Our Place In The West: 
Views From The Yellowstone River Valley
33rd Annual Montana History Conference
Billings, Montana
September 28-30, 2006
Our Place in the West: Views from the Yellowstone River Valley
"The West" means different things to different people, but one identifying trait common to those who cherish the region is an all-encompassing sense of place. Whether it is defined prosaically by its geographic borders or poetically as a state of mind, western identity plays a real role in the everyday lives of the area's inhabitants. Our Place in the West will provide a brief glance back at the colorful history that has helped shaped this slice of the West by examining the characters, events, and episodes that put the magic in the "Magic City" and its neighboring communities up and down Montana's famed Yellowstone River.
Conference Locations
The Sheraton Hotel in downtown Billings at 27 North 27th Street will be the primary site for this year's history conference. Saturday tours are scheduled to depart from the Sheraton, and all workshops, sessions, and events are scheduled for the Sheraton unless otherwise noted. The exceptions include two historic preservation-related workshops on Thursday, and the Thursday night progressive museum reception, which will take attendees to several exciting cultural sites around Billings. See the map (page 0) and program descriptions below for more details.
A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at the Sheraton Hotel. Please call 406-252-7400 to make your reservations. Reserve your room by September 8, 2006, to assure the special conference rate. For information on other accommodations in Billings, contact the Billings Chamber of Commerce (406-245-4111/800-735-2635; website: www.itsinbillings.com ). Parking will be validated by the Sheraton Hotel for hotel guests. There is an outside lot as well as a parking garage on site.
Renewal Credits for Teachers
Up to 15 renewal credits from the Office of Public Instruction and the Montana Historical Society are available to teachers attending the 2006 Montana History Conference. Teachers desiring renewal credits may obtain forms at the conference registration table at the Sheraton Hotel. Society staff must sign the form at each session you attend. The Society's Education Office will forward the list of certificate holders who complete requirements to the Office of Public Instruction.
Thursday, September 28
8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Conference Registration, Third Floor Lobby
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Vendor Displays, Granite Ballroom
Five half-day workshops and a special walking tour of Billings' historic Black Otter Trail kick off the conference with engaging and interactive presentations on historic preservation, Indian education for all, twentieth-century Montana, and Billings history.
8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Indian Education for All: A Workshop for Educators
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
Indian Education for all is the focus of this half-day workshop geared toward middle and high school teachers. Project Director Francine Bear Don't Walk will kick off the session with "The Tribal Histories Project in the Classroom," a look at the Western Heritage Center's American Indian Tribal Histories Project. The project gathered and interpreted Crow and Northern Cheyenne history from tribal perspectives and has resulted in a number of classroom resources to complement existing curricula. MSU-Billings Professor Emeritus Hap Gilliland, also from the Intertribal Cultural Committee for the Council for Indian Education, will follow with "Teaching American Indian Students." Then veteran Helena High School teacher Joe Anderson will present "Ikaitapiitsinikit: Tell Old Stories!" Anderson, who has taught Native American stories in both traditional literature classes and in a popular elective class that focuses specifically on Indian literature, will offer information on titles that work in the classroom and techniques for engaging students in the study of literature and culture. (3 credits)
Something Old, Something New: Using Technology to Preserve the Past
Montana State University-Billings College of Technology, College of Technology Building, 3803 Central Avenue, Room B-57
New technologies including digital media, global positioning systems, remote sensing, and geographic information systems add to ongoing efforts to document, protect, and preserve Montana's cultural sites. Among the leaders in this work are members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Historic Preservation Department. Pend d'Oreille elder and cartographer Mike Durglo Sr., Kootenai language instructor and assistant project director Francis Auld, GIS specialist Donald Sam, and contracting program manager Dave Schwab will discuss how the tribes are using technology in place name studies, cultural site identification, and language studies in "From Tradition to Technology." Montana Preservation Alliance's Jim Jenks and Chere Jiusto will take us to the other side of the state with "Tongue River Voices: Recording People and Their Landscape." Their presentation will look at the multi-media techniques and multicultural perspectives they have drawn on to document the rich heritage of the Tongue River Valley, whose history is recorded in its rock art, buffalo jumps, fasting beds, tipi rings, and, more recently, in its battlefields, towns, and ranches. Finally, in "Applications of Technology in Historical Research," Tim Urbaniak, director of the MSU-Billings Archaeological Field Team will discuss the technologies the field team uses to document historic inscriptions on the northern plains. (3 credits)
11:45-1:30 Enjoy lunch on your own at one of Billings' downtown eateries. (See packets for restaurant information).
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Investigating a Plains Tipi: An Archaeological Investigation for 3-4 Grade Students
Tempest Room
Crystal Alegria is coordinator for Project Archaeology, a national heritage education program located at Montana State University. Alegria will lead educators through curricula designed to teach students about archaeology and Plains Indian culture. "Investigating a Plains Tipi" is part of Project Archaeology's larger curriculum, "Investigating Shelter." Participants will learn how their students can become archaeologists and investigate a real tipi ring site and construct meaningful questions, collect archaeological data, and analyze and interpret maps and artifacts and their relationships to each other to interpret the past. (3 credits)
Dollars and Sense: Economic and Cultural Impacts of Historic Preservation
1 South Broadway
This workshop, which will focus on the Montana Avenue Renaissance, will meet in one of the properties contributing to the area's resurgence: the restored Armour Cold Storage building. The workshop will include discussion of the nuts and bolts of rehabilitating buildings (e.g., tax credits, challenges of adapting historic structures for contemporary lifestyles, "green" building techniques) and more theoretical issues including preservation's broad economic and cultural impacts. Expect the conversation to range from the practical to
the philosophical as architect and developer Randy Hafer, homeWORD housing development manager Heather McMilin, Yellowstone County historic preservation officer Lora Mattox, and Billings council member Jim Ronquillo share their thoughts on Billings' transformed downtown and the applicability of the model for other communities. Following the presentations, participants will take a walking tour tosee some of the area's recently refurbished buildings. (18-person limit, 3 credits)
Montana Mosaic: 20th-Century People and Events
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
This half-day workshop will focus on the Montana Historical Society's NEH-funded project, Montana Mosaic: 20th-Century People and Events, geared for grades 7-12. Linda Wruck, Montana Historical Society Education Officer and Montana Mosaic Project Director, will describe the twelve short films (available on DVD) that the project has created for teachers interested in improving their students' understanding of twentieth-century Montana history. She will also introduce teachers to twelve additional histories on the DVD's companion website and the vast collection of primary sources available through the project. (3 credits)
Black Otter Walking Tour
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Vans will pick up hikers at the Sheraton Hotel and transport them to and from the trail. Join Billings historians Joan Brownell and Blaine Fandrich and archaeologist Steve Aaberg for a walking tour of the Billings rimrocks from the Billings Logan International Airport to Boot Hill cemetery and learn how it reflects the area's prehistory and history. The tour will cover approximately 1.5 miles along the historic Black Otter Trail and recently completed rimrock bicycle trail. Be prepared for a slightly strenuous outdoor walk. (18-person limit, 2 credits)
Meetings
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
MHS Board of Trustees Quarterly Meeting
Museums Association of Montana Board of Directors Meeting, Moss Mansion
State Historical Records Advisory Board Meeting
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Montana Certified Local Governments Meeting, Sundance Room
Progressive Museum Reception
6:45 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Satisfy your sweet tooth, visit with old friends, and make new ones while exploring some of Billings' prime cultural attractions: Yellowstone Art Museum, Moss Mansion, Yellowstone County Museum, and Museum of Women's History. Transportation on your own. Carpooling is encouraged.
Friday, September 29
7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Conference Registration, Third Floor Lobby
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Vendor Displays, Granite Ballroom
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Museums Association of Montana Silent Auction, Granite Ballroom
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Montana Preservation Alliance Breakfast
Wood Ballroom
Join us for breakfast while you see and hear what the Montana Preservation Alliance has been up to! You will have the opportunity to congratulate the 2006 Excellence Award recipients and view before and after pictures of Billings' outstanding downtown preservation projects. (3 credits)
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Time and Place: The Year that Was at MHS and the Magic of the "Magic City"
Wood Ballroom
Montana Historical Society's new director, Richard Sims, will present the annual "State of the Society" address, then Billings radio personality "Major" Dan Miller will welcome conference attendees to Billings with some thoughts on what distinguishes this Montana community.
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Nothing Plain about It: Clothing Styles of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne
Sundance Room
Crow historian Mardell Plain Feather will talk about Crow clothing styles while Vernon Sootkis, an award-winning beader from the Northern Cheyenne tribe, will focus on the art of Cheyenne beadwork in this session that looks at continuity and change in tribal traditions. (1 credit)
Showcasing Montana History Scholars
Avalanche Room
Students from Rocky Mountain College, Montana State University, and University of Montana will present cutting edge academic research on Montana history topics. The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Missoula, has underwritten this session and awards scholarships to all of the student presenters. (1 credit)
Getting the News to You
Tempest Room
Jay Kohn, anchor for Q2 TV news, will host a lively roundtable discussion on the history of Billings radio and television featuring Virginia Smith, copywriter for KBMY radio and television; radio and television veteran Bob McCann Zeeck, the first voice of Billings Mustang baseball; and Vic Miller, who began his career in broadcasting in 1953 as an announcer for KOOK radio before moving on to a distinguished career in Billings television. (1 credit)
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Luncheon
Wood Ballroom
Catch up with old friends and make new ones at the annual luncheon and hear University of Montana Journalism professor Dennis Swibold present "Browsing through the Morgue: A Sideways Look at the History of Montana Journalism," an account of the strange and funny newspaper lore he uncovered researching his new book, Copper Chorus: Mining, Politics, and the Montana Press, 1889-1959. (1 credit)
1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Looking for More Work: Ranch Women with a Vision
Tempest Room
This session will examine the careers of photographer Evelyn Cameron and painter Isabelle Johnson, two ranch women driven to document and interpret the world around them. Missoula photographer Kristi Hager will analyze Evelyn Cameron's photographs in terms of her working conditions, her relationship to her community, and her place in the history of photography. Donna Forbes and Gordon McConnell will look at Isabelle Johnson, who "steeped in the frontier heritage of Montana" became the first significant modernist painter in the state. (1 credit)
Showcasing Montana Tribal-College History Scholars
Avalanche Room
Students from Little Big Horn Community College, Salish Kootenai College, and Chief Dull Knife College will bring tribal-college research to the conference forum. The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Missoula, has underwritten this session and awards scholarships to all of the student presenters.(1 credit)
Coalbed Methane Development and Cultural Resource Preservation: A Round Table Discussion
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
Coalbed methane development in southeastern Montana is a resource issue that pits energy developers against preservationists and ranchers. Join Chere Jiusto, Montana Preservation Alliance; David Breisch, Bureau of Land Management, Miles City; Dale Old Horn, Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Officer; Bruce Williams, Montana Petroleum Association; and Ray Mugley, Northern Plains Resource Council for a roundtable discussion on this controversial topic. (1 credit)
3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Rabies in Our Backyard: The History of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Tempest Room
The continuing series of panels examining the history of medicine in Montana will focus this year on rabies, a disease communicated between animals and humans. Join Montana historian Pierce Mullen and pathologist-veterinarian Rob Myers to learn about the history of diagnosis and treatment of this deadly disease. Retired pathologist Volney Steele is the session's sponsor and moderator. (1 credit)
Canvassing the West: Cowboys as Chroniclers
Avalanche Room
A' Lisa Scott, the granddaughter of J. K. Ralston, and Alberta artist and curator Allan Jensen will explore the life and work of two colorful westerners who both rode the range and captured that passing way of life on canvas. Scott will share a very personal tale of her grandfather, painter J. K. Ralston. Jensen will present a slide lecture on Ernest Dufault, the "Montreal greenhorn" who became widely celebrated as a western artist and storyteller under his pseudonym Will James. (1 credit)
Roads to Roam: Tourism and Politics in the Yellowstone Valley
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
Once cars freed tourists from their earlier reliance on the railroads, the face of Montana changed forever. This session examines two case studies of how this transformation affected Montana. Historian Janene Caywood looks at the construction of the Beartooth Highway and its contribution to regional tourism. John and Alice Ridge focus on the Yellowstone Trail, the first transcontinental auto highway to cross the northern tier of states (1912-1930) with a focus on the impact the early highway had on eastern Montana. (1 credit)
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Cocktails and Conversation
Third Floor Lobby
Meet our speakers and other area authors for conversation and book signing and a last opportunity to bid on items in the Museums Association of Montana silent auction. No-host bar.
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Awards Banquet, with keynote speaker William L. Lang
Wood Ballroom
Join us in a celebration of Montana history with the presentation of the Society's annual trustee awards and Montana The Magazine of Western History's Vivian A. Paladin and Burlingame-Toole awards. After dinner, Portland State University history professor William L. Lang will provide the conference's keynote address. The coauthor of Montana: A History of Two Centuries and, most recently, Two Centuries of Lewis and Clark: Reflections on the Voyage of Discovery, will present "Rediscovering the Corps: Reflections on the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial." (1 credit)
Saturday, September 30
7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Conference Registration, Third Floor Lobby
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Vendor Displays, Granite Ballroom
7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Bradley Breakfast
Granite Ballroom
Dr. David R. Miller, associate professor of Indigenous Studies, First Nations University of Canada, will present "Little Bear's Determination to Find a Home, 1885-1916."(1 credit)
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Plenary Session: Jerks in Montana History
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
Join us for this irreverent and enduring favorite. Presenters will nominate three new candidates for the "Montana Hall of Shame," with Montana historian and "axman" extraordinaire Dave Walter awarding the "golden hatchet" to the worst of a bad bunch. (1 credit)
10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Developing Views: "Our Place" Pictured
Tempest Room
Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives Manager Lory Morrow and Photograph Archivist Becca Kohl will present a pictorial overview of the Yellowstone River Valley in times past. They will feature images from the Montana Historical Society's extensive photograph collection to illustrate the historic themes that shaped the region and discuss the major photographers who played an essential role in documenting its development. (1 credit)
Countless Generations: Crow Ethnobotany and Astronomy
Skybridge Room (Second Floor)
Drawing on the knowledge passed down through generations of Crow Indian women, well-known ethnobotanist, healer, and author Alma Hogan Snell will discuss the traditional Crow philosophy of healing and offer practical advice for finding and harvesting plants. Little Big Horn College professor Timothy McCleary will provide a look at Crow astronomy and discuss ways the Apsalooke, or Crow, Indians have blended scientific observation with religious symbolism to develop astronomical traditions that are a cornerstone of their culture. (1 credit)
Stones, Bones, and Agencies: An Illustrated History of the Yellowstone Valley
Avalanche Room
Archaeologist Steve Aaberg will present his recent research on the second Crow Agency on Butcher Creek south of Absarokee, where a historical archaeological project has uncovered artifacts that paint a comprehensive picture of the operation of the agency in the 1870s and the people who lived, traded, and visited there. Ann Johnson, the Yellowstone National Park archaeologist, will talk about the Billings Bison Trap located at MetraPark in Billings. (1 credit)
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Luncheon
Wood Ballroom
Say farewell to old and new friends and discover two more perspectives on historic Billings when Kevin Kooistra-Manning, of the Western Heritage Center, presents "Life by Comparison: The Story of Frederick and Parmly Billings." (1 credit)
Tours
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tours depart from the Sheraton Hotel Main Lobby promptly at 1:00 p.m. Look for a sign designating the gathering place for your specific tour. The transportation will bring you back to the Main Lobby.
Yellowstone Valley Agriculture and the Huntley Project
Focusing on historic and contemporary agriculture in the Yellowstone River Valley, this bus tour will travel to the Huntley Project, the first federal irrigation project in the nation, for a tour of the Museum of Irrigated Agriculture and the Huntley Diversion Dam. Also included will be a stop at the MSU Ag Research Center to learn about current agricultural research conducted on plant pests and new plant varieties. (35-person limit, 4 credits)
Chief Plenty Coups State Park and Medicine Springs
Tyler Medicine Horse, raised on the Crow Indian Reservation and member of the Big Lodge Clan, and Crow oral historian and longtime Chief Plenty Coups Park volunteer interpreter Howard Boggess will serve as tour guides for this trip to Chief Plenty Coups State Park and the nearby Medicine Springs. (35-person limit, 4 credits)
Pompey's Pillar National Historic Landmark (1805) and Fort Remon (1807-1811)
Hike to the top of the Pillar and on the way see the site where William Clark marked his name near the engravings of the native people. Explore the Yellowstone River bottom and visit the new Interpretive Center with historical interpreter Cindy Eide, before traveling to before traveling to where Ft Remon once stood, the site of Clark's long-lost fur trading venture (opened for this tour by the site's owners exclusively for this conference). (35-person limit, 4 credits)
