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History Conference

2024 History Conference Postcard

The 2024 History Conference of the South Dakota State Historical Society will be held Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Pierre. The theme, organized by the State Archives, is "Embracing the New Millennium: 25 Years Since Y2K."

Twenty-five years ago, the world feared that Y2K would disrupt our newly computer-dependent society. Since then, technology has reached greater heights, and the ways we tell South Dakota's history have changed dramatically. The 2024 History Conference will highlight the innovative ways our history is being discovered, studied, and utilized.

Schedule

See the conference brochure (PDF) for more information on each session.

Friday, April 5th
8:00 - 8:15 am     Opening Remarks, Dr. Ben Jones, Director of the State Historical Society
8:15 - 8:20 am     Conference Logistics, Chelle Somsen, State Archivist
8:30 - 9:30 am     Session 1: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition: 50 Photo Sites, 150 Years, Paul Horsted, Photographer
9:30 - 10:00 am     Vendor Break
10:00 - 10:50 am     Session 2: League of Women Voters in the New Millennium, Amy Scott-Stoltz and Nancy Hallenbeck
11:00 - 11:50 am     Session 3: South Dakota Archivists Panel - Michele Christian (South Dakota State University Archives), Laurie Langland (Dakota Wesleyan University Archives), and Mike Runge (City of Deadwood Archives)
12:00 - 1:00 pm     Lunch - featuring an update on the Cultural Heritage Center renovation project
1:00 - 2:30 pm     Session 4: Wet Plate Collodion Photography in the Modern World, Shane Balkowitsch, Photographer
2:30 - 3:00 pm     Vendor Break
3:00 - 3:50 pm     Session 5: Minuteman Missiles in South Dakota: From Mega-Deterrent to Museum, Timothy Pavek, retired engineer, Ellsworth Air Force Base
4:00 - 5:00 pm     Session 6: Embracing the New Millennium: 25 Years Since Y2K, Pat Snow, CTO, State of South Dakota
5:00 - 7:00 pm     Conference Reception hosted by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation
7:30 - 9:00 pm     After Hours: 90s Trivia

Saturday, April 6th
8:30 - 9:45 am     Session 7: 25 Years of the State Historical Society: A Panel - Dedra McDonald Birzer (SD Historical Society Press), Jenna Carlson Dietmeier (Historic Preservation), Dr. David Grabitske (Museum), Chelle Somsen (Archives), Cassie Vogt (Archaeology)
9:45 - 10:15 am     Vendor Break
10:15 - 11:30 am     Session 8: Section 106 Mitigation Activities: Preserving Memory While Moving Forward at the Oyate Health Center, Alex Hokkanen, J. Scott Winchester, and Benjamin L. Ross
11:30 - 1:30 pm     Awards Luncheon with keynote address by Jason Steinhauer
 

Speakers

Shane Balkowitsch has been a practitioner of Frederick Scott Archer's 1851 Wet Plate Photography process for over a decade. Shane's life's work is titled "Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective." Using the wet plate process, this project is a journey to capture 1000 present day Native Americans on glass plates at his Bismarck, North Dakota, natural light studio. Among the 68 international collections that have archived his work are the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the University of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum, the Royal Photographic Society of the United Kingdom, and the South Dakota State Archives. Shane does not own, nor has ever used, a digital camera.

Michele Christian is the Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at the Hilton M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University. Between 2000 and 2013, she was the Collections Archivist and University Records Analyst for the Special Collections Department of the Iowa State University Library, and the Labor Archivist at the State Historical Society of Iowa from 1999 to 2000. Christian has written on various topics including managing artifacts in archives, applying social media for outreach, and using oral histories in collection development. She received her MA in history and MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her BA in history from the University of Northern Iowa.

Nancy Hallenbeck as a bachelor's and master's degree from Augustana University and a graduate degree from Western Michigan University. She got her first teaching job in suburban Detroit, Michigan, where she met her husband, Mark. She retired from teaching after 41 years mostly working with students with special needs. Nancy also earned National Board Certification in 2005 as a Middle Childhood Generalist. Along with her duties as the Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of South Dakota, she is the Co-District Lay Leader of the Southeast District of the Dakotas United Methodist Church. She plays in two bell choirs, belongs to P.E.O. Chapter CQ, and takes part in two Bible Studies.

Alex Hokkanen, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is Project Coordinator at Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering, Part of Bodwé Professional Services Group. Alex is deeply passionate about sustainable health environments, ecologically sound community planning and culturally appropriate design. He supports the Seven Generations A+E team in all aspects of the architectural practice, including proposal writing, architectural design and production with a special focus on design research in the areas of indigenous planning and culturally reflective design. Alex earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Minnesota.

Paul Horsted has photographed people and places across the Dakotas for more than 40 years. Early on, he was a staff photographer at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, and later Chief Photographer at the South Dakota Department of Tourism. For the past 30 years, Paul has worked as an independent photographer with numerous national publication credits. His passion is "re-photography" of early historic photo sites across the region (and recently across the United States in 24 National Parks). Results are published in several books and featured in his live presentations.

Laurie Langland is the University Archivist, Associate Professor, and Archivist for the Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. She received her Master of Arts in Information and Library Science from the University of Arizona in 1997.

Timothy J. Pavek is a retired engineer and Environmental Restoration Program Manager from Ellsworth Air Force Base. Tim graduated from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and in 1984 began working at Ellsworth AFB, 812th Civil Engineering Squadron, as a Missile Facilities Engineer responsible for 150 Launch Facilities and 15 Launch Control Facilities for the Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) of the 44th Missile Wing. When missile deactivation began in 1990, he became the Minuteman II Deactivation Program Manager and in 1994 he assumed responsibility for the missile sites' preservation. He retired in 2019 after 34.5 years of service to the Air Force. Mr. Pavek has been involved with the preservation and interpretation of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site for over 30 years and continues to volunteer on a limited basis.

Benjamin L. Ross has been entrusted wtih analyzing, interpreting, and planning for the future of some of the most important historic sites in the United States, including the homes of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Ben received bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture - with a focus on historic preservation and sustainable design - from Ball State University. He has been a historic preservation specialist and architectural historian with RATIO Architects in Indianapolis for the past 15 years.

Mike Runge has been the Archivist/Collection Manager for Deadwood Historic Preservation Office since 2002. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in History, with Anthropology and Museum Studies Minors, from the University of Wisconsin in 1997. He is also a volunteer firefighter with the Deadwood Volunteer Fire Department.

Amy Scott-Stoltz is the current president of the League of Women Voters of South Dakota. She holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Augustana University and MBA in Finance from the University of Sioux Falls and has taught as an adjunct professor for SDSU. She is currently a Financial Advisor for Raymond James Financial Services. She has previously served as president of the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation, the Children's Care Hospital and School Auxiliary, and the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation Board. In addition, Amy received the Woman of Achievement award from the Sioux Falls Business and Professional Women's group.

Pat Snow has been the CTO for the State of South Dakota since 2015 and served as Commissioner/CIO for the State from March 2018 to October 2019. He began his career with State government in 1996, helping South Dakota lead the nation in consolidated Information Technology infrastructure. More recently Pat has led efforts to construct and enhance cyber-security capabilities, bring high-speed broadband to State, K12 and higher education customers, leverage public/private cloud services, and evangelize data analytics as a decision support platform. He is a past president of the National Association of State Technology Directors, is a member of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and is the Information Systems Technology Advisory Board Member at Mitchell Technical Institute.

Jason Steinhauer is a bestselling author, public historian, podcast host, founder of the History Communication Institute, creator of History Club, Global Fellow at The Wilson Center, and Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is an adjunct professor at the Maxwell School for Citizenship & Public Affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., teaching a course on bringing history into policymaking. Jason's bestselling book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media & the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past, examines how social media shapes what we know about the past. In 2014, he coined the term "History Communicators" and has worked with colleagues worldwide to found the new field of History Communication. He is passionate about creating an educated, informed and historically and media literate citizenry.

J. Scott Winchester, AIA, NCARB, is Tribal Liaison at Bodwé Professional Services. Scott is responsible for promoting tribal client relations, planning, business development, and project management, which positions him as a leader in comprehensive community engagement. As a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, he has over 43 years of architectural experience and specializes in designing facilities using his unique perspective on the value of cultural reflection within spaces that focus on sustainability. Scott earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and is a registered architect.
 

Register Now!

Conference registration is open! Register Online or download and return the Conference Registration Form (PDF) to attend.

Vendors

Interested in becoming a vendor for the conference? Submit your Vendor Registration Form (PDF) and high-resolution logo by Friday, February 9th!

Author and Speaker Cindy Wilson

Fassbender Photographic Collection

South Dakota Historical Society Foundation

South Dakota Trail of Governors

South Dakota State Library - Accessible Library Services

South Dakota Historical Society Press

South Dakota State Historical Records Advisory Board

 

Sponsors

Thank you to the sponsors who help make this conference possible! If you are interested in becoming a conference sponsor, please contact Catherine Forsch (605-773-6003 or catherine.forsch@state.sd.us).

South Dakota Humanities Council logoThis program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Deadwood Historic Preservation logo

McGough Construction logo

ISG, Inc.

Ann McKay Thompson

Verna Kay Bormann

Fischer, Rounds and Associates

Lauer Capital Management LTD

The Game Room

History Awards

The South Dakota State Historical Society announced its annual Governor's Awards for History on April 22, 2023.

Recipients included:
Individual -- Rick Mills of Hermosa & the late Brian Gevik of Volin
History Teacher of the Year -- Maxwell Schaffer of Mount Vernon High School and Bob Wilbur of Roosevelt High School
Schell Award -- David A. Wolff of Spearfish
Robinson Memorial Award -- David A. Wolff of Spearfish

Award Descriptions

Robinson Memorial Award
A. Description: The highest and most prestigious award given for history in South Dakota, this award is named for Doane Robinson and his son Will G. Robinson, who began collecting the priceless artifacts and relics which led to the development of the Robinson Museum (Cultural Heritage Museum) as it is known today. The award is given only periodically to the most deserving individuals.
B. Qualifications: The qualification for this award is a lifetime of dedicated and distinguished service to the preservation of the history of South Dakota.
C. Procedure: Persons may be nominated by either the Board of Trustees or the Historical Society staff. Nominations are introduced during the regular State Historical Society Board meetings, and are recorded on the Robinson Memorial Award nomination form.
D. Selection: Nominees are evaluated and recommended by the Awards committee, whereupon a final candidate is chosen by the Board of Trustees.
E. Award Description: A unique, personalized award will be given to each recipient. In addition, the person's name will be listed on the Governor's Awards for History display in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

Herbert S. Schell Award
A. Description: Formerly the Robinson Award, this award was first awarded in 1974 and renamed in 1989 to honor Dr. Herbert S. Schell, the first person to receive the Will G. Robinson Award. Dr. Schell is the leading published authority on South Dakota history. The award was created to honor the author of the most outstanding article published in South Dakota History in each volume.
B. Qualifications: The recipient must have had an article published in the given volume of South Dakota History
C. Procedure: All published articles in South Dakota History are considered for this award both before publication by outside readers and afterward by the Publications Awards Committee.
D. Selection: The five member Publications Awards Committee judges the year's major articles according to the following criteria: (1) The depth of scholarly research; (2) the readability of the article; and (3) the contributions the article makes to the historical knowledge of South Dakota and the surrounding region. The Schell Award winner is then submitted to the Western History Association to compete for the prestigious Billington Award.
E. Award Description: The winner of the Schell Award will receive a personalized award and a $250 cash award. In addition, the winner will also have his/her name listed on the Governor's Awards for History display in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

Individual Award: Both Professional and Non-Professional
A. Description: Introduced in 1989, this annual award was created to honor an individual whose efforts demonstrate outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the sharing and preservation of South Dakota history. These efforts can be in such forms as written, audiovisual, oral works, etc., and in such fields as archaeology, museology, fund-raising, etc.
B. Qualifications: To receive this award, the recipient must be shown to have been a supportive and dedicated advocate for South Dakota history.
C. Procedure: Nominations may be made by anyone on the Individual Award for History nomination form.
D. Selection: The nominees will be screened and one candidate recommended to the State Historical Society Board of Trustees by the Awards Committee (made up of three Board of Trustee members appointed by the Board President). The Society Board of Trustees will make the final approval.
E. Award Description: The Individual Award recipient will receive a personalized award and will also have his/her name listed on the Governor's Awards for History display in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

Organizational Award: Both Professional and Non-Professional
A. Description: Begun in 1989, this award is given annually to one organization whose efforts demonstrate outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the sharing and preservation of South Dakota history.
B. Qualifications: The organization must be shown to have been a staunch supporter of South Dakota history, and it must show exemplary service to this cause.
C. Procedure: Nominations may be made by anyone on the Organizational Award for History nomination form.
D. Selection: The nominees will be screened and one candidate recommended to the State Historical Society Board of Trustees by the Awards Committee (made up of three Board of Trustee members appointed by the Board President). The Society Board of Trustees will make the final approval.
E. Award Description: The Organizational Award winner will receive a personalized award and will also have their name listed on the Governor's Awards for History display in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

History Teacher of the Year Award
A. Description: Established in 1989, the History Teacher of the Year Award was created to recognize and honor those persons exhibiting excellence in teaching history to elementary through high school students.
B. Qualifications: The nominees may be either elementary teachers or secondary teachers of history or social studies in public or private schools. They must be teaching at least half-time during a school year and have a minimum of three years teaching experience in their field or the history field.
C. Procedure: Teachers may be nominated by students, parents of students, colleagues, administrators, or any person who is familiar with the teacher's work. After all nominations have been received, the nominees are sent an application packet which is filled out and returned for the judging committee to review.
D. Selection: The Awards Committee sets up a separate judging committee each year consisting of four individuals knowledgeable in the field of education to review the nominees. Qualifying nominees are then recommended to the Awards Committee, which reviews the nominees and recommends one to the Board of Trustees. If approved by the Board, this nominee is named the award recipient.
E. Award Description: The recipient of this award will be presented with a personalized award and will have his/her name listed on the Governor's Awards for History display in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

Forms may be obtained from:
State Historical Society
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, South Dakota
57501-2217

or download a PDF copy below

Individual Nomination form
Organization Nomination form
Teacher Application Form
Teacher Nomination Form

Nomination forms are due to the State Historical Society by February 23rd, 2024. Award winners will be chosen before the State Historical Society annual meeting in the spring and will be invited to attend the meeting to receive their awards.

 


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