2022 Grants Awarded

Children’s Festival of the Book 2022, Bozeman Public Library Foundation, Bozeman, MT, $2,000. The 14th Annual Children’s Festival of the Book at the Bozeman Public Library on November 12, 2022 will feature author Shannon Hale and author/illustrator LeUyen Pham. This free festival devoted to children’s books allows families to meet and hear award-winning children’s authors and illustrators, here in Montana! The day includes presentations, workshops, crafts, author signings, and other book-related activities. Scholars will visit area schools on November 10 to reach even more readers.

Celebrating the Legacy of Red Cloud: Cross-Cultural Friendships, Elk River Writing Project at Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, $5,000. Working with the University of Nebraska Writing Project, Agate Fossil Beds and Fort Laramie National Parks, Elk River Writing Project at MSUB will develop an instructional film focused on the friendship between Chief Red Cloud and James Cook. This film, created for grades 5-12, will feature members of the Red Cloud family, the expertise of a NPS ranger, and writing teachers from Nebraska and Elk River Writing Projects as they explore this cross-cultural friendship.

Elk River Arts & Lectures FY 2023 Lecture Series, Elk River Arts & Lectures, Livingston, MT, $7,500. The Elk River Arts & Lectures’ Lecture Series creates opportunities for southwest Montanans to engage with the diverse ideas and outside perspectives found in the literary arts. We invite writers and other speakers from across the region and country to come to Livingston, give a free public lecture, and visit a local classroom. We strive to build community through the literary arts and conversations on topics of local relevance.

Crow Summer Institute 2022, Crow Language Consortium, Hardin, MT, $10,000. The 2022 Crow Summer Institute will provide training in phonology and communicative skills in the language, advanced phonology, and methods for teaching Crow as a second language. The CSI is critical to the survival of the Crow language. By providing high-quality training in current teaching methods, the CSI helps ensure revitalization the of this important cultural resource.

Creating a Community Dance in Red Lodge, Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, Red Lodge, MT, $1,800. The Roosevelt Center will combine the evenings of dancing with the town’s monthly Second Saturday Art Walks to help attract even more visitors to view the art on view at locations throughout Red Lodge.

Lightning Creek Oral History Project, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, Bozeman, MT, $2,000. This project will lay the foundation for Crosscut’s Lightning Creek programs and their archives, starting with the Martin family, who owned this section of land for 55+ years using the name Trapper’s Cabin Ranch. The Crosscut team will conduct an oral history with Sandy Martin, while simultaneously collecting, organizing, and archiving photos and documents, ensuring the preservation of the Gallatin Canyon’s history.

James Welch Native American Literature Festival, Aasaisstto Language Society, East Glacier, $10,000.00. The James Welch Native American Literature Festival will be a three-day event celebrating the work of the internationally acclaimed writer James Welch and featuring contemporary Native American writers.

Philosophy Symposia Series, Merlin CCC, Helena, $3,750.00. The Philosophy Symposia Series will focus on military life & the ethics of war, freedom of speech, and our relationship with nature.

Blackfeet Ethnoecology Mapping Project, Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office, Browning, $6,100.00. The project will develop an Indigenous science database informed by the Blackfoot knowledge system to disseminate traditional landscape stewardship principles about ecosystem connectivity and the role and responsibility of Blackfoot people in protecting cultural and natural resources.

Talk Series: Language Reclamation and Beyond, University of Montana Linguistics Department, Missoula, $5,000.00. An international conference co-hosted by Chief Dull Knife College and featuring a series of plenary talks on Indigenous language documentation and reclamation.

Story of Butte, Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization, Butte, $7,500.00. Support for curated articles about the history of Butte on a website and mobile app.

First Voices, Thresh, Inc., New York, New York, $2,000.00. Contemporary multidisciplinary interpretations of Indigenous stories for the digital platform working with tribal elders and high school students.

Crow Level 2 Media Player Integration Project, Crow Language Consortium, Hardin, MT, $10,000. This project will expand upon the preexisting Crow Level 2 Textbook by providing Crow language learners with a more advanced digital Media Player App in order to continue working toward the goal of restoring the Crow language to full health. The Media Player App is a supplement to the textbook and provides audio of fluent Crow speakers pronouncing words and phrases. The goal of this project is to further enhance language proficiency and pronunciation among Crow students.

Montana Kid Lit Festival (2023), Billings Public Library, Billings, MT, $3,500. The Montana Kid Lit Festival is a two-day gathering that celebrates books for children and the power of stories. Kids will meet award-winning authors and illustrators and listen as they share excerpts from their stories. They will learn about how and why they write as well as learn how illustrators create. The Montana Kid Lit Fest is held at the Billings Public Library.

Native Filmmaker Initiative Programs: NFI Film Club and Native Voices Programming, Big Sky Film Institute, Missoula, MT, $5,000. The Big Sky Film Institute’s Native Filmmaker Initiative was established in 2018 to bring more Indigenous stories to the festival, support and engage the Indigenous media arts community, and have a greater impact on community youth. The initiative includes youth outreach that takes a curated selection of documentary films, made by Indigenous filmmakers, into classrooms all across Montana; and a spotlight program of Indigenous-directed films at the prestigious Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

Reframing Rural Season Three, Reframing Rural a fiscally sponsored project of the Montana History Foundation, Helena, MT, $5,600. The third season of Reframing Rural’s podcast will transport listeners to Golden Triangle wheat fields, farmhouse kitchen tables and small mountain town main streets. Combining sound-rich narrative non-fiction episodes with in-depth interviews, season three will shine light on the state of family farming, the resurgence of regenerative techniques in agriculture and the realities of rural gentrification.

The Crazy Mountains Oral History Project (CMOHP): A Layered History of Place, Park County Environment Council, Livingston, MT, $5,000. CMOHP uses storytelling as an oral history method to unite diverse groups of people and create a deeper understanding of the history, connection, and relationship between the land and people in this wild, working and cultural landscape. This project will produce an audio archive, podcast, presentation series, and ultimately inform a collaborative stewardship plan, applying the humanities to conservation, which we hope will inspire land stewardship efforts in the Crazies, Montana, and the West.

Buckskin and Cloth Dresses, April Martin, Busby, $4,000.00. Research fellowship on the evolution of women’s buckskin and cloth dresses with an emphasis on the Cheyenne Nation.

A Different, Deadly Beast: The 1918 Influenza in Montana, Dance River Productions a fiscally sponsored project of the Montana History Foundation, Helena, MT, $10,000. This is a documentary film about the 1918 influenza, featuring the untold stories of women, Indigenous people, African-Americans, immigrants, and youth in Montana. The 1918 influenza felled over half a million Americans, but six stories drawn from firsthand narratives will show how Montanans met this crisis. Authentic and sometimes startling, their voices explore themes of risk and responsibility, trauma and resilience, tradition and innovation.

Ryan Zahn Goes Pro (Working Title), Spyrock Film a fiscally sponsored project of the Montana International Film Festival (MINT), Billings, MT, $2,000. Montanan, Ryan Zahn is an incredible motorcycle athlete who is constantly proving his talents in a world that often assumes he is helpless. He is regularly met with negative assumptions from strangers who cannot comprehend his abilities because he was born without arms. The film follows Ryan as he travels for races and takes on challenging building projects while also facing a society that has been conditioned to disregard people who look like him. The film will engage with historians, sociologists, and scholars of media and disability studies to present society’s evolving understanding of disability and assess the representation of disabled people in media across recent history.

One Book Belgrade 2022, Belgrade Community Library, Belgrade, MT, $1,000. One Book Belgrade is a program which aims to foster connections in the Belgrade Community by bringing people together to read. This year’s program will spark conversations related to Westward expansion, conquest, justice, bravery, ecology, and family, and will conclude with an author event.

Melstone History Highway Sign Panel #3, Melstone Area Foundation, Melstone, MT, $1,000. Panel #3 of the history sign will complete the story the Melstone Area Foundation wishes to tell while preserving the area’s history in a way that will be accessible to many. With the third panel, the entire canvas from buffalo days to the present will be depicted in story and photos.

Food for Thought: An Evening of Great Conversation, Billings Public Library Foundation, Billings, MT, $999. The purpose of this evening is to offer a variety of engaging conversations, promote community dialogue and foster a spirit of life-long learning. In this process, we also wish to raise community’s awareness of the Billings Public Library and Library Foundation, plus raise funds in support.

August Institute, Western Montana Professional Learning Collaborative, Trout Creek, MT, $1,000. The Western Montana Professional Learning Collaborative (WMPLC) aims to support and increase equity, inclusion, achievement and well-being for all Montana students.

Sentinel Reads, Sentinel High School, Missoula, MT, $1,000. After COVID, Sentinel High School is excited to come together to engage in a “One Book” event. Our entire staff and student body will read the book The Big Burn, and incorporate the content and themes into every subject area in a week-long event, culminating in an author visit by Jeanette Ingold.

Music & Mental Health Panel, North Valley Music School, Whitefish, MT, $675.00. On behalf of Mental Health Awareness Month, North Valley Music School and the Nate Chute Foundation will co-host a Music & Mental Health Panel to explore the relationship between music and wellness. The event will be free and open to the public with both in-person and virtual attendance options.

Hands on Montana!, Lewistown Art Center, Lewistown, MT, $1,000. Hands on Montana is a beloved, annual event that takes place in downtown Lewistown on the first Saturday in June! This free, community-wide event takes place from 12-4pm and celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of Central Montana’s culture! Hands on Montana includes a month-long community art show, live art demonstrations from ceramicists and glass blowers, local authors, free local food and drink, family art activities, and live performances from local groups!

Montana State Literacy Conference, Montana State Literacy Association, Lewistown, MT, $1,000. Montana State Literacy Conference will be held October 20-21 in order to promote the improvement of reading and literacy for teachers, administrators, and parents.

No-No Boy at Kirks Grocery, Kirks Grocery, Billings, MT, $1,000. No-No Boy blends original folk songs, storytelling, and projected archival images to illuminate hidden American histories. Julian Saporiti has transformed years of doctoral study into an innovative project which bridges a divide between art and scholarship.

We Burn Like This Montana Tour, We Burn Like This LLC, Billings, MT, $1,000. The award-winning Montana-made narrative feature film WE BURN LIKE THIS hits the road this June for a week-long Montana tour with writer/director/producer Alana Waksman in attendance for Q&As following the film.

Montana History Foundation Grant Writing Workshop Series, Montana History Foundation, Helena, MT, $1,000. With support from Humanities Montana, the Montana History Foundation will travel to three rural communities to deliver free grant writing workshops in 2022. The half-day training provides concrete steps for developing a strong project idea, crafting a fundable proposal, and creating a budget.

Romey Stuckart Essay and Talk, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, $1,000.00. Independent curator and author Ben Mitchell will write an essay about the artist Romey Stuckart for a 16-page exhibition catalog and a live presentation.

Annual Youth Concert, Helena Symphony, Helena, $1,000.00. An educational performance for 2,000 fourth and fifth graders from across the Helena region featuring the acclaimed Classical Kids Live Symphony program Beethoven Lives Upstairs.

MPN Playwrights Conference 2022: From Page to Stage, Montana Playwrights Network, Helena, $1,000.00. A two-day conference examining the sometimes-obscure process a new play script follows in its journey from page to stage, with expert presenters and panelists offering analysis and discussion of original plays by Montana playwrights.

Teen Book Boxes Extension Program, Billings Public Library, Billings, $1,000.00. BPL, in partnership with Tumbleweed Runaway Services, will offer free books and supplemental materials to teenagers and young adults.

Nadia Bolz-Weber Lecture Event, Rocky Mountain College, Billings, $1,000.00. Support for the Wheatley Lecture this year featuring theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber.

Mullan Road Conference 2022, River and Plains Society, Fort Benton, $1,000.00. Support for this national conference commemorating the completion of the Mullan Military Wagon Road in 1860 between Fort Benton and Fort Walla Walla, Washington.

Writing about War: A Panel Discussion, Elk River Arts & Lectures, Livingston, MT, $1,000. Writers and veterans Doug Peacock and Elliott Woods are joined by correspondent and radio pioneer Scott Carrier to discuss the ways they write about war from an ethical place, including the unique moral responsibilities the job demands. The event is sponsored by Elk River Arts & Lectures as part of its week-long 2022 Elk River Writers Workshop at Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Montana. There will be 50 students from all over the U.S. attending, as well as workshop faculty and staff. The panel will be free and open to the public.

Welcome to Indian Country, Billings Symphony, Billings, MT, $1,000. With support from Humanities Montana, Billings Symphony will host an evening in celebration of Native American culture through music and storytelling. Welcome to Indian Country, a diverse, world-class 5-piece contemporary all Indigenous music ensemble and Poet Laureate Rena Priest and Pretty Shield Foundation will erect teepees in the traditional Apsáalooke style for public display at Red Oxx Events Lawn in east Billings leading up to an evening performance.

Indigenous Advocacy Within Art and Cultural Institutions of Montana, Montana Art Gallery Directors Association, Bozeman, MT, $1,000. The Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA) is hosting an Indigenous Advocacy panel discussion at the 2022 annual conference with intent to encourage member museums and galleries to represent and advocate for the eight tribes of Montana, which are vital to our shared history and future.

Boarding Schools: Remembering our Resiliency and Shared Knowledge, University of Montana, MT, $1,000. On September 30, 2022, the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, the University of Montana, the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, and the Native Children’s Trauma Center sponsored a symposium for Montana educators. The symposium provided all educators at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, with knowledge, guidance, and practices related to integrating trauma-informed learning into their classrooms, institutions, and interactions with the community. The event also provided content and specific teaching methods designed to address and emphasize curricular integration of topics such as Indian boarding schools and other meaningful applications of Indian Education for All (IEFA).

Cultivating Wisdom, Re-examining our Relationships to the Natural World, Emmaus Campus Ministry, Missoula, MT, $1,000. Emmaus Campus Ministry and Faith and Climate Action Montana are hosting a collaborative speaker series December 2022-March 2023 to elevate diverse voices who think deeply about our relationships and care for the land and invites people across political, religious, educational, and geographical spectrums into courageous listening and meaningful conversation. Upcoming conversations include: December 1 – Farming Wisely in a Time of Peril: A local farmer’s panel discussion; January 23 – Environmental Stewardship in Today’s Health Care System; February (TBD) – Innovations in organic and dryland farming.