University Communications and Marketing

Montana Center for Inclusive Education at MSU Billings receives national grant

MCIE awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant for educator seminars

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — The Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) at Montana State University Billings received a $170,000 grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Today the NEH announced $43.1 million in awards for 218 humanities projects across the country. The division of Education Programs Landmarks of American History and Culture: Workshops for School Teachers is funding the MCIE project at MSU Billings, titled “The Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Great Sioux War,” during the summer of 2019.

“From nationally broadcast documentaries to summer workshops for high school teachers, the projects receiving funding today strengthen and sustain the cultural life of our nation and its citizens,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede.

The MCIE project, in collaboration with the MSUB History Department, Little Bighorn College, Little Bighorn Battlefield, and Chief Plenty Coups State Park will host a workshop focused on four Montana landmarks of cultural and historical significance. The landmarks are the site of Sitting Bull’s vision prior to the Battle of Little Bighorn, Rosebud Battlefield State Park, the Little Bighorn National Monument, and Chief Plenty Coups State Park. Interpretations of the sites and historical events will come from multiple viewpoints, including the United States military, Native American allies, Cheyenne and Lakota combatants, and the Euro-American public.

Participants will begin the workshop at the site of Sitting Bull’s vision and will hear oral traditions about the events from scholars, many of whom are tribal members. Next, the attendees will travel to the Rosebud Battlefield State Park and National Historic Landmark. From there, workshop participants will travel to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and will examine primary sources that reflect Euro-American public views of the battle. The workshop will conclude with a visit to the Chief Plenty Coups State Park and National Historic Landmark to see how Chief Plenty Coups ensured the survival of his people through an alliance with the U.S. army.

Academic research and popular media from a myriad of perspectives through film, books, poetry, historical newspapers, photos, paintings, maps, and music will bring additional depth to the topic for participants. Both primary and secondary sources will be examined. Participants will also be given a bibliography of essential works and internet site links, including maps and other instructional resources. 

Teachers participating in the workshop will have an opportunity to develop and expand their knowledge and understandings of these historic events. They will integrate the content presented by the scholars into a curriculum with practical strategies they can use in their own classrooms. The appropriate audience for this project includes social studies, language arts, visual arts, performing arts, computer science and world language teachers.

MCIE’s round of funding, NEH’s third and last for fiscal year 2018, will support vital research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. These peer-reviewed grants were awarded in addition to $47 million in annual operating support provided to the national network of state and local humanities councils during fiscal year 2018.

Forty-five institutions received grants to support professional development for K-12 and college teachers through summer workshops and institutes on humanities topics such as MCIE’s project The Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Great Sioux War (1876); American women’s experience of the Revolutionary War and Civil War; and the history of the transcontinental railroad.

This is the first NEH grant that MCIE at MSU Billings has been awarded. “This is an excellent accomplishment for the MCIE team and for MSU Billings,” says Dr. Robert Hoar, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “This will be a great opportunity for educators to connect with MSUB on a collaborative project involving MCIE, our History Department, and Little Bighorn College, Little Bighorn Battlefield, and Chief Plenty Coups State Park.”

For additional information, contact Dr. Thomas Manthey, director of MCIE, at 406-657-2085 or tom.manthey@msubillings.edu.