"Civil War 150" at DSU ~ Outgoing Tax Commissioner Cory Fong

By SKIP WOOD

Main Street for January 3

8:55

53:00

A national exhibit on the Civil War is now showing at Dickinson State. “Civil War 150” features letters, personal accounts and images from the Gilder Lehrman Collection, tracing the major events of the war through the eyes of those who experienced it. Joining us are Rita Ennen, director of the Stoxen Library; and Jim McWilliams, DSU professor of English. ~~~ A New Year’s essay from Beth Diane Bradley. ~~~ In lieu of his usual discussion of recent headlines, news director Dave Thompson visits with outgoing tax commissioner Cory Fong, who reflects on the changes he’s seen during his time in office. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Wolf of Wall Street” and “Anchorman 2.”

http://news.prairiepublic.org/post/civil-war-150-dsu-outgoing-tax-commissioner-cory-fong

Committee trims bill to survey Killdeer Mountain battlefield site

Committee trims bill to survey Killdeer Mountain battlefield site

20 hours ago  •  By BRIAN GEHRING | Bismarck Tribune

A bill that would have appropriated $250,000 to survey the Killdeer Mountains battlefield area has been scaled back considerably.

Monday, the Senate Government and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 6-1 to approve the bill, but cut the funding to $4,999.

The bill, Senate Bill 2341, had its first hearing on Friday before the committee and had broad support from the archaeological community and some area landowners.

They want the area studied before more oil exploration is done in the area which is considered by some to be the most significant battle site between U.S. forces and American Indians in terms of people involved and land area.

The bill drew opposition from one landowner, Bryan Dvirnak, whose family has owned part of the battlefield since 1928. He said no one had contacted his family regarding the survey.

Another amendment to the bill stipulates the State Historical Society of North Dakota must have written permission from landowners, defining the scope and conditions of the survey and access to the land.

Artifacts discovered and preservation of the site would be up to the landowner under the amendment.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/committee-trims-bill-to-survey-killdeer-mountain-battlefield-site/article_481f7a88-7564-11e2-bc97-0019bb2963f4.html

How Best To Preserve The Story Of The Killdeer Mountain Conflict

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

How Best To Preserve The Story Of The Killdeer Mountain Conflict

An image of a soldier engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a warrior. The image is engraved upon the elevator doors on the ground floor and main floor. 

Bismarck, N.D. – The polished hall outside the Missouri Room of the Bismarck State Capital building gradually filled with archaeologists, historians, tribal representatives and land owners from around Killdeer Mountain, all from different disciplines and walks of life, all concerned citizens of a proud state.

The study area of the Killdeer Mountain Conflict within the purple boundary.

The citizenry gathered in little groups here and there to introduce themselves and exchange greetings. It seemed like a fellowship of near universal concerns that brought everyone together, and life is like that. Sometimes it takes one thing to bring people together who might not have met in another situation.

An alarming amount of existing wells and proposed wells within the Killdeer Mountain Conflict area.

The hearing was scheduled at 2:00 PM CST and the fellowship exchanged the hall of polished stone and brass for the quiet cell of the Missouri River Room. A coterie of archaeologists clustered together in one corner, the tribal representatives quietly moved themselves to a corner close to the front, and historians scattered amongst the throng. Chit chat grew to a loud buzz, and though the Government and Veteran Affairs Committee was delayed an hour the motley collection of citizens didn't seem to grow impatient.

This is North Dakota, and sometimes things happen when they’re scheduled to, and other times things happen when they should. Farmers might call it natural time, Indians would agree.

Senator Triplett explains that next year marks the 150th anniversary of the Killdeer Mountain Conflict. "Its an opportunity for the state to reflect on the tragedy that shaped our statehood and include the story that has been under represented these long years," said Triplett, or something like that - my pen could not move fast enough.

The good people who made up the committee apologized for their unexpected delay and things quickly got started when Chairman Dever (Dist. 32, Bismarck) brought the gavel down with great ceremony and authority.  The hearing was to hear Senate Bill 2341, a proposal by senators on either end of the political spectrum, introduced by Sen. Wardner (Dist. 37, Dickinson) but the voice of the bill was provided by Senator Triplett (Dist. 18, Grand Forks).

Senate Bill 2341 proposed to appropriate $250,000 to do an archaeological and historical survey of the Killdeer Mountain conflict study area. A packed room of about forty-five people, including the good senators, heard testimony from several individuals representing various entities, and a few who spoke as private citizens.

Paaverud maintained an impeccable composure of respect for the committee as he endorsed the Heritage Center's support of the bill.

Mr. Merlan Paaverud and Ms. Fern Swenson represented the interests of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and voiced the SHSND’s endorsement of this bill. Ms. Swenson offered that the Killdeer Mountain study area consists of 17,433 acres or about 23 square miles, a core area of about 5,421 acres and only about 569 acres has been surveyed. Swenson also shared that the site has had a continual cultural occupation for the past 3,000 years.

Dr. Isern addresses the committee. He said his piece in about five minutes or less and gave some handouts with points explaining the nature of heritage preservation. 

Dr. Tom Isern, Director of the Institute for RegionalStudies, rendered a concise and wonderful explanation of the intrinsic value of Killdeer Mountain as a heritage site and acknowledged the attraction of the site to hikers and lovers of history and nature who would be drawn to this site, as many like-minded visitors have in the past. Dr. Isern expressed his institute’s support of the bill.

An immaculately groomed Aaron Barth (looking at the camera) visited with Mr. Jepson of Killdeer.

A few concerned citizens took to offering their support of this bill. Mr. Aaron Barth, founding writer of The Edge Of The Village, shared the need to survey and catalogue the Killdeer Mountain as a start to preserve the story of the site, if the natural integrity of the site is to be developed. “There’s a story to tell, and we must do all we can to share it,” as he compared the need to tell the stories of all combatants, like the American Civil War.

Without waver or hesitation, Young shared a resolution regarding sacred places from the National Congress of American Indians.

Ms. Waště'Wiŋ Young, Standing Rock Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, took the stand and pointedly stated that “the Indian voice has yet to be heard.” Young boldly shared with the committee a resolution adopted by the National Congress of American Indians in October of 2012 regarding the protection and preservation of sacred places. She read the whole thing, expressed her office’s support of Senate Bill 2341, and quietly departed.

Bravebull-Allard representing Standing Rock Tourism supports this bill.

Ms. LaDonna Bravebull-Allard, Director of Standing RockTourism, shared her lineage going back to survivors who were at Killdeer Mountain when General Sully forced his command on the Yanktonai Dakota, Hunkpapa Lakota and Santee Dakota. Bravebull-Allard spoke about how Killdeer Mountainwas a sacred site, not just to the Dakota and Lakota people, but the Mandan, Hidatsa, Chippewa and Assiniboine. With practiced confidence of a story-teller she shared that the site was where Sun Dreamer ascended Killdeer Mountain in 1625. Bravebull-Allard’s office supports this bill.

St. John spoke with dignified authority, less than two minutes, and left many of the committee nodding their heads in approval of her gracious support.

Ms. Tamara St. John, Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, eloquently and briefly echoed Young’s and Bravebull-Allard’s sentiments of protecting a special site like KilldeerMountain and her office’s support of the bill.

Sand called for the state to move carefully and deliberately to preserve North Dakota's heritage sites.

Mr. Rob Sand, a representative of the Killdeer MountainAlliance, a tall gentleman with the gait of a lifelong rancher took to the podium briefly and passionately encouraged oil development to wait. Sand offered the support of the Killdeer Mountain Alliance in favor of the bill.

Rothaus, self-described hard-boiled skeptic, put the bill on a scale but explained the overwhelming need to preserve as much of the story of Killdeer as possible and endorsed the bill.

Dr. Richard Rothaus, founder and director of TrefoilCultural and Natural, drove like a mad man from his office in Sauk Rapids, MN to render cold and succinct explanation of the Killdeer Mountain conflict’s standing in US military history as one of the largest, if not the single largest, Indian-White conflict in the west and why North Dakota needs to preserve as much of the conflict site and stories as possible. A former university professor, Rothaus came across brutally blunt but also exceptionally honest. He also endorsed his support of the bill.

Dvirnak proudly wore a Fighting Sioux windbreaker to the hearing. He forgot to bring one for me.

Lastly, Mr. Bryan Dvirnak, a lifelong rancher on family-owned and managed land at KilldeerMountain, shared his family’s generations-long commitment to the preserving the cultural and historic integrity of the conflict site. “No one has done more to preserve and protect the site. We’re all for preserving the property,” said Dvirnak in a moving testimony to the committee. Dvirnak expressed that his brother could best articulate how their family has forged relationships with various Indian communities in state and  into Canada. The Dvirnaks have graciously allowed traditional ceremonies and prayers to be conducted on their land throughout the years.

Dvirnak, regardless of his family’s openness to the American Indian presence on his family’s land, managed to convey his open skepticism of the bill. “What will the [archaeological] study do?” he wondered aloud. Dvirnak conveyed his disillusionment with the bill, the sharpest point of his argument manifested itself in his question about what the bill would mandate him to do on his own land.

The bill doesn’t mandate anyone to do anything on their own private land. In fact, the bill mandates that the archaeologists who conduct the investigation must acquire the permissions of all landowners in the study and core areas of the Killdeer Mountain conflict. Senator Dever, the chairman of the Government and Veterans Committee, understood Mr. Dvirnak’s position and told Sen. Triplett to include language in Senate Bill 2341 that expressly and clearly articulates a mandate for archaeologists to acquire permission of landowners to survey on their land.

Mr. Dvirnak and his family have the best intentions, a family mission taken to heart, passed down from father to sons, to preserve the heritage of Killdeer Mountain. They opened their lands in the past to the Indian communities. They also donated a tidycollection of artifacts from the KilldeerMountain conflict to Dickinson State University.

They did this because there’s a story that needs to be preserved and shared, and that’s something that everyone who testified can agree. 

Killdeer battle collection to be unveiled June 5

May 23, 2008 7:00 pm

Arrowheads and bullets - one so powerless against the other - are part of a military and Plains Indian artifact collection that will be unveiled to the public June 5 at Dickinson State University.

The collection of 1,500 historical items from the 1864 Battle of Killdeer Mountain site belongs to Alick and Grayce Dvirnak, whose Diamond C ranch encompasses the battle grounds.

The Dvirnaks agreed to have their collection displayed at DSU's Theodore Roosevelt Center in Stoxen Library, where the unveiling will begin at 4 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. social at the university's Alumni and Foundation House.

The Dvirnak family has been on the ranch since 1928 and the spear points, casings, stone pipes and pottery fragments have been collected by them over all these years. Their agreement with the university is part of the family's desire to share the collection with the public and preserve the history and heritage of western North Dakota.

Alick Dvirnak will speak at the event, as will Theodore Roosevelt Center director Clay Jenkinson and DSU president Richard McCallum.

The Diamond C Ranch dates to 1880 and its brand is the second oldest registered in the state. The original ranch owner, William Crosby, was an acquaintance of Theodore Roosevelt, whose own history in the North Dakota Badlands includes an interlude at the ranch.

Jenkinson said the Roosevelt center will primarily be devoted to the president and the Dvirnak collection will help interpret the world Roosevelt moved through in North Dakota.

Alick Dvirnak has been recognized for preserving the history of western North Dakota by former Gov. George Sinner and the State Historical Society. He was honored by Plains Indians, when in 2001, Sioux tribes of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Canada gathered at the ranch to honor their battle dead and smoke a peace pipe with Alick Dvirnak.

The battle of 1864 was commanded by Brig. Gen. Alfred Sully, who led 2,200 cavalrymen on an attack against an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Sioux camped in the Killdeer Mountains.

Cannon fire and artillery forced the Sioux and unarmed men, women and children to flee north into the Badlands and behind them the soldiers destroyed all their possessions and set fire to the mountains.

Two soldiers are buried at the site; Sully estimated as many as 150 Plains Indians were killed.

Jenkinson said Alick Dvirnak is intimately acquainted with one of North Dakota's most interesting stories.

"(He) is a historian and a storyteller. He knows the Battle of Killdeer Mountain as well as anyone, and he's walked every inch of the ground," Jenkinson said.

The Dvirnak family, in a letter to the university, said it's pleased to bring recognition to Alick Dvirnak, a man whose life has been devoted to family, ranching and North Dakota history, especially the Battle of Killdeer Mountain.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/killdeer-battle-collection-to-be-unveiled-june/article_1742a200-5a02-52db-a885-8b4f2f840104.html