United We Stand on the Hi-Line
As part of the United We Stand initiative, Humanities Montana partnered with The Foundation for Montana History to facilitate a free grant-writing workshop in Poplar, Montana, in May. The grant-writing workshop and listening session were graciously hosted by the James E. Shanley Tribal Library at Fort Peck Community College. Additionally, The Foundation hosted a community preservation discussion in Wolf Point, during which staff of both organizations learned about ongoing projects and historical and cultural preservation needs in Roosevelt and McCone Counties.
The trip also took staff on history tours of the Fort Peck Theatre in Fort Peck, the Rundle Title and Abstract Company building in Glasgow, the Wolf Point Museum in Wolf Point, and the historic walking trail in Fort Benton, Montana. Humanities Montana is thankful to everyone we met along the way who took the time to share their history, ideas, and dreams for preserving and advancing history and the humanities on the Hi-Line.
If you are interested in applying for a Community Project Grant ($2,000–$10,000) or a Film + Video Grant (up to $10,000) this August, be sure to contact Humanities Montana staff and submit your online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) before July 19, 2024. This will help us guide you through the application process and build the most competitive application possible.
For both Community Project and Film + Video grants, all applicants are required to complete and submit the online LOI form. If you choose to participate in a 30-minute grant consultation, you will be able to submit a shortened LOI form. If you do not consult with staff, you will need to complete the longer LOI form.
To prepare for your consult or to complete the online LOI form, review the LOI question list, which is available for preview on the website. Interested organizations should complete the online form as soon as possible.
Community Project Grants Resources
Congratulations to our most recent grantees! To learn more about these inspiring organizations and their projects, visit our grants-awarded webpage and check our events calendar for details about upcoming grantee events.
Big Sky Reads
- Page Turner’s Youth Book Club, North Lake County Public Library, Polson, MT, $500. The Page Turner’s Youth Book Club meets once a month at the North Lake County Public Library. For more information, contact the library at (406) 883-8225 or visit the library website.
- River City Readers, Friends of the Glendive Public Library, Glendive, MT, $500. The River City Readers book club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. in the basement meeting room of the Glendive Public Library. For more information, contact Twylla at (406) 939-4146.
- Alpine Artisans Open Book Club, Alpine Artisans, Inc., Seeley Lake, MT, $500. The Open Book Club was founded in 2007 to bring notable authors from the Northwest to read and discuss their work with residents and students of the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys. The book club is a free open forum. For more information, contact Jenny Rohrer at (406) 754-0034 or visit the Open Book Club website.
Mini-Grants
- Plains Indian Camp, The Montana Living History Program, Helena, MT, $1,950. The Montana Living History Program promotes the preservation of frontier history. Plains Indian Camp, as part of Helena’s Living History Day in September 2024, will re-create a historically accurate Plains Indian Camp that the public may tour, investigate, and experience; the event will also include an informative lecture about primitive Native life. The project will depict 1800s Native American life through a hands-on display and expert narration. This project seeks to increase awareness, interest, and appreciation of Montana’s history through educational experiences that foster understanding of our multicultural past and future.
- Montana Archaeological Society Meeting Keynote Address, Montana Archaeological Society, Missoula, MT, $1,665. The Montana Archaeological Society, a state-wide voluntary organization of professionals and the general public who have an interest in Montana’s past, will host Dean Nikolai as the keynote speaker at their annual meeting to provide a Native American perspective on the archaeology of Montana. The keynote address will elevate Native American perspectives about how Montana’s past is being interpreted. The annual meeting will be held in Helena, May 3–5, 2024, and the keynote address will be recorded and available to view on the organization’s website after the event.
- Big Sky Paranormal Conference, Bozeman Paranormal Society, Bozeman, MT, $2,000. The Bozeman Paranormal Society is hosting its 3rd Annual Big Sky Paranormal Conference in Butte, Montana, September 27–29, 2024. The conference will raise awareness of local Montana history through presentations and tours led by historians.
- Magic Beans: Songs for Sprouting Children & Other Human Beans, North Valley Music School, Whitefish, MT, $2,000. “Magic Beans” is a youth music program in Northwest Montana that features contemplation, conversation, and connection. The project invites Montana author and musician Chris Sand to host one-hour programs in Evergreen, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls to help kids understand themselves and others through fun and thoughtful songs inspired by Sand’s own Magic Beans Songbook.
- The Gathering at Tmsmɫl̓, Travelers’ Rest Preservation and Heritage Association, Lolo, MT, $2,000. Travelers’ Rest Connection, the nonprofit partner of Travelers’ Rest State Park, hosted a new Indigenous arts and culture event: The Gathering at Tmsmɫl̓. The event invited the Bitterroot Séliš back to their ancestral territory to practice their traditions, highlight the Indigenous history of the park, and provide a unique opportunity for community members and tourists to experience high-quality Indigenous-led interpretation at the park.