January 2025 Program News

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Welcome New Speakers!

Arnold ‘Smoke’ Elser Headshot, Eva-Maria Maggi Headshot

Humanities Montana welcomes Arnold ‘Smoke’ Elser and Eva-Maria Maggi to the speakers bureau with their program, “Hush of the Land: Stories of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.” In this presentation, Elser and Maggi take the audience on a journey with horses and mules deep into the mountains of Western Montana. This engaging, hands-on campfire storytelling event is based on the inspiring memoir Hush of the Land, which chronicles the six-decade quest of packer and outfitter Arnold ‘Smoke’ Elser to protect wild lands by bringing thousands of people deep into Montana’s mountains on horseback.

Speakers in the Schools

Students in the classroom during a Buck Hitswithastick presentation at St. Ignatius Elementary School.

Speakers in the Schools programs are open and available to schools and homeschool groups across Montana! Trained facilitators and experts lead students in workshops and conversations on topics like current affairs, untold histories, native cultures, literature, and more. Teachers can work with speakers to tailor programs to varying degrees to suit classroom needs. Speakers in the Schools programs are always free!

The Democracy Project

The Soft Launch option of the Democracy Project begins this month with seven libraries in the 2025 cohort: Medicine Spring Library in Browning, The Eureka Public Library, The Boulder Community Library, Lewis and Clark Library in Helena, Plenty Coups High School Library in Pryor, Stillwater County Library in Columbus and the Conrad Public Library. Participating libraries receive a $500 stipend and support from Humanities Montana and other cohort libraries to build a teen audience.

The program, which runs from January to May, supports librarians in capacity building, professional development, and idea exchanges to create a teen engagement plan.

Humanities Montana Mourns the Loss of Kevin Kooistra

Kevin Kooistra

Humanities Montana mourns the loss of beloved historian and Montana Conversations speaker Kevin Kooistra, who passed away in December. Kevin was a great advocate for the public humanities, often traveling across rural Montana with his history programs and infusing cultural programming into eager communities. Kevin’s presentation, Hazel Hunkins of Montana: Continuing the Fight for Women’s Rights, was well booked by museums and libraries across the state.

Kevin was the executive director of the Western Heritage Center, where he worked for three decades, both preserving and telling the story of Billings. Humanities Montana is quite saddened by the news of Kevin’s passing, which is a huge loss for his home community of Billings. May his memory be honored and legacy live on in the good work he accomplished throughout his lifetime.

Big Sky Reads Program Supports Rural Book Clubs

The Conrad Public Library Book Club receives $500 stipend

Big Sky Reads $500 stipends support book clubs in rural communities across the state that engage in thought-provoking discussions about literature and promote awareness of books, writing, reading, the book arts, publishing, and literacy in Montana. Four libraries have received this stipend since the program re-opened on November 1: The Harlem Public Library, The Conrad Public Library, The Preston Hot Springs Town County Library and the Darby Community Public Library.

The Big Sky Reads program is situated within the Montana Center for the Book, the state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Big Sky Reads is also a Facebook group! This is a great resource to find new books, new participants, discussion questions, and facilitators. If your book club qualifies, you can apply for this $500 stipend at any time. The $500 stipend is available once per year for eligible organizations, as long as funds are available. The stipend may be used for costs like trained discussion leaders, book kits, in-person or virtual author visits, advertising expenses, and other costs that enhance the humanities content. It cannot be used for refreshments, staff costs, or venue rental.