Humanities Montana announces new Tribal Partnerships Initiative

Press release

Humanities Montana recently awarded its first Tribal Partnership agreement and is looking for new projects to partner on in 2018.

The goal of the Tribal Partnerships Initiative is to support humanities projects on the Blackfeet, Flathead, Rocky Boy, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne and Crow Indian reservations, as well as among the Little Shell nation, with up to $5,000 in funding per year. These will be informal relationships rather than conventional grant-driven processes.

In fall 2017 Humanities Montana awarded $5,000 to the Aasaisstto Language Society, Browning, for the first Tribal Partnership Initiative. Support will fund a variety of projects that create innovative ways to revitalize the Piikani language. Aasaisstto Language Society has developed and implemented a language learning pedagogical approach through in-person teaching, interactive online tutorials and story-telling.

At this time, the foundation is asking potential partners to share their aspirations and stories by phone, email, or in person. The foundation is in listening, learning and gathering mode. It will form up to three partnerships each year, beginning Jan. 1.

Anyone who would like to visit with Humanities Montana about a project can contact Ken Egan, Kim Anderson or Brooke Beighle, or call its office at 243-6022.

Humanities Montana is the state’s independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since 1972, Humanities Montana has provided services and grants to hundreds of Montana organizations in support of public programs in history, literature, civil conversations and public issues. Among its programs are its grants, Montana Conversations, Speakers in the Schools, Hometown Humanities, Montana Center for the Book, Letters About Literature, and the Governor’s Humanities Awards.