NEWS
|
|
Contact: Bruce Conley
Associate Director of College Relations
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
www.augie.edu
March 22, 2007
Railroading Focus of 39th Annual Dakota Conference
SIOUX FALLS – Railroading the Plains is the theme for the 39th annual Dakota Conference April 20-21 at Augustana College.
The Dakota Conference is the oldest and largest annual humanities conference in South Dakota. It was originated at Dakota State University in 1969, and has been hosted by the Center for Western Studies (CWS) at Augustana since 1990. Dr. Harry Thompson, director of research collections and publications at CWS, has served as director of the conference since 1995.
The 2007 Dakota Conference will examine the history of and contemporary issues related to railroads on the plains, paying particular attention to the connection between railroads and indigenous people. Dakota Stories, Writing the Plains, Railroading the Plains, West River Dakota, Norwegian-Americans on the Plains, Voices from the Plains, Plains Indians, Plains Writers, and East River Dakota are among the topics presented. Presenters come from 12 states and Norway.
Featured speakers for the two-day conference are Don Hofsommer, railroad historian and professor at Saint Cloud State University, and Charmaine White Face, founder of the Defenders of the Black Hills.
Robert Steensma, who graduated from Augustana in 1952, has been selected to receive the Distinguished Contribution Award. Steensma has traveled from Salt Lake City to present papers at the Dakota Conference at least 13 times. He is being honored for the dedication he has shown to preserving the cultural heritage of the Northern Plains region by delivering papers on such topics as adventurer Henry Brackenridge, botanist John Bradbury, the Battle of Slim Buttes, Dakota Territorial Secretary Edwin McCook, writer Bernard DeVoto, Corp. Seth Kelly and Capt. Thomas P. Killen of the Ninth Kansas Calvary, the two USS South Dakotas, and Wallace Stegner’s environmental writings, the subject of his awards banquet address at the 2004 conference.
The Northern Plains Autograph Party Breakfast is scheduled from 7:15 to 8:45 a.m. Saturday, April 21, in the CWS Fantle Building. This event is free and open to the public. For additional information and Dakota Conference registration fees, call (605) 274-4007, e-mail cws@augie.edu, or visit the Center online.