Museum News

The summer lecture program will again be available for summer viewing in June. Last year's evaluation revealed people thought the season should be extended, so this year the program will continue until the Great Northern Fair. As usual, the programs will be held on Wednesdays in the museum lobby and will start at 7 p.m. We suggest you clip this schedule and fasten it to the refrigerator as a checklist of "What to do on Wednesday."

June 5 John Brumley will open the season with a report on research done at Wahkpa Chu'gn since its birth and guidance under the auspices of the Milk River Archaeological Society. This buffalo jump is probably the most studied site on the plains. Brumley will share with you his wealth of information accumulated in 40 years.

June 12 Jim Magera was voted most popular speaker last year. He will enrich our knowledge of Lewis and Clark as they traveled this area of Montana. His research is extensive and his humor droll.

June 22 Wahkpa Chu'gn Bison Kill celebration. John and Anna Brumley have completed extensive improvements and want to share this with you in a program from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be continuous demonstrations of arrowhead chipping, stone boiling, Native American dancing, and atlatl demonstrations followed by competition. In center stage there will be a buffalo hide tipi where Michael Tory, Seminole, will regale you with authentic Indian lore and answer questions. Also, buffalo hamburger and hot dogs will be available for home cooking.

This writer has often thought stone boiling led to the discovery of soup and stew cookery. The Besant culture people came first, probably in family groups with old folks and small children. The old ones probably harvested the cattail to provide kapok-like filling for the cradleboards and dug and pounded the roots for flour, while the children gathered berries from hillsides and spread them on hides to dry. The earthen pots could have been filled with rich, nutritious buffalo broth to which they added wild onion and turnip as soup and with the addition of cattail flour along with buffalo meat and vegetables stew. Then they tried berries instead of vegetables and created the traditional berry soup.

June 26 Arnold Hokanson of Big Sandy will entertain the audience with his historic memories of the Bear Paws, Warrick, Cow Island and the Stage Shack. His talents are boundless.

July 10 (tentative) Gene Etchard of Glasgow will give the history of the Civilian Pilot Training Program prior to World War II. This training was the brainchild of Gen. Hap Arnold, who could foresee war in the offing and was concerned there were no backup, trained pilots to assist the military and commercial air traffic.

July 17 Kathleen Donaldson will talk about the homestead art of spinning and there will be a display of various kinds of spinning wheels that differ according to fiber.

July 24 This is the wrap-up of the summer series. Students of Jim Magera's special local history class will share their specific interests, with Magera as moderator.

Aug. 6-10 Great Northern Fair

Sept. 16-Oct. 31 The Montana Historical Society will provide a daily exhibit of the restoration of Montana's capitol building in the Museum Art Gallery.