YGM series ‘People & Place’ sets new virtual dates
Yellowstone Gateway Museum has announced its “People & Place” virtual speaker series will begin April 7th and continue Wednesday evenings through the month.
“We postponed our popular in-person programs last spring so we are excited to offer virtual programs this year, hoping to expand our reach far beyond the borders of Big Sky Country,” said Museum curator Karen Reinhart. “Each program highlights the stories of Montanans but we suspect there are a lot of people who would enjoy these programs no matter where they live.”
Award-winning author and storyteller Chris LaTray presents the series’ inaugural program on at 7pm on April 7th, with “The Day That Finally Came,” a program about the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe. He relays stories to help program attendees understand who the Little Shell people are and their part in the history of North America. Montana’s Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians recently became the 574th Indian tribe to be recognized by the United States government, after nearly 150 years of trying. La Tray is Chippewa-Cree Métis, an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and grew up in Missoula.
Author, YGM Curator, and native Montanan Karen Reinhart presents “Montana Women: Making Do and Making a Difference” on April 14th at 7pm, following the Friends of the YGM Annual Meeting. She includes stories of extraordinary Montana women: wives and mothers who served in traditional and non-traditional roles, as well as trailblazers. Images are from the museum’s collections. Participants can join the meeting at 6:30pm or at the start of the program.
Author and historian Kelly Hartman presents “A Brief History of Cooke City” on April 21st at 7pm. Hartman recounts stories from her book of the same title, exploring the stories of this mountain berg’s full-time residents. For more than sixty years, Cooke City residents waited for rail until a new economy took hold – tourism. Hartman grew up in Silver Gate and was director of the Cooke City Montana Museum before her current work as curator at the Gallatin History Museum.
Paul Shea presents “Livingston & Park County: The Early Years” on April 28th at 7pm. He explores the success story of Livingston, and the county as a whole, which rose from a sleepy agricultural area that was once part of Gallatin County to a bustling railroad center and gateway to the world’s first national park. Shea uses historic photos from the Gateway Museum’s collection in his program. He retired last spring as the museum’s director.
Visit www.yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org to register for the series and watch for announcements on the museum’s social media pages. •