onto paper through fun, hands-on activities. Creative writing has many benefits aside from preserving valuable memories. It helps sharpen the mind and provides a therapeutic outlet for emotions. Please bring writing materials to the workshop.
Boyd introduces audiences to the American Indian people who made their homes in southeastern South Dakota – Omaha, Ponca, Ioway – and discusses their traditional way of life. Artifacts, sample trade items, replicas of a dog travois, tools and pottery are discussed and exhibited.
They have an amazing life cycle from egg, through five instars (sizes) of caterpillar, to adult butterfly. Learn why their numbers are rapidly declining. Learn why South Dakota native plants are a requirement for their survival. Follow their dramatic generational migration north to South Dakota breeding grounds and then South to their winter ranges.
The life cycle and habits of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals native to South Dakota are examined. Learn about carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Their feathers, pelts, skulls, teeth and claws, as well as live animals, are discussed and exhibited.
One of the lasting legacies of the founding fathers was respect and support for the "common good" among all American citizens. This presentation will focus on how engaged citizens in today's increasingly global world need to have an appreciation for the historical situations that have shaped their lives and a greater sense of their responsibilities and duties to the "common good."
The goal of accurately describing historical events is often seen as an unassailable virtue, providing a basis for the collective memories that inform a peoples' sense of identity and shared past, but is this a fair assessment in how "history" is used? In a culture where "truthiness" has replaced "the truth" and long-held verities are challenged daily, what role can historical memory play in helping twenty-first century citizens understand themselves and recent past? This presentation uses conspiracy theories as a point of entry for investigating recent historical events and controversies, closely examining the construction of historical memory.
Everyone comes from somewhere and everyone's story is worth telling and hearing. Brown's presentation uses art and artifact to tell the stories of the people of this region.
South Dakota has a vital Jewish community that stretches from one end of the state to the other. Brown shares how members of this community came into South Dakota beginning in the 1870s, and from then to now have built families and businesses, endured antisemitism and celebrated triumphs.
The Blair Colony was also known as the Sully County Colored Colony and became a source of possibility for former slaves and their children. Brown's presentation is based on a 2019 exhibition that explores the African-American experience in South Dakota.
Tribal cultures experienced incredible and dislocating change from the arrival of Lewis & Clark (1804) to the 19th century decimation of the buffalo herds that once spread across the South Dakota prairie. Brown focuses on the transition from quill work to bead work and loss of the buffalo, examining both voluntary and forced cultural change.
Cole-Dai invites participants to consider the 1862 Dakota Uprising in Minnesota from the perspective of Sarah Wakefield. The wife of a government physician on the Dakota reservation, Wakefield was captured on the first morning of the outbreak and later rumored to have loved Caske, her Dakota captor and protector. After the war, a military tribunal sentenced Caske to death. Perhaps owing to Sarah's testimony in Caske's defense, President Lincoln issued an order sparing his life; and yet Caske was among the 38 Dakota warriors hanged in Mankato, Minnesota, on December 26, 1862.
What does homelessness look and feel like from street level? Hear from someone who chose to go without a home for 47 days and practice compassion while living among the street people of Columbus, Ohio. After this presentation, you might look at every person you meet with new eyes.
What the Heck is Mindfulness Poetry?
Cole-Dai explores the practice of mindfulness and how poetry can support it.
The way that students read and understand the world and their connection to society and community is heavily shaped by their life experiences and their social identities. This presentation explores the intersections of culture and schooling in the U.S. context and provides educators with time to reflect on and shape a schooling experience that recognizes and celebrates the experiences and cultures of all students.
As our communities become increasingly diverse, unfamiliarity with cultural differences can often lead to unintended miscommunications. Conrad-Popova explores common cultural misinterpretations and provides a framework through which individuals and communities can reflect on their own cultural norms and any cognitive dissonance that arises in interactions with others whose cultural norms may differ. Includes an agenda for positive intercultural communication and creating welcoming and inclusive community spaces and attitudes.
Cramer discusses Laura Ingalls Wilder and her life with family and friends in De Smet. The presentation includes information gleaned from eleven oral histories of people who personally knew Laura and the Ingalls and Wilder families.
The story of Drifting Goose's resistance of railroad expansion into Spink County.
This presentation provides historical context of the Homestead Act and its impact on South Dakota. The homestead stories are collected in oral histories on file at the Oldham Museum.
Cramer shares the history of country schools in South Dakota, to include sample 1880s school lessons.
Building bridges of cultural understanding is the focus of this presentation. Using traditional Lakota concepts and cultural mapping, DeCory invites participants to appreciate the philosophy and values of the Lakota people.
Recent research shows that when our fight or flight response is activated, the part of the brain that is responsible for empathy shuts down. This research suggests that we must find a way to feel something different about each other before we can think positively about each other. Diggs addresses subtle and unseen barriers in our daily lives that make it difficult to feel or think positively about each other even when we want very much to do so.
The large number of people in our prisons represent a loss in human potential, broken families and a large sucking sound on our state budget. There are efforts at the state government level to reduce the prison population while insuring public safety. In this presentation, Diggs uses information gleaned from working directly with inmates who are doing life in prison on the revolving plan and suggests what the general public might do to facilitate the rehabilitation of inmates.
Whether it is for our businesses, schools, churches or civic organizations, we are all involved in marketing. At the very least we are, or should be, marketing ourselves. Diggs points out that people, the 5th "P" in marketing, are central to the promotion of our businesses, churches, schools and ourselves and focuses on the importance of including all people in our marketing strategies.
While competition is routinely romanticized, it is collaboration and cooperation that renders real results. Diggs will introduce you to the force of collaboration and show how and why collaboration wins over competition.
Diggs presents an hour-long program of animated poetry and short talks on subjects ranging from "Cultural Imprisonment" to "The Nature of Reality, How the Mind Plays Tricks on Us." The presentation takes participants on a journey of the mind, challenging them to rethink reality. An opportunity to engage in discussion follows.
From 1902-1933, Native Americans who misbehaved in boarding schools or who angered reservation agents were incarcerated at the Hiawatha Asylum in Canton, SD – the linchpin of federal "Indian" policy. By the time it closed, ~400 Native Americans from across the U.S. had been incarcerated there. Until recently, this part of our state and national history was virtually unknown. As Keepers of the Canton Native Insane Asylum Story, Dilenschneider and Fogg share the story in order to heal this wound in our own time.
When we are children, we are told to apologize when we hurt someone. However, apologies are not the same as the process of forgiveness. It's no surprise our attempts to "forgive and forget" don't restore relationships. Dilenschneider explores the power of the process of true forgiveness, which allows us to repair and rebuild our families, communities, and countries.
For decades, Anna Howard Shaw – who headed the National Woman Suffrage Association for 12 years – was missing from the Encyclopedia Britannica. Rev. Dr. Shaw was the first woman pastor ordained in the Methodist Church (1880) and a medical doctor, and an advocate for the League of Nations. She worked with Congress to develop the first immunization program for children in the United States. She was Susan B. Anthony's best friend. Her autobiography, The Story of a Pioneer, tells about growing up in the Michigan wilderness, going to college in the mid-1800s, and leading the effort for women's right to vote.
Healthy organizations use eight basic leadership competencies. Each of us has only one of these competencies. In a transformational leadership model, each person lives and grows into their own competency in integrity with her/his values. Then it becomes possible to develop teams of people who allow each other to take turns balancing and sharing leadership as needed. During this session, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of transformational leadership. In addition, each participant's leadership competency will be identified, and participants will learn how to use the processes of transformational leadership to promote personal and community integrity in their context.
This 1-hour, fast-paced musical program includes narration of Badger's life interspersed with his poetry set to music. Douglas sings and accompanies herself on guitar.
Facts aren't always the basis for public opinion and people are often swayed by appeals to their emotions and diverse personal belief systems. It is important to apply evaluation skills to everyday life to ensure positive and professional interactions. This presentation showcases tools and strategies to help the audience navigate today's socially and politically charged information climate. Interactive activities will help participants practice these skills to find and interpret quality information.
This is the true account of Asle Oscar Sorbel, who as a 17-year-old boy helped capture the three Younger brothers of the Jesse James outlaw gang. Incarcerated at Stillwater Prison, the Younger brothers still had friends on the outside willing to "deal with him", so Sorbel chose to disappear. He would later reappear in Webster, SD and spend the rest of his life as the eminent area horse doctor, harboring his secret till he died in 1930.
Fadness describes the little-known bombing of South Dakota by Japanese incendiary Fu-Go balloons (balloon bombs) during World War II. Nine thousand balloons were launched from the Japanese mainland in late 1944 and in 1945. Nine landings have been discovered on South Dakota soil. It is speculated that additional dangerous bombs lurk undetected in remote areas of North America.
This slide program and talk portrays the fascinating drama of balloon aeronaut, Lieutenant Harlou Paul Neibling. Neibling received the Distinguished Service Cross medal for his valor in France, shooting down a German Fokker D-VII airplane with his Colt .45 pistol while parachuting from his attacked and burning observation balloon.
This PowerPoint presentation tells the story of seven significantly historic, scientific balloons flown out of the Strato bowl since 1934. The Stratobowl is a deep, naturally circular canyon in the Black Hills, eleven miles south of Rapid City, SD. The historic launches, which were the beginnings of space exploration, are commemorated each September by an annual ascension of hot air balloons from the canyon floor.
Black Bart was the nemesis of the Wells Fargo Stage Coach Line. He robbed 29 stage coaches and was one of the most feared outlaws in the Sierras. Was he ever caught? Who was he really?
Fanebust tells the story of their improbable and amazing escape through southwestern Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Iowa, following a botched bank robbery in Northfield, MN.
Fanebust shares the tragedy of the shocking and mysterious death of a poor, immigrant girl and the arrest and trials of Emma Kaufmann, eccentric wife of a Sioux Falls millionaire.
Fanebust explores his life as a frontiersman, state-maker and controversial U.S. Senator.
From 1902-1933, Native Americans who misbehaved in boarding schools or who alienated reservation agents were sent to the Hiawatha Asylum in Canton, SD. By the time it closed, nearly 400 Native inmates from across the U.S. had been incarcerated there in circumstances described by federal investigators as "like a leper colony" and "inhumane." Currently, 127 Native Americans from 53 tribes remain buried in unmarked graves at the site. As Keepers of the Canton Native Asylum Story, Fogg and Dilenschneider speak about this aspect of our shared past so we may begin to heal this wound in our own time.
Fogg invites all South Dakotans into their shared history. An artist who is not afraid to tell the complicated stories of this land, he brings the past into the present through his art. In connecting his own feelings and those who engage with his art, he helps us imagine a preferred future together. This mixed media approach includes historical pieces, Native American craft, traditional art techniques, and a touch of humor. He asks: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?
In every piece of Fogg's work "there is more in the picture than just the story." Fogg shares the process he goes through to engage the viewer in the past, present and future, making informed choices on how to incorporate actual items (documents, furs, coins, certificates, etc.), as well as symbols of Native and non-Native cultures. It takes time. Once, Fogg had a snakeskin for 20 years before it was needed. Another piece has been germinating for 7 years, but its time is yet to be completed.
As the U.S. entered World War I, South Dakota was not immune from the anti-German sentiment growing across the country. In fact, one government agency, the state Council of Defense, viewed speaking German as such a threat to public safety that it made teaching and speaking the language illegal. Gebhart's presentation discusses the efforts and effects of that entity, and what was essentially the mounting of a war on the German language.
Gilbert examines the legal and social history of the prosecution of Lower Brule elder, Crow Dog, for the death of Spotted Tail. Gilbert discusses Crow Dog's incarceration in Deadwood, during which time he became part of the fabric of Deadwood society; and his life after the legal battle was over, including his actions in the days leading up to the Wounded Knee massacre.
Water Wars in Butte County During the "Dirty Thirties"
In May of 1934 a dispute arose over the rights to what little water there was in Butte County. Several men dragged another man behind a horse during the dispute. They were tried and convicted of assault with intent to commit murder and their convictions were affirmed by the South Dakota Supreme Court. Gilbert's presentation is based on the trial records, as well as published accounts of the incident.
This is an account of the lynchings that occurred in the Black Hills; including biographical information as to the probable perpetrators and their victims.
In 1904 a band of Lakota had a gunfight with a Wyoming sheriff's posse in northeastern Wyoming. The dispute was over hunting rights and alleged poaching. Several deaths occurred and a Congressional investigation was ordered. Gilbert gives an account of the gunfight and biographical information as to the principal suspects involved.
Godfrey's presentation demonstrates the historical society of the Dakota people through the medium of storytelling. The adventures of the first set of twins born in the world give a glimpse of the family structure, food gathering and beliefs of their tribal people.
According to their oral family history, a family on the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation in South Dakota is descended from Meriwether Lewis. Using the event descriptions from the personal journal of Lewis, and the material collected by Ella Deloria of the historical society of the Sioux, Godfrey explores the possibilities for such a liaison.
Godfrey's presentation is regarding the woman and her work. Deloria wrote the books Waterlily, and the anthropology companion textbook, Dakota Way of Life. Both books were based on the extensive Sioux elder interviews Deloria began compiling in the early 1920s, and on her own knowledge as a Dakota woman raised among, and with family ties to, Lakota families.
The perspectives of three women - one each from Native American, African-American and Euro-American cultures - each shares their account of events leading up to the Wounded Knee Massacre and describe actual events in the west from 1865 to 1890. Such events include the Fort Laramie Treaty, the Battle of Little Big Horn or Greasy Grass, the Dawes Act and the Ghost Dance. They also include the death of Sitting Bull. To commemorate the upcoming 130-year anniversary of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, Dakota Daughters have made it a priority for this story to be told throughout South Dakota with the addition of a suffrage footnote. Note: At the end of the program, audience members are invited to participate in an open discussion about the conflicting historical accounts.
Invariably, Native American authors elaborate fundamental principles on how to live honorable lives of reciprocity with one another and the natural world. It seems we in the Western world need, at the very least, to contemplate these notions of reciprocity and embrace them if worthwhile and practical. Granholm will examine aboriginal themes discussed by Robin Wall Kimmerer in her 2013 text entitled, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Knowledge, and The Teachings of the Plants.
21st Century Global Imperatives: Why Should We Know About (And Do Something About) Global Warming, Global Resource Depletion, Food Security, and Global Poverty?
Our 21st century world is extremely fragile. Because of current global imperatives, some of which involve - energy requirements based on the dreaded carbon-based oil, gas, and coal; extremely serious global warming, so readily politically deniable; horrendous potential food production and food security problems; and global natural resource depletion, i.e. "forests, fisheries, topsoil, water - the 21st century is qualitatively different from the 20th century. Fundamentally, Granholm advises, we in the world need a very different course of action. A continued reliance on 20th century models will only get us into deeper jeopardy!
What Does Aldo Leopold Have to Offer in the Way of Ecological Clarity? or Why Do We Need to Preserve Our Global and Regional Ecosystems?
As a graduate of Yale Forestry School in the early 20th century, Leopold was hell-bent to grow as many trees, clear-cut as many forests, and make as much money as humanly possible. Then, one day, he experienced a glorious ecological epiphany: "We (all life) are all part of the same fabric, we are essentially all one being." This program examines Leopold's portrayal of the natural world in ways that are simple, poetic, lyrical, astonishingly pure, lovely; and without us even knowing it, embedded in sound ecological principles that we learn painlessly.
Using a wide array of simple and homemade instruments, this program is an interactive workshop which encourages students in music making, creative expression and positive group dynamics. A brief overview of historic origins and construction of the instruments sets the stage, after which participants "join the band", as Miss "V" leads traditional folk, cowboy and classic country tunes. Though designed for younger participants, the workshop is popular among all ages and has been well-received at numerous community events, living history demonstrations and folk festivals.
Miss "V" presents a unique and compelling portrayal of Amelia Earhart, America's beloved aviatrix of the 1920s and '30s. The stage is set when "Amelia" stops by as part of a trip she made to Wyoming in 1934. The body of the performance, though not impromptu per se, appears as such while Amelia answers questions posed by plants in the audience. Following this overview of her life thus far, "Amelia" then answers unscripted questions relevant to this date. Additional questions and post-script follow when Miss "V" appears for the final segment of the performance which covers the last three years of Amelia's life.
This program is presented either as a theme concert or as a documentary. The concert utilizes song and story to explore elements of Western pioneer life. The documentary incorporates slides, music and narrative to depict Miss "V's" personal account following the seasons through a year of life on a homestead ranch.
Miss "V" presents a hands-on class geared for smaller audiences of children 8 and up, and/or adults interested in learning the basics of working with leather. Simple projects are incorporated as a means for learning such components of leather work as carving, stamping, stitching and adding hardware to leather. This program is ideal for beginners who have little experience in the art of leather work.
In a theme concert, Miss "V" focuses on either the settling of the American West (Trails West), Women's History (Mares' Tales) or Homesteading (The Modern-Day Homesteader). Original and traditional songs on the guitar and banjo are woven together with stories and anecdotes, making the concert both engaging and educational. Each presentation is sure to unveil hidden chapters of history as well as evoke new insight into familiar characters and tales.
Hicks will discuss his latest novel, The Commandant of Lubizec, which is based upon Auschwitz and the other Operation Reinhard camps. Hicks will read passages from his novel, show photos of the camps, and talk about visiting Auschwitz.
Hicks, acclaimed author and poet, conducts a workshop helping participants understand the writing life, hone their own craft, and learn more about how the power of words can shape our daily lives.
What are the intersections between the Holocaust and landing on the moon? What role did Nazi science have upon the Space Race? Hicks discusses how a little-known concentration camp directly affected America's space program. Additionally, he offers a reading and converses on research he conducted for his forthcoming novel.
Hollenbeck presents a trunk show and PowerPoint presentation involving five generations of family quilts made on the prairies of South Dakota and Nebraska.
Hollenbeck presents a fun and educational program involving quilts, and all sorts of items made from feed sacks during hard times in the Dakotas.
Cowboy poetry depicting rural ranch life in Dakota - from Hollenbeck, the nation's top award-winning cowgirl poet.
From the 1874 Black Hills "Custer" Expedition, through the gold rush, to the early days of tourism, Horsted presents rare historic photographs carefully matched with modern views from the same locations today. The resulting "then and now" images are not only fascinating to see, but also reveal insights into the history, development, ecology and more from across the Black Hills region.
The route of the wagon train, and the campsites of the expedition have been located and documented in two books. Horsted presents details of the first photographs ever taken in the Black Hills, including matching views from today at the same locations. The presentation focuses specifically on this historic and controversial expedition.
This interactive workshop brings together research, discussion, and activities to help work teams harness strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of diverse workstyles and achieve a task/relationship balance. The program is especially suited to adult learners, such as civic organizations or college students.
This interactive workshop/discussion explores the fine line between political diversity and political divisiveness in the United States, the positive and negative uses of political humor, and solutions to the current climate of political malaise. The program is especially suited to adult learners.
This workshop empowers interpersonal, professional and civic "voices" by helping participants build their communication competence and overcome barriers to positive communication outcomes. These barriers can include Impostor Syndrome, fear of public speaking, listening obstacles, and "Grouphate" (anxiety associated with working in groups). Evidence-based tools offered include skills training, personal communication inventories, myth-busting, and desensitization to fearful situations. This program is well-suited for the high school or college/adult learner.
President, Turtle Island Learning Circle, Inc.
To learn at age 57 that my mother's "Native" people taught immigrants about democracy was mind-boggling and eye-opening. "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." That's what I learned. Columbus "discovered" our land. Europeans were bringing "enlightened" civilization to an unpopulated land. None of that was true. In fact, democracy came in the form of the Iroquois Great Law of Peace and from a man who was born in the Mohawk territory.
"Kill the Indian to save the man", watchword and battle cry of the boarding school movement, wreaked damage on those who were its targets – Indians or "Native American" children and their families. They also imposed significant barriers on the ability of the newcomers to benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of the First Nations people who had maintained a healthy and sustainable environment prior to the arrival of Columbus. Two worlds were created – both sovereign entities, but with contradictory approaches.
"Trails of tears" forced on First Nations across Turtle Island (North America) illegally changed "land" to "property" to negate the indigenous and mutually respectful and interdependent relationship with Mother Earth and all life. Utilizing concepts from Europe, the Pope issued papal bulls in 1455 and 1493 to establish "legal" ground work for imposition of the Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny, and American Exceptionalism. Christianity was enforced by violence, torture, killing, and submission of all original inhabitants of the Western hemisphere to the "superiority" of the Christian monarchs.
Haudenosaunee women, Seneca and Mohawk, were the first real models of independent women to the Europeans who had come to live among them. These women were decision makers, responsible for family cohesiveness and in control of their own lives. Through community consensus, Iroquois clan mothers selected the nominees for Council Chiefs and utilized the concept of impeachment for those chiefs who violated tribal codes and norms of conduct. The significance of the relationship between indigenous and European women has been documented in the book, Sisters in Spirit, by Sally Roesch Wagner.
To commemorate the upcoming 130-year anniversary of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, Dakota Daughters have made it a priority for this story to be told throughout South Dakota with the addition of a suffrage footnote. The goal is to promote understanding of this time in history and to continue to promote healing of racism. The program is presented together with SDHC scholars Lillian Witt and Geraldine Goes in Center.
Campbell was a favorite to be interviewed regarding the 1874 Custer Expedition. On the expedition, she was among the illegal party that discovered gold. However, when one interviewer reported the finding, Campbell's name was replaced with the unscrupulous reporter's name. Campbell (also known as Aunt Sally) was extensively quoted on her exploits in Dakota Territory and the Black Hills. Watch and learn of this pioneering hero through story and song as Jefferson brings Aunt Sally to life.
Former slave, expert in housekeeping and the culinary arts, Lucretia Marchbanks made a name for herself in the Black Hills, owning the Rustic Hotel and finally retiring in Rockyford, WY. In the local newspapers of the time, one article reported that Aunt Lou, as she was fondly called, had died. Her brother-in-law brought the newspaper to Aunt Lou to tell her of her demise. Aunt Lou told him to inform the Black Hills Daily Times that what was reported in the Republican was untrue, she was in excellent health - but just awful tired. Thirty-seven years after her death, historian Thomas Odell wrote a full-page feature article about Lucretia Marchbanks (Mahogany Lou) in many local Black Hills newspapers.
In June 2018, Mary Kercherval's descendants hosted a family reunion at the High Plains Western Heritage Center in Spearfish, SD. They wanted to pay tribute to their great grandmother, Mary Kercherval, a former slave who worked in Kansas for George Armstrong Custer. Kercherval purchased a home in Kansas with her family, and eventually joined her sons on Centennial Prairie (near Spearfish) where the High Plains Western Heritage Center (HPWHC) now stands.
Johnson presents a visual and historical review of stained glass in South Dakota to include a brief pictorial review of significant stained glass installations around the state. The program will focus on the different types of stained glass found within the hosting community.
In celebrating the birth of women's suffrage in South Dakota in 1918, and throughout the United States in 1920, Jones reviews the key moments, key individuals, and key issues that helped women achieve their equal voting rights in the United States, and more specifically in South Dakota, one hundred years ago.
Each of the programs features social studies, art history, natural history, religion, science and geography while promoting cultural and ethnic understanding and respect, global awareness, environmental education and stewardship, intellectual and artistic curiosity, healthy lifestyle choices, goal-setting and the value of pursuing dreams, and personal growth through willingness to face hardships that challenge one's own inner strengths, fears, and passions.
Kaan examines the political, cultural, and economic issues affecting the stagecoach and freight wagon routes into the Black Hills from Cheyenne, WY and Sydney, NE using timelines, maps, original photos and satellite imagery.
A discussion of the political environment, economic impacts and issues of the American westward expansion that affected the movement of millions of cattle from Texas to Eastern markets and Northern prairies. The major component of the presentation outlines the many special skills required of the vaqueros and cowboys during the gathering, taming and herding of these wild Texas longhorn cattle.
This is a presentation of the landmark legislation - how it was drafted and its impact on South Dakota tribes. While often seen by non-Native scholars as a boom to tribes, it in fact, undermined tribal sovereignty and cultural norms through the creation and imposition of tribal governments. Regardless, it is still the foundation of federal Native policy.
Kingfisher presents on Agent McLaughlin's role as Indian Agent, and his policy promoting assimilation and opening South Dakota reservations to homesteading. While history often sees McLaughlin as a friend of the Native People, his heavy-handed policies often led to intertribal strife. In his worse hour, it led to the assassination of Tatanka Iyotake and contributed to the December 1890, Massacre at Wounded Knee.
Using Janklow's personal papers, Kingfisher examines Janklow's often contentious relationship with South Dakota tribes and his legacy on tribal state relations. The papers determine why, throughout Janklow's political life, he sought to undermine tribal sovereignty, but would occasionally offer an olive branch to tribal members - as when he pardoned American Indian Movement Activist and Oglala tribal member, Russell Means. Was his public persona really who he was, or was he a more complex individual?
Oral and live musical presentations (acoustic music on guitar, bass fiddle, mandolin, and harmonica) of public domain, traditional Western music from trail drives, Black Hills mini era and Badger Clark era, to include select classic, contemporary and original western music, 1870-1907. The Kirkhams share background and history behind the songs and include songs of the Black Hills, valleys, pine trees and plains, cowboys and cowgirls, horses and cattle, pioneer families, gold miners, ghost towns, cavalry, Native Americans, outlaws, gamblers and gunfighters.
Kirkpatrick examines Carrie's life after high school until her death in 1946. Three main stages will be examined - working woman, feminist and step-mother.
Aprons - Can They Talk?
Using material culture - the apron - we learn about the owner. Various ways to date an apron will be discussed and various aprons will be presented, giving insight into what the apron was used for as well as who the owner might have been. There will be a group discussion of apron memories.
Who was this woman besides a wife? Kirkpatrick will examine Mary's life from birth to death.
Kirkpatrick looks at the various job titles that these women held and the duties performed.
Facts aren't always the basis for public opinion and people are often swayed by appeals to their emotions and diverse personal belief systems; therefore, evaluation skills are necessary to ensure positive and professional interactions. This session emphasizes tools and strategies to help the audience navigate today's socially and politically charged information climate. Interactive activities will help participants practice these skills to find and interpret quality information.
Lee examines four community studies completed in China's Yunnan Province during the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the Sino-Japanese War. The scholars who conducted these studies were largely unknown to each other, but strongly influenced by social anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski.
Forced into one small corner of China not occupied by the Japanese and working under the most challenging conditions, they produced studies that shaped outsiders' perspectives for decades and are still regarded as exemplars by sociologists and anthropologists worldwide.
Liebsch begins this session by reading her book in verse. Its underlying message of anti-bullying leads students to examine their behavior, rather than the behavior of others. Liebsch tells the story of how she participated in bullying as a child and how she carries regret as an adult because of her actions. She ties in her childhood nickname, "Goob", to help young students understand that sometimes things that may seem like bullying are not.
Also written as "Goob", this book looks at the difficult subject of racism by pointing out how much different the world would look if our favorite color was the only color. After reading the book, Liebsch asks the students to volunteer some of the things that they feel are more beautiful because they are colorful. This approach leads to an open, comfortable discussion of how the world would look if people all looked the same.
"Caring for My New Best Friend: A Puppy!"
Liebsch co-wrote this book with her then 12-year-old niece, Morgan Smith. The book contains an underlying message of empathy toward animals that teaches children who care for pets: "The most important thing to do? Remember I have feelings too." Liebsch's live readings generally include children barking like happy dogs and whining like sad dogs.
"Caring for My New Best Friend: A Kitty!"
This book, also co-written by Liebsch with her niece, Morgan Smith, includes early pet care requirements for kittens, with the underlying message of responsibility.
"From Wentworth to the Western Front: The World War One Odyssey of Private John Warns"
World War One set the stage for the modern world and transformed the United States from an isolationist promised land to a crusading state willing to go to war for ideological reason. Lofthus examines the war front and home front from the perspective of the Private John Warns family correspondence. It places that correspondence into the wider context of the era, which featured war-time propaganda, an attempt to reform South Dakota politics via the Nonpartisan League, persecution of "slackers" who questioned U.S. involvement in the war, brutal combat on the Western Front, and support from family members on the home front. The story that emerges reveals the dramatic extent to which rural America was drawn into the maelstrom of events surrounding World War One.
Maple gives a Chautauqua presentation as the outlaw Tom O'Day, who had many experiences in western South Dakota at Belle Fourche, later retiring and passing away in Timber Lake in 1930.
Who wanted Crazy Horse killed? Were Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane lovers? Did Buffalo Bill ride for the Pony Express? Who fired first at the gunfight at the O.K. Corral? Could Custer have survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn? Were the cattle barons justified starting Wyoming's Johnson County War? Why did the James/Younger Gang raid Minnesota's Northfield Bank? Markley presents both sides of these and other topics he and co-author Kellen Cutsforth researched for their 2018 book Calling Down the Thunder: A Search for Truth in the Old West.
This is the title of Markley's first historical novel based on actual events in Deadwood in August 1876. Markley discusses his research into Deadwood's past, its characters, and the events that unfolded in the mining boomtown. Markley also discusses the processes of writing fiction and nonfiction.
2019 marks the 29th anniversary of the release of "Dances with Wolves", filmed in South Dakota. Markley was involved as a reenactor in its filming. Scenes that he participated in were the opening Civil War scene, the Fort Hays scene where Dunbar was sent further west, and the final scene where the cavalry was searching for the Lakota village in Spearfish Canyon. Markley kept a journal while working on the film and has published it as "Dakota Epic". Markley also discusses the process of journaling.
The South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center has a guidon flag that most likely was from the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Markley discusses his research into the guidon and why he believes it is from the battlefield.
Markley can discuss a variety of historical topics including sites associated with the life of Sitting Bull, the quarries at Pipestone, Minnesota, Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery up the Missouri River, Kenneth McKenzie, King of the Upper Missouri, the Choteau Family fur trade along the Missouri River, the Fort Pierre to Deadwood Trail, Fort Dilts in North Dakota, the murders of Bummer Dan, Spotted Tail, Wild Bill Hickok, and Di Lee, Deadwood's China Doll. Markley has also researched a variety of Civil War topics he can present tailored to the needs of the audience.
While on the market trails to the rail heads of western Kansas, cowboys coming up from Texas would stand their night watches (nighthawk) singing to the bedded herds of cattle. The practice of singing nighthawk tunes to cattle was a valuable tool to the North American cowboy -- just as valuable a tool as a good length of rope or a good cow pony. This program includes nighthawk tunes of Robert V. Carr, E. A. L. Griffin, E. A. Brininstool, Arthur Chapman and Badger Clark.
McDonald has taken the works of Stephen Ambrose's book, Undaunted Courage, and the Bakeless edition of The Journals of Lewis and Clark to come up with a variety of songs and stories about the Corps of Discovery's time in Dakota Territory.
McDonald presents a variety of tunes that were used by U.S. troops fighting in the Mexican-American war - ranging from Thomas Moore's "Irish Melodies" poem/tunes, to the tunes of home-grown American composers of the era, including Stephen Collins Foster.
McDonald presents a variety of Civil War tunes, many of which were used as night hawk songs by North American cowboys who migrated to Texas after the completion of the Civil War. Songs by Stephen Foster, George F. Root, Henry Webster, Daniel Decatur Emmet, and other Civil War era composers are performed.
McDonald performs a wide variety of Irish tunes in this presentation ranging from 400-year-old tunes like "The Butcher Boy", to the twentieth century tunes of Tom Makem, the Clancy Brothers, Phil Coulter and many others.
McEntee examines Iraqi Freedom movies in the context of the warrior's homecoming. He analyzes the "coming home" narrative and studies warrior trauma, re-adjustment, and repatriation as seen in movies.
The presenter discusses the idea of "filming war" through an emerging body of Iraq War movies - mainstream, alternative, and even those shot by warriors themselves, often utilizing "new media" technology.
This presentation examines the role of the female - as soldier, nurse, citizen - in post-Vietnam combat narratives, both autobiographical and fictional.
McEntee uses current job-related and other fact, statistics, examples, and opinions/anecdotes to reinforce both the value of the humanities in our day-to-day lives and the value of the humanities in educational and professional settings.
Democracy Under Siege: Where Are We Headed and What Can We Do About It?
The United States has been a beacon of freedom and democracy around the world for over two centuries, but now it is under siege, putting our country into a category shared by many of its counterparts around the globe. The challenges to the future of democracy in the U.S. include fading civic education, journalism in free fall, the decline of community and civility, excessive money in politics, leadership deficits, loss of faith in institutions and leaders, political polarization, official lying and loss of integrity, governmental dysfunction at the highest levels, and many others. We will also discuss some possible ways to counteract these forces and bolster our democratic tradition.
Lies, and concerns about lying, go back to the ancient Greeks and the era of the Hebrew Bible. Strictures against lying and bearing false witness are contained in the Ten Commandments. Lately, talk about lies, "fake news," "post-truth," "BS," and countless other euphemisms have become daily fare on television, in the papers, and on social media. What is going on here? Miller examines the whole question of truth and falsehood from several perspectives, including historical, philosophical, psychological, and cultural.
It's been almost half a century since Alvin Toffler informed us that we were suffering from "Future Shock." Now, Douglas Rushkoff tells us that our affliction is "Present Shock." In keeping with the adage "The more things change, the more they stay the same," we have come to a point in our culture where something must give. No matter how many labor-saving devices, robots, and technological wizards we employ, we never seem to have enough time. How do we think about time and how should we think about it? Can we learn from what humanities scholars have said, to re-order our lives? How can we live in ways that would earn the approval of Plato and Aristotle, Lewis and Tolkien, not to mention our employers, spouses, children, and neighbors?
So, You Want to Write - What Next?
Mittman, a published author, will show you how to get started, hone your craft, and find places to publish your work.
Mittman will assist in the understanding of meditation and will share a non-sectarian form of it which can be used to tap into your muse, eliminate writer's block and expand your scope.
Mittman explains meditation and its various health benefits and teaches various non-denominational forms.
West River History Conference, Inc.
Fascinating old west characters like Wild Bill, Buffalo Bill, and Calamity Jane were introduced to the world through the dime novel phenomenon. What was the impact of the sensational information and heart-stopping stories of these popular novellas, many themed on the west? Here's a look at dime novel news: heroes, authors and purveyors, impacting westward settlement, and cultural expectations then and now.
Profiles and discussion of western Dakota Territory pioneers and early libraries of the Black Hills including national philanthropists who settled the west with books, information, and cultural exchange, not guns.
Who were the powerful advocates for women's rights in the newly settled Black Hills, and what did they stand for? Early ladies' circles included some of the most influential pioneer women, and many of these clubs still meet today. As part of the development of the suffrage movement, Neubert furnishes details on this important leadership cadre and their civic projects.
Using old photographs and carving tools, Patrick presents unique facts and perspectives about Mount Rushmore and sculptor Gutzon Borglum. The presentation can be adapted to meet the needs of any age group or audience, and pairs well in school settings alongside South Dakota history units.
Patrick uses her books Long-armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics and The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth to discuss the rich history of women in sports during the early part of the 20th century. Patrick reveals her research process and provides a wealth of photographs.
"The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth"
Wearing a replica of a Chattanooga Lookout baseball uniform, Patrick dramatizes the true story of left-handed pitcher, Jackie Mitchell, who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on April 2, 1931. Following the dramatization, she presents the adventure of her own research and will upon request, include information about South Dakota women who played baseball.
A published author, Patrick reveals an inside look at her own books and writing process. Groups can choose which book(s) they would like her to emphasize. She also gives audiences writing advice and encouragement, and can lead workshops upon request.
From August of 1966 to January of 1970, the U.S. Army sent teams of artists with sketchbooks and paint brushes into Vietnam as part of the U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program. Pollock was one of 46 artists that participated in the program. Using a digital slide show, he gives a historical overview of the Vietnam soldier art program, along with examples of his art and that of the other 45 soldier artists. This presentation was prepared for, and first given, at the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. in 2003.
Plein air painting and the benefits of keeping an artist sketchbook.
The immigrant experience comes to life in this three-person readers' theater program created by Dr. Wayne Knutson. Content comes directly from an extensive collection of letters written over a 50-year period between two brothers, one who emigrated to Dakota Territory and one who stayed in Norway.
As one of five artists-in-residence throughout the country who are part of the National Endowment for the Arts inter agency initiative with the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons, Reese established Yankton Federal Prison Camp's first creative writing workshop and publishing course, editing a yearly journal, "4 P.M. Count", which features creative writing and visual artwork by inmates. His presentation provides current and historical context about incarceration in the United States and examines the effects of programs like his.
Reese conducts a hybrid writing seminar where participants spend time generating ideas and discussing real methods to getting published in today's market.
Roseland, a 4th generation rancher, presents a memoir of life in South Dakota. It explores our connection to the land and what binds us to this land in which we live.
Rozum will discuss the general history of the woman suffrage movement in the state, which after statehood in 1889 held six full campaigns to convince the state's male population to vote "yes" on woman suffrage referenda. The roles of individual suffragists, themes important to the success and failure of woman suffrage, and the work of national touring suffragist lecturers in the state, associated with the National American Woman Suffrage Association (the organization of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Carrie Chapman Catt and Anna Howard Shaw) will also be discussed. Rozum will relate the movement in South Dakota to national and regional patterns in the struggle to win the vote for women, finally achieved in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Rozum examines the construction and social life around the homes built by settlers from the 1860s to the early 1900s in South Dakota and the Great Plains states. The presentation is based on oral history interviews and documentation conducted in Northwestern South Dakota and research in the Homestead Act records located in the U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Participants will gain a perspective on the life and times of people who settled in Dakota Territory. Based on 50 letters written in German script and addressed to Schrag's great-grandfather, F.J. Meier, these letters were carefully saved, never translated and handed down through the generations. They detail faith, personal experiences and the agrarian nature of Dakotans between 1878 and 1889.
Growing up in a 1950's small town has some unique advantages that modern children will never experience. A "storytelling" type lecture, it is sure to delight audiences as it explores commonalities found in most regional small towns. Details of lessons learned from a child's point-of-view will evoke many individual memories among audience members.
A child's perspective of life in a small town and a sequel to " If You Have to Grow Up, It Might as Well Be in a Small Town ", this "storytelling" type lecture is a humorous yet poignant look at small town life where all the town kids were needed to have their own "World Series", preachers had their impact on children's development, and funerals were simply a part of life.
A sequel to " If You Have to Grow Up, It Might as Well Be in a Small Town" and "Baseball, Preachers, and Funerals", this "storytelling" type lecture looks at small town life in winter, especially around Christmas. There is the annual Christmas Eve church program presented by the Sunday School children, the caroling and the famous Christmas sack of peanuts and hard candy. The reminisces include a poignant story of a special and unusual Christmas gift. Audiences who have enjoyed the previous two programs, will find it a nostalgic trip back in time. It can, however, serve as a standalone program for any group.
You say or do something, and you wonder, "where did that come from?" only to remember your mother saying and doing it. Suddenly, you realize you have become your mother. This PowerPoint™ presentation will remind us of common expressions used by our mothers, and humorous stories will help us to understand the powerful gene pool from which we've come. Included are inspiring quotes attributed to notable famous women of all generations.
Simpson celebrates the "literature" of the oral tradition of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people of our state. The process of both individual journaling/reflection, combined with guided circle conversations, help to promote civil discourse. Bringing the voices of the elders to the forefront through powerful video interviews, the elders share both traditional stories and personal stories - of loss, love, wisdom, perseverance and joy that resonate with Native or non-Native alike and provide opportunity for productive conversation among those looking to create a more peaceful and understanding world.
Sneller explores the sociological, political, and philosophical ramifications of humor in our everyday world. From our morning newspaper comics to TV sitcoms to movies that make us laugh, humor is all around us, and often without our realizing it, influences the way we look at our world.
Sneller takes a slightly different direction by focusing on how the humor by women affects the way we interact with and conceptualize the worlds we live in.
Steward discusses the elements of poetry—imagery, sound tension, and space—in the work of South Dakota poets publishing today.
Stewart offers a theory of understanding creativity applicable across domains—art, literature, architecture, music, etc., to explore what's needed to break through creative "blocks."
Stewart gives a historical overview about writing poetry inspired by art, a description of techniques poets use to do so, and reasons why this mode of writing is so popular among writers.
Stewart explores the impulse to write personal stories to both help ourselves remember the past and to communicate those memories to friends and family.
Sullivan is available to lead One Book SD conversations.
and the Progressive Era, and legislation regarding the state's economy, workers, education, tourism, and more. The program is intended for high school students and the general public.
This program can easily be adjusted to cover various aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition depending on a group's specific interest (e.g., American Indians, wildlife, military, food/nutrition, medicine, members, etc.) The program can be adapted for any audience.
Tennant features select events from South Dakota's first 125 years of statehood. Topics include, but are not limited to, statehood conventions and issues, the impact of Populism and Progressivism, ethnic influences, the Great Depression, and the Cold War era. Emphasis is placed on how events in South Dakota were connected to the larger picture of United States history. The program is suited for junior high/high school audiences and the general public.
Tennant includes the history and culture of the Arikara, their role in intertribal trade, the impact of disease, their encounter with Lewis and Clark, and their conflicts with the U.S. government from 1807 to the 1820s. The program can be adapted for any audience.
Timm portrays the last governor of Dakota Territory and the first governor of South Dakota. Mellette was territorial governor during a dramatic period of rapid growth and optimism, exciting and romantic as only the Western frontier could be. As governor in the initial years of statehood, he confronted the ordinary difficulties of a fledgling governmental organization: lacking resources and facing economic and political adversity. His troubles were complicated by the high expectations of migrant pioneers lured from the East by land developers. Timm demonstrates how Mellette overcame persistent problems and unanticipated challenges.
Westgard will read from his two books, The Journey and the Grace and At Break of Day, and share recent poems not yet published. He invites listeners to see the sacred in the ordinary, to pay attention to moments of grace in their lives, and to find simple joy in living upon this earth.
Wilson asks questions such as, "Should we fear the ragtag caravan of men, women and children trudging across the Mexican desert as an 'invasion'?" "Do they pose a threat to our way of life, or are they simply fleeing violence or poverty, some seeking asylum, others a way to feed their children?" His new novel, Eden to Orizaba, is a love story set against the devastation of Mexican families and communities by poorly-regulated, NAFTA-facilitated agribusiness and industry that drives desperate workers north. Wilson reads from the novel then moderates discussion of the issues it raises and ways citizens might respond.
Are we post-modern Americans suffering from "nature deficit disorder"? Wilson's 2018 environmental memoir, Seasons of the Coyote, consists of 103 narratives of encounters, ordinary and extraordinary, in the natural world on the Missouri River bluff of which he is part. Wilson begins with readings from the book, followed by discussion of how we might more fully engage with and protect our ecosystems.
We ignore or distort history at our own peril. All six of Wilson's books, both fiction and non-fiction, are set in the Great Plains amidst personal experiences and scraps of human and natural history as Wilson has experienced or perceived them. He explores avenues to interpretation and preservation of history, and encourages others to explore, interpret and preserve their own histories, both personal and cultural.
Wilson and her co-author, Nancy Losacker, speak about their work focusing on our essential human commitment to the natural world.
Dr. Wilson presents a lecture on the history of one-room schools in South Dakota and follows with a sharing of stories.
Today's era is one of visual media, with film and television the most popular form of storytelling. Yet screenwriting, an exacting form with very precise rules, is a mystery to most people who consume the finished product. Wingate takes advantage of his two decades of teaching screenwriting at the college level to boil down the concepts and tools needed to launch a screen project.
Of Fathers and Fire was published in April 2019 by the University of Nebraska Press as part of its Flyover Fiction Series, a series dedicated to the literature of the Great Plains. It's the story of a young man coming to terms with the father he never knew he had and the lies his mother told him. Ideal for libraries, classrooms, and book clubs.
Wingate, an award-winning writer, offers scalable workshops for all levels of fiction writing - from beginning writers exploring the possibilities of the craft, to writers who seek to polish manuscripts for submission.
No longer purely entertainment, games have come a long way since Pac-Man. Now they take us through complex narrative experiences that, at their best, rival those of fiction and cinema and the evolution is still in its early phases. Wingate, a published game author, will give you a historical overview of narrative games, a look at some of its best examples, and an opportunity to start incubating your own ideas by developing characters (player and non-player), story worlds, and game mechanics.
Women from these cultures weave a perceived history of Wounded Knee. Speaking from the past, historical interpreter Geraldine Goes In Center rejoins SDHC scholars Joyce Jefferson and Lillian Witt to revive Dakota Daughters. This historical interpretation of the events culminating in the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890 has been researched and historically reenacted to display the possible thoughts and feelings of women during that time. To commemorate the upcoming 130-year anniversary of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, Dakota Daughters have made it a priority for this story to be told throughout South Dakota with the addition of a suffrage footnote.
Humanities scholars Joyce Jefferson and Lillian Witt share memories of their fathers' dreams carried through time by the Dakota prairie winds. Through poetry and song, Joyce discusses the life of her father, a 30-year Air Force veteran. Lilly tells hilarious, but true antics of her adventurous father as a young cowboy, WWII veteran, and South Dakota rancher.
A woman of refinement and education, Annie Tallent was the first white woman in the Black Hills. Along with her husband D.G. and their nine-year-old son Robert, Annie joined the Gordon party on a long and grueling journey of deep snow, bitter cold and constant fear of attacking Indians en-route to the Black Hills. Even though she first entered Dakota Territory illegally, Annie Tallent represents the heroism and resourcefulness of pioneer women and is recognized as an interesting figure among the pioneers of the Black Hills, especially in the annals of early educational history.
Zarzana discusses the major parts of writing fiction: plot, characterization, setting. Excellent fiction is driven by developing strong characters with plausible interactions. Plots must be tightly woven and tension-filled, yet believable. This practical workshop, which will develop any writer, will also discuss first-person narration and third-person narration. It can be tailored for specific genres, such as science fiction, romance, adolescent or young adult fiction, historical fiction and memoir.
Zarzana's workshop discusses the major parts of editing fiction: verb tense, active and passive voice, tone, vocabulary, revising narrative passages and dialog. It is a practical workshop that will develop any writer. The workshop can be tailored to suit specific genres, for instance science fiction, romance, adolescent or young adult fiction, and historical fiction. Best suited for the more advanced writer, but participants need not have had his first workshop. Suitable for participants writing memoir.