South Dakota Humanities Council
Newsletter Distinguishe d Service in the Humanities Awards
In This Issue Distinguished Service in the Humanities Awards
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Strategic Planning with Margaret Sumption
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SDHC Board List
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National History Day
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Letters About Literature
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We the People
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Special Order Form
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2010 Program Catalog
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Grant Highlights
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Festival of Books
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One Book South Dakota
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New Harmonies Exhibit
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New Staff at SDHC
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Request New Harmonies
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Grant Programs 2010 Sign-up for E-Newsletter
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Four humanities supporters received the 2009 award for “Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities.” The award is given to an individual who advances the humanities in South Dakota through outstanding contributions to the study and understanding of the humanities. The honorees were Sheryl Baloun of Sioux Falls, Jack Stengel of Sioux Falls, Rebecca Schenk of Pierre, and Fee Jacobsen of Pierre. Jacobsen and Stengel were recognized for extraordinary support and cultural advocacy of the humanities and Becky Schenk and Sheryl Baloun for extraordinary services - outstanding contributions to the Center for the Book, an organization within the South Dakota Humanities Council. Dedicated service is a prerequisite for the honor, but all four recipients said they were humbled by the opportunity to serve. “I feel I should be giving the Humanities an award because of how it has enriched my life,” said Rebecca Schenk. Likewise, Jack Stengel shared Schenk’s sentiments, “I was humbled to receive my award for serving a group that gave me so much pleasure. When I was first contacted by Governor Mickelson, I knew little about the Humanities…being a part of so many worthwhile projects has made the experience all the more rewarding.” The “Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities” award recognizes the hard-work and dedication that it takes to thrive in statewide service. “I am deeply honored…it is still the life-changing, gut-wrenching, heart-warming story that grips us, holds us, and transforms us…” said Sheryl Baloun of the way the humanities transcend boundaries. Honoree Fee Jacobsen was more than thrilled about both the award and her involvement with South Dakota Humanities Council’s programming. “I was incredibly honored not only to win the award but also to have had a part in such valuable programming for South Dakota. We are making a difference in our state’s history, and I would not miss a moment of it.”
Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities hororees get their awards Left to Right: Rebecca Schenk, Sheryl Baloun, Fee Jacobsen, and Jack Stengel
“Through steadfast and effective cultural involvement, these individuals have provided invaluable services and secured a place in South Dakota Humanities Council’s history,” according to Executive Director, Sherry DeBoer. The recipients join a select few who have been recognized for radically improving the humanities in South Dakota. Since 1976, the SDHC has recognized the efforts of Margaret Cash Wegner, Jerome Kills Small, Sidney Goss, R.D. Theisz, Tom Gasque, Ruth Alexander, Art Huseboe, Loren M. Carlson, Wayne S. Knutson, Charles Woodard, Richard Kline, Sr. Eileen Neville, Jean D. Walz, Jack W. Marken, and Ben Reifel.
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Strategic Planning SDHC Board Ann Thompson Chair
Jean Nicholson Chair Elect
Terri Davis Past Chair
Scott Rausch
Treasurer & Governor Appointee
Corey Villhauer Secretary
Senator Tom Dempster Executive Committee
Doris Giago
Executive Committee
Catherine Campbell Michelle Deyo-Amende Harvey DuMarce Anne Gormley Fee Jacobsen
Governor Appointee
Lin Jennewein Cheryl Kleppin Aaron B. Larson LaVerne Rens Rebecca Schenk
Governor Appointee
Bill Walsh
Keeping on Track for the Future Last March, the South Dakota Humanities Council’s Board of Directors gathered to map out the organization’s future role within the state. Based on survey data compiled by the USD Government Research Bureau, the board developed a plan centered on community building, with an overall mission to “support and promote the exchange of ideas to foster a thoughtful and engaged society.” Essentially, they envisioned a South Dakota where:
•We fulfill our essential human need to tell our stories, satisfy our curiosity, and take action in response to our vision of a better world. •We have the tools we need to participate fully in the cultural and civic life of our communities. •We celebrate the tapestry of life, family and place—all which make South Dakota unique and unify us in our diversity.
This new mission marks the advent of applying an annual theme to all services offered by the Council. The biennial initiative begins with the study of immigration and its impact in South Dakota and around the nation. The 2010 program catalog has already been carefully designed with immigration as its core focus, and several other activities will also incorporate this theme. In 2011, this approach to humanities programming will continue with the American Indian Cultures theme. This new direction is an important step toward effectively meeting the state’s evolving humanities needs, and it was made possible with a $6,000 grant from South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) provided through the Bush Foundation’s $2 million initiative designed to “increase nonprofit capacity, improve nonprofit boards, increase nonprofit revenues and strengthen the nonprofit sector as a whole.” Working directly with the staff to help accomplish these goals is Margaret Sumption, a licensed professional counselor from the firm Sumption & Wyland. During her twenty-year career, she has worked with organizations such as the SDSU Alumni Association, Northern State University, Casey Tibbs Foundation, and the corporate headquarters at Good Samaritan Society, among others. Preliminary sessions with the staff have begun and already yielded a comprehensive organization work plan. Subsequent sessions with the staff and board will yield the tools to develop success measures for each element of the strategic plan, including dashboards that will provide the board and staff with a quick analysis of the organization’s community engagement, impact, and outcomes. The role of the nonprofit in our society is changing due to increased scrutiny of the public sector and decreased funding due to the current state of the economy. The strategic planning process will keep SDHC accountable, accessible and on track for the future. By exploring contemporary topics of interest to all South Dakotans, topics such as Immigration and American Indian Cultures, SDHC is ensuring that the humanities remain at the forefront of our state’s culture.
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Summer Board Meeting at Oglala, Lakota College, 2009
South Dakota Humanities Council
YOUTH NEWS National History Day Competition The 2010 high school competition for National History Day took place on Saturday, March 27 at South Dakota State University. Nearly 250 students in grades 6-12 traveled from 23 schools around the state to participate. This year’s theme was “Innovation in History,” and students presented their projects to judge panels in the areas of Documentary, Research Paper, Performance, Website, and Exhibit. Judges ranked projects with the top two in each category chosen to compete at the national level in College Park, Maryland, in June. For a complete breakdown of the projects that will be featured at the national competition please visit the SD National History Day website at: http://sd.nhd.org. Besides rankings, ten special awards were given to projects from organizations and individuals around the state. Some of the awards included Best in South Dakota History, Legal History, Rural Life/Agricultural Impact, and Native American History. Thank you to all the judges, donors, and volunteers that helped at this year’s competition. National History Day is coordinated by the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum with support and funding provided by the South Dakota Humanities Council. For more information about the program, please call Kathie Tuntland at the Ag Museum, 605-688-6226.
2010 Letters About Literature Competition Among the many forces that shape our Students presenting their exhibit for the National History lives, some of the most powerful are the people Day state competition in Brookings in March 2010 we meet. Many times, those people are the characters we discover in books. They can be heroes or underdogs—there’s no denying the power of Harper Lee’s portrait of the virtuous Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird or Toni Morrison’s rendering of Pecola Breedlove, the young protagonist who navigates courageously against the tide of racism and hate in The Bluest Eye. Stories like these draw us to examine our lives in a new context, teaching us about the world we inhabit in transformative ways. Each year the Letters About Literature contest asks students to put those discoveries into a personal letter addressed to one author that changed their way of seeing the world. (continued)
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(2010 Letters About Literature Competition continued) This annual contest, sponsored by Target, the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and the South Dakota Center for the Book, concluded in April with hundreds of entries submitted from across the state. For each of the three levels of judging, divided by grade, the top three finishers were selected to receive prizes ranging from a $50 Target gift card and $100 savings bond to a $50 savings bond. This year’s winners at the high school level were: 1) Jenny Homola, Watertown 2) Michael Blegen, Britton 3) Kate Schneider, Brookings. At the Middle School level, all three winners were from Cindy Cummins 7th grade class at Edison Middle School in Sioux Falls. They were: 1) Will Lauer, 2) Morgan Fehrs 3) Michala Graanstra.
Thank you to all the teachers and librarians who coordinated this year’s contest and congratulations to each of the winning students! To read about more about this year’s contest, including which author each student wrote to, visit our website at www.sdhumanities.org.
At the grade school level, the winners were: 1) Hallee Ringgaard, Piedmont 2) Kadon Leddy, Stockholm 3) Taylor Erlenbusch, Piedmont. Teachers of the winning students were: •Kris O’Brien of Watertown High School •Jeanette Remily of Britton-Hecla HS •Sharon King of Brookings HS •Joanna Jones of Stagebarn/Piedmont.
Elementary School.
Spearfish high school celebrates their win at the We the People state competition in Chamberlain
We the People High School Competition Winners Announced The “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” High School Competition took place on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma. South Dakota Humanities Council is proud to announce the winner of the competition was Spearfish High School. The students who brought home the award were: Jacob Clark, Jennifer Hicks, Taylor Klinkel, Koree McClellan, Megan Holman, Lisa Krogstad, Jordan Louks, Megan Quinn, Kelsey Senden, Tanner Triscori, Kendra Apland, Sara Little, Alex Reid, Andrea Driscoll, Amy Post, Jeff Young, Ty Retzl, Katherine Tavasti, and Mallory Young. A total of five high schools participated in the competition: Marion, Tea Area, Spearfish, St. Thomas More, and West Central. Eighteen judges from across the state, including the three state congressional offices, SD Secretary of State Office, and SD Attorney General’s Office were present. The competition lasted all day and included two rounds of congressional hearing questions related to the U.S. Constitution.
Students from Marion high school compete at the We The People competition in Chamberlain in December 2009
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A Los Angeles-based film crew was an exciting addition to this year’s competition. Linda LaCombe and James Moxom with WTP Films flew into Rapid City and traveled to Chamberlain for the state finals. They captured footage of the students competing which will be used for future promotion of the program. Thank you to all the judges and schools who participated in this year’s competition. Good luck to Spearfish High School as they travel to the National Competition on April 24 – 26, 2010 in Washington D.C.
South Dakota Humanities Council
order form SPECIAL ORDER Take advantage of all SDHC has to offer! Name: ____________________________________ Mailing Address: ____________________________ City: _________________________ State _________ Zip: ____________ Is this your home or work? ______ (Please specify home or work for each field) Phone: ________________________ H___W___ Email: __________________________H___W___ ___YES! Please send me a FREE copy of the 2010 Program Catalog (See Page 6) ___YES! Please sign me up for SDHC’s monthly e-newsletter, The Insider ___YES! I would be interested in hosting an Authors on the Road presentation, before or after the Festival of Books, September 24-26, 2010 in Sioux Falls. (email info@sdhumanities.org for more information) ___YES! I would be interested in getting more information about the New Harmonies Smithsonian Exhibit (See Page 8) I would like to order ___copies of One-Room Country School. I would like to order ___copies of Country Congregations. I would like to order ___copies of On the Homefront. I would like to order ___copies of Life on the Farm & Ranch. If your organization received a Picturing America exhibit from the National Endowment for the Humanities you may also be eligible to receive a FREE art scholar presentation from SDHC. See http://www.sdhumanities.org/picturingamerica.htm for offer details or call 605-688-6113
South Dakota Stories
Travel to another time with stories about, and written by, South Dakotans. The South Dakota Humanities Council has published four collections of stories written by and about the people of South Dakota. The stories were born in various chapters of our state’s history, and each collection documents a large theme of life in South Dakota. “Snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa to enjoy these homespun tales of everyday rural life in South Dakota, told by ordinary folks who have lived them.” - Linda Hasselstrom, Rancher and Author of “No Place Like Home” & others, Hermosa “One-Room Country School” One room, many memories Published in 1998, Edited by Norma C. Wilson & Charles L. Woodard, 146 pages $15 “Country Congregations” Gathering together in faith and life Published in 2002, Edited by Charles L. Woodard, 150 pages $15
“On the Homefront” There are many more veterans of war than there are people who have worn uniforms Published in 2007, Edited by Charles L. Woodard, 111 pages $15 “Life on the Farm & Ranch” Struggles and joys of country life Published in 2009, Edited by John E. Miller, 205 pages $17
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Grant Deadline Highlight Immigration Proposals and Mini-Grants To Be Accepted Now is the time to prepare grant proposals on immigration-themed projects for our August 30th major grant deadline! Proposals in Humanities Discussion, Media, and Teachers’ Institute will be accepted for amounts at $1,001 and greater. This will be the last deadline for the immigration theme. Starting in 2011, South Dakota Humanities Council will switch to an American Indian Cultures theme in programming. As always, proposals on other topics will be accepted.
Catalog
Mini-grant funding is still available for 2010. Proposals in Humanities Discussion, Media, and Research will be accepted for amounts at $1,000 or less. Please visit our website, www.sdhumanities.org to review grant guidelines. A new online application process will begin in June, so check the website for more information. Submit your application today!
South Dakota Humanities Council
2010
PROGRAM CATALOG Estados Unidos de América
Meiguo Amerikas Forenede Stater
Meiguo
Shrath Meriká
Meilijian Hezhongguo
Emerikaa
Iugond Štattä
Stati Uniti d'America
Yhdysvallat
Amerika
America
Shrath Meriká
Usono
Marite
États-Unis d'Amérique Amerika Serikat Merka Stadoù-Unanet
Usono
Meiguo
Beikoku
Usono
de Feriene Steaten fan Amearika
Stadoù-Unanet Usono
Usono
Marite Meiguo
Miguk
Statele Unite de America
amerikan tsHänatöhna štataš
Marite
Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika
Emerikaa
iStetisi
Estados Unidos de América
ÉnÓménes Politeíes Amerikées
Shrath Meriká
Amerikâri Pêrlešüllê Štatsem
Amêrika Ühendriigid
Beikoku
Estats Units d'Amèrica
Ho'p chúng quóc Hoa ky eyálát-e mottaHedeye emríká
Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá
Muungano wa Nchi za Amerika
Far'eynikte Štatn
Sambandsstatane al-wilâyât al-muttaHida al-amrÎkîya
Spojené Státy Americké Stadoù-Unanet Amerikâri Pêrlešüllê Štatsem
Sãyukta Rájya Amriká
Emerikaa America
Amerikâri Pêrlešüllê Štatsem
Usono Amerika Qo'shma
Bandaríkin
Sjedinjene Americke Drzave
Sambandsríki Amerika
'Amelika-Hui-Pu-'ia
Yhdysvallat
Usono
Meiguo
Statys Unys Amerika
Shtetet e Bashkuara të Amerikës
Sambandsríki Amerika
Meiguo Usono
Estados Unidos de América
Sambandsríki Amerika
America
Shrath Meriká
Bandaríkin
Artsót ha-Brít šel Ameríqa
America
amerikan tsHänatöhna štataš
Merka Súedinenite Amerikanski štati Amerika Qo'shma Emerikaa Statys Unys Amerika ya-tabâbarut ya-amerikâ mangâtât Beikoku Merka Miatsyal Nahangnêr Vereinigde State van Amerika Amerika Amêrikayi Meilijian Hezhongguo
America
Immigration. Its impact in South Dakota. 6
Usono
iStetisiAmerika Qo'shma
Verenigde Staten van Amerika Meilijian Hezhongguo
Beikoku
Sambandsríki Amerika Sahalat Æmelikáya-tabâbarut ya-amerikâ mangâtât
Zlucanyja Štaty Amèryki
Iugond Štattä
America
Shrath Meriká
Beikoku
Amerikis Šeert'ebuli Štatebi
Stati Uniti d'America
Marite
Bandaríkin
Ameriketako Estatu Batauk
Meiguo
na Stàitean Aonaichte
Amerikai Egyesült Államok
Merka
South Dakota Humanities Council’s Program Catalog is now available! The catalog features information on immigration-themed programming, new Speakers Bureau presenters, Picturing America program, One Book South Dakota, traveling exhibits, grants, and the Festival of Books. Our 2010 Immigration Initiative will provide new opportunities and programming across the state. Over ten Speakers Bureau programs focus on immigration topics from Europeans settling in South Dakota territory to the effects of immigration on American Indians. In addition, SDHC has partnered with the South Dakota State Historical Society to offer an Immigration Program Package. This includes a pop-up kiosk exhibit, Drawn to the Land: Homesteading Dakota; education kit for teachers, South Dakota Immigrants, and a Speakers Bureau program with two South Dakota State Historical Society employees. Furthermore, organizations are encouraged to apply for grants that focus on our initiative. Proposals addressing the topic of immigration will receive priority for funding. Besides SDHC’s large Reading Group Toolkit book collection (previously called Packaged Reading), SDHC is offering a Book and Film Series for organizations to use. The series concentrates on six immigration topics with one book and one film provided for each topic: 1) Immigration Post 9/11: The Perception Change 2) Praying for Freedom: Immigration in Search of Religious Liberty 3) Myth of the Melting Pot: Resistance to Assimilation and the Effects of Immigration on Native Americans 4) Estados Unidos: Latin American Perspective on Immigration 5) Forced Over the Borders: Escaping War and Genocide by Fleeing to America 6) Immigration and the Wedding: How Marriage Shapes the Immigration Experience Applicants can apply for the book and film through the SDHC office. The catalog also presents the tools for a do-it-yourself community program, South Dakota Creates, listing immigration program ideas and discussion leaders available. SDHC looks forward to assisting South Dakota communities with their projects! We hope you enjoy our 2010 Program Catalog. For ordering information, please use the form on page 5 of this newsletter or call the SDHC office at 605-688-6113.
South Dakota Humanities Council
Festival of Books More than 50 great authors shared their work with readers of all ages for an unforgettable 7th Annual Festival of Books in Deadwood this past October 2-4. The final tallies came back with a cumulative attendance of 5,400 for all sessions at this year’s event and in the schools. Among the many positive things said about this year’s festival, several out-of-state authors said they were impressed by the great questions they received and by the level of audience participation. Their comments reminded us of a One Book South Dakota event with Dan O’Brien in Brookings last summer. As a seasoned expert of the South Dakota literary scene, Dan opened the event simply by saying: “I’ll read for about 15 or 20 minutes and then open it up for questions because I know you people aren’t shy.” Maybe we should have warned those out-of-state authors!
A few of our favorite audience comments pulled from evaluations:
“There is no other event between Minneapolis and Denver where readers can have contact with so many writers and readers. It feeds my literary soul.” “Love the intellectual stimulation.” “This has brought my passion to the surface again.” “Each year gets better and better.” “Reading is my love in addition to my family.” “I heard about the festival through a co-worker. I am SO glad I came.” “I love books!”
Looking ahead, the 8th annual South Dakota Festival of Books will be held in Sioux Falls on September 24-26. Headlining the festival will be the 2010 One Book South Dakota author and founder of McSweeney’s, Dave Eggers (What is the What, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Zeitoun). Other exciting presenters include Jimmy Santiago Baca (A Glass of Water), Jeffrey Koterba (Inklings: A Memoir) and his band the Prairie Cats, Alison Hedge Coke (Blood Run), Marilyn Johnson (This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All), Peter Orner (The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo), Valzhyna Mort (Factory of Tears), Rob Fleder (Sports Illustrated: The Football Book), Pete Dexter (Spooner, Deadwood, Paris Trout), and American Girl series author Jacqueline Dembar Greene (Meet Rebecca, The Secret Shofar of Barcelona), plus many more! The event will feature six tracks (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, History/Tribal, Writer’s Support, and Children’s/YA), plus an additional “Immigration” track for 2010. Special events in this track will include the Literary Feast, a conversation with this year’s One Book South Dakota author Dave Eggers, and a coffee and tea party with Jacqueline Dembar Greene, author of the American Girl Rebecca series. The Festival will also feature an all-star cast of local authors including Dan O’Brien and photographer Michael Forsberg (Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild), Jon Lauck (Daschle Vs. Thune: The Anatomy of a High-Plains Senate Race), Freya Manfred (Swimming With a Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle), Jim Reese (Ghost on 3rd), Patrick Hicks (This London), Gary Harbo (The Black Hills Adventure), and many others. For more information about this great event, visit www.sdbookfestival.com
Support the Festival of Books Today! To make a donation visit http://www.sdhumanities.org/donate.htm to download and print a form to be mailed to 1215 Trail Ridge Rd., Suite A, Brookings, SD 57006 OR Donate securely online Questions? Call 605-688-6113 to speak with our friendly staff!
Now Accepting Exhibitor Applications Email
info@sdhumanities.org
for more information
Reminder! Festival of Books September 24-26
Sioux Falls, SD
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ONE BOOK SOUTH DAKOTA Immigration—be it past or present—is a fundamental part of our nation’s history. The fabric of America is entwined with stories of those who arrived with little more than hope, it is defined by the sacrifices they made and the hardships they faced, and it was transformed through the communities that were created. Through One Book we hope to start a wide-ranging conversation about immigration that deserves to be read and discussed by everyone in South Dakota. It is the story of Valentino Achak Deng’s remarkable journey from war-torn East Africa to the United States, as written by Dave Eggers. Valentino is one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan, a group of young men who were left to wander through the jungles of East Africa because they were separated from their parents—through bloodshed or chaos—during the Sudanese civil war. The book documents the hardships Valentino and many Lost Boys faced in Africa and also the struggles he and other Sudanese war refugees experienced when adjusting to life in the United States. Much of the book is set in Africa, but his story is closer than one might expect. South Dakota is home to one of the largest Sudanese refugee populations in the country— per capita it is the largest. We hope you’ll take part in this statewide discussion with your family, your friends, your co-workers, and others in your community. Homegrown book clubs are invited to apply to this program, as are book clubs organized through local libraries, museums, and other cultural organizations. For a small application fee, we will provide reader’s guides and copies of the book for everyone in your discussion group, and as an added bonus a scholar to lead the discussion if you would like one.
Applications for our One Book program will be accepted beginning in May. For more information about the One Book South Dakota program or how to participate, visit us online at www.sdhumanities.org
New Harmonies Smithsonian Exhibit Coming to South Dakota South Dakota Humanities Council and the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program are s ponsoring the national traveling exhibit, “New Harmonies”, to come to South Dakota in early 2012. The exhibit showcases the roots of American music, focusing on genres like blues, country western, folk ballads, and gospel. It features familiar songs, histories of instruments, roles of religion and technology, and the connection of musical roots in all popular American music. The Museum on Main Street program was started to provide small, rural towns with cultural projects from the Smithsonian. Every state in the nation can participate, and South Dakota received the traveling exhibit Between Fences in 2008-2009. Six communities will be chosen to receive New Harmonies for approximately six weeks in 2012. Museums, libraries, historical societies, and other cultural or community organizations are eligible to host the exhibit. Besides displaying the exhibit, host organizations will be required to develop a local exhibit as well as related programming and activities for the community. South Dakota Humanities Council will have a Native American theme in 2011 and 2012, and we hope to see Native American music incorporated into the New Harmonies exhibit across the state.
Bashful Brother Oswald Photo by Jim Herrington www.jimherrington.com
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South Dakota Humanities Council will begin taking applications for New Harmonies starting June 1, 2010. An application is available on SDHC’s website, www.sdhumanities.org under the “Programs and Events” tab or call SDHC at 605-688-6113. SDHC is looking forward to this exciting opportunity for South Dakota communities!
South Dakota Humanities Council
New staff Stephanie Horsley, Samantha He ndriks and Julie Stue fen New Staff at SDHCStephanie Horsley was hired as Program Director for South Dakota Humanities Council on July 1,
2009. She joined SDHC six months earlier as a temporary employee.Originally from Spencer, IA, Stephanie attendedCollege of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. She graduated with a major in history and minor in music/piano performance. During college, she worked at the Parker Historical Museum in Spencer as well as interned at the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud, MN. After college, Stephanie moved to Twentynine Palms, California while her husband was in the Marine Corps. She worked as a substitute and piano teacher as well as a teller at Navy Federal Credit Union.
From Left to Right: Stephanie Horsley, Julie Stuefen and Samantha Hendriks
Stephanie enjoys coordinating and implementing the many programs offered at SDHC and is learning much South Dakota history and culture. Samantha Hendriks was hired to fill the newly created Events and Outreach Director position on November 16, 2009. Originally from Pipestone, MN, Samantha attended Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN where she graduated with a major in Literature/ Creative Writing. In June Samantha and her husband Ryan welcomed their son Cameron into the world. Samantha held offices in numerous university organizations during her undergraduate career and credits that experience for developing her event planning abilities. Her work at the South Dakota Humanities Council marks the beginning of her post-graduate career.
Samantha enjoys writing for the various projects she encounters at SDHC as well as working toward the goal of creating bigger, and better events as well as reaching out to underserved areas and audiences. Julie Stuefen was hired October 1, 2009 as our Administrative Assistant. Her past work experience with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service as their Area Administrative Coordinator prepared her well for her duties at SDHC. Julie is a former daycare owner and bank employee; both experiences helped to hone her incredible people skills. She also maintains an E-Bay business while keeping up with her husband Mike and three children Josh, Katlyn, and Shane and grandchildren Zoey and Zak. Julie enjoys having a helping hand in every SDHC endeavor.
Dates to Remember June 1: New Harmonies Museum on Mainstreet Applications can be sent to SDHC June 30: Early Bird Deadline for Festival of Books Exhibitors July 9 -10: Board Meeting, Blue Cloud Abbey August 30: Major Grant Deadline - Immigration proposals will be accepted along with otherhumanities topics for programs beginning November 1. Please visit our website at www.sdhumanities.org to get updates on the new application process, to start in May!
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Grant Programs in 2010 At their annual fall and spring board meeting, the South Dakota Humanities Council Board awarded twenty-three major grant proposals for funding in 2010. Here is a glimpse of which programs were accepted for funding: •The South Dakota Heritage Fund is sponsoring the 2010 South Dakota State Historical Society Annual History Conference held from April 30 – May 1, 2010. This year’s theme is Prairie Politics . . . From Territory to Today. •A Living History Fair was held at the Swiftel Center in Brookings. Students in grades 4 – 6 participated, and the Brookings Renegades Muzzleloader Club was the sponsor. •South Dakota Public Broadcasting in Vermillion plans to produce a short documentary about The Stavig Letters, a true story about two brothers, one an 1881 immigrant to South Dakota, the other one still in Norway. This presentation is also available as a Speakers’ Bureau program through SDHC. •Pierre Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring “South Dakota History Adventures,” day-long education excursions in the Pierre area for 4-6 graders. • Lauren Pelon, a music history scholar who founded Picaresque II, presented The Living Roots of Music in Vermillion and Madison. Her presentation explored the role of music in culture and history while demonstrating several ancient and modern instruments.
SD History Adventures event on the Missouri Riverin Pierre in 2009
• The Hill City Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a documentary for the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum in Hill City. The documentary will be aired for PBS, and DVDs will be distributed to the public. • The Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls will conduct Performance Insights after their performances in January, April, and June 2010.
• A master’s thesis, “Rockport Colony Hutterites: A Case Study” by Joanita Kant, SDHC scholar, will be published. East Central Literacy Council in Brookings is sponsoring this project. • The Klein Museum in Mobridge received funding for “More Than a Visit: Taking a Museum Home With You” where a guide and enhanced website will be available for patrons. • A Teachers’ Institute on Approaches to Teaching Lakota Culture will be held in June and July with Dr. Craig Howe at the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies in Martin. For more information, please visit his website at www.nativecairns.org. • The Lakota/Dakota Storytelling Competition, sponsored by SDSU, Dept. of Journalism, took place at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City. At this event, Lakota middle and high school students tell traditional, contemporary, and issue-based stories. A grant was also given to support videotaping the competition. • The Adams Museum and House in Deadwood is offering a Youth Archaeology Series for students in grades 2 – 12 during June and July. This is an opportunity for area youth to participate in an authentic excavation led by professional archaeologists and historians. • The South Dakota Reading Council’s annual convention, Making Lifelong Connections, will take place October 14 – 16 in Rapid City, SD. • Performers in the Sioux Falls based Jazz & Blues Society will present the Jazz Diversity Project plan to a total of thirty South Dakota schools, teaching students about the origins of jazz as well as American history. • The 15th Annual Oscar Micheaux Festival, Micheaux and Gregory County in the 1940s will be August 4 – 7, 2010
in Gregory, SD. Jazz musicians presenting the Jazz Diversity Project for South Dakota students
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South Dakota Humanities Council
• A National Endowment for the Humanities exhibit, “Benjamin Franklin – In Search of a Better World,” will come to Mundt Library at Dakota State University in Madison this fall. In addition to the exhibit, SDHC will help fund a Benjamin Franklin impersonator to visit the library for presentations. • SDSU, Dept. of English is sponsoring a poetry anthology about women speaking against violence, Women Write Resistance, edited by Dr. Christine Stewart-Nuñez and Laura Madeline Wiseman. • The Warrior Women Project out of Vermillion will sponsor “Warrior Women: The Story of Red Power Activism,” a documentary about Madonna Thunder Hawk, a Lakota activist. • Fractured Atlas Productions, Inc. will create a documentary about Lakota culture on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation titled “Bridge the Gap: Lakota Sioux.” • Dr. Brad Tennant, history professor at Presentation College, will research General Alfred Sully’s writings and paintings in Connecticut. • The organization Sioux Falls in the World will support research on current Mideast Immigrants in Sioux Falls in order to document, publicize, and preserve their history. • Dr. Barbara Johnson from Aberdeen will research stained glass windows and mosaics in both religious and secular settings throughout South Dakota. She is sponsored by St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
In addition to major grants, SDHC has accepted eight mini grants ($1,000 and under):
Participants at the South Dakota World Affairs Council event at SDSU in January 2010
• The 4th Annual Fall River County History Conference featured local scholars and historians as they presented about Fall River County. The Fall River County Historical Society sponsored the event. • The South Dakota World Affairs Council sponsored “The Story of People from India who Live in South Dakota” at South Dakota State University. Several presenters, including the ambassador to India, Ashok Kumar Attri, spoke about experiences of Indians in America. • Dr. Marcel Kornfeld from the University of Wyoming lectured on the Agate Basin Site in Edgemont. He also developed a permanent display for the Edgemont Museum. • The 18th Annual West River History Conference, Relative Riches, will take place September 23 – 25, 2010 at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. • A film, “The Dull Knifes,” will chronicle the 150-year history of the Dull Knife family on the Pine Ridge reservation. The sponsoring organization is Fractured Atlas Productions, Inc., New York. • A group of humanities scholars will meet in Rapid City to discuss the updating and expansion of the Cyclorama of American Economic History, located at the Dahl Arts Center. • Faith Public and School Library will sponsor storyteller Indiana Bones to present at their summer reading program, “Make a Splash, Read.” • Sanford Research and USD are co-sponsoring an American Indian Photovoice Project with adolescents from Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe and American Indian USD students.
Thank you to all those who applied for grants. We could not bring high-quality humanities education and programs to South Dakota without you!
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