South Dakota Humanities Council

06/05/2026

It’s FREE BOOK FRIDAY, and today's giveaway is "Birding While Indian: A Mixed-Blood" by Thomas C. Gannon. 📚️

Thomas C. Gannon’s Birding While Indian spans more than fifty years of childhood walks and adult road trips to deliver, via a compendium of birds recorded and revered, the author’s life as a part-Lakota inhabitant of the Great Plains. Great Horned Owl, Sandhill Crane, Dickcissel: such species form a kind of rosary, a corrective to the rosaries that evoke Gannon’s traumatic time in an Indian boarding school in South Dakota, his mother’s devastation at racist bullying from coworkers, and the violent erasure colonialism demanded of the people and other animals indigenous to the United States.

Birding has always been Gannon’s escape and solace. He later found similar solace in literature, particularly by Native authors. He draws on both throughout this expansive, hilarious, and humane memoir. An acerbic observer—of birds, the environment, the aftershocks of history, and human nature—Gannon navigates his obsession with the ostensibly objective avocation of birding and his own mixed-blood subjectivity, searching for that elusive Snowy Owl and his own identity. The result is a rich reflection not only on one man’s life but on the transformative power of building a deeper relationship with the natural world.

For a chance to add this book to your library, let us know how you feel about it with a reaction or a comment!

⚠️ Please be alert that there has been an increase in spam and that SDHC will NEVER ask for your credit card information.

06/04/2026

Join us for this week's Humanities Café: Remembering Greasy Grass: The Battle of the Little Bighorn, 150 Years Later

Donovin Sprague, enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, author, history professor at Sheridan College, and descendant of the Hump and Crazy Horse families, A. Gay Kingman, enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, renowned educator, and Executive Director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association (GPTCA), and Sandy Barnard, author, professor emeritus at Indiana State University, and longtime editor of the annual Greasy Grass magazine published by the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association, join SDHC host Stacy Chidaushe to talk about the history and legacy of the Batlle of Greasy Grass on its 150th anniversary, the activities planned for this summer’s commemoration, and the fight that continues in an effort to right historical wrongs.

Join the program using the "Bi-Weekly Zoom Link" button on this page:
https://buff.ly/VXfXmaD

⏰Thursday at 12:00 PM CT 📆

Disclaimer: The opinions shared by Humanities Café guests and panelists are their own and are not to be considered representative of any state organization and/or the South Dakota Humanities Council.

06/01/2026

Our One Book Tour is almost here, and before we hit the road, we’re excited to introduce the author at the heart of this year’s selection. 📚️ ✨

Matthew Davis has gathered stories from around the world, founded the Cheuse Center for International Writers at George Mason University, and earned graduate degrees from both the University of Iowa and Johns Hopkins SAIS. He’s also a former Fulbright Fellow to Syria and Jordan and a fellow of the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV.

But it was a single moment at Mount Rushmore that sparked the idea for 'A Biography of a Mountain'. What began as a curiosity became a five‑year journey into history, meaning, and the conversations shaping America today.

Read our full introduction here: https://sdhumanities.org/2026-one-book-south-dakota-author-matthew-davis-an-introduction/

And don't miss him while he's on tour in South Dakota:
YANKTON
June 25. 12:00 PM-1:00 PM CST
Mead Museum

SIOUX FALLS
June 25, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM CST
Mosaic Arts and Events Center

EAGLE BUTTE
June 26, 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM MST
C.R.S.T. Lakota Cultural Center

PIERRE
June 27, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM CST
Capitol Lake Visitors Center

RAPID CITY
June 29, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM MST
Dahl Arts Center

CUSTER
June 29, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM MST
Custer Senior Center

KYLE
June 30, 11:00AM-1:00 PM MST
Oglala Lakota Artspace

05/31/2026

As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re reminded of something Thomas Jefferson believed was essential to a healthy democracy: an informed citizenry that participates in the “ark of our safety” — voting.

This year, South Dakotans will see a few changes at the polls. Due to 2025 legislation (HB 1130), many municipalities have aligned their local elections with the statewide primary on Tuesday, June 2nd. That means longer ballots, more local decisions, and an even greater need for engaged voters.

From city councils to school boards, these choices shape our daily lives. SDHC encourages all South Dakotans to make their voices heard and practice one of our nation’s most enduring rights: the right to vote.

South Dakota Humanities Council empowers you to make a plan to get out and vote on June 2nd.

Learn more here: https://sdhumanities.org/sdhc-encourages-citizens-to-get-out-and-vote/

05/29/2026

It’s FREE BOOK FRIDAY, and today's giveaway is "Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler" by Nancy Bo Flood and Jeanne Bowman.

Badger Clark (1883–1957), South Dakota's first poet laureate, is best known for his "A Cowboy's Prayer," erroneously attributed to Anonymous and a mainstay at rodeos across the United States. After spending much of his childhood in Deadwood, SD, Badger escaped a harrowing experience in Cuba and then found his vocation as a cowboy and a poet in Arizona. He had a way of expressing that smooth, rolling, clip-clop rhythm of horse and rider.

Flood describes Badger's poetry as "Shakespeare meets Walt Whitman during a cattle drive." Badger Clark's legacy as a bard of the American West endures. For over one hundred years, Badger Clark's poems have been sung and celebrated at poetry gatherings, rodeos, and many a cowboy's final farewell. His plain and simple verses spoke of his love for the land, and a deep appreciation for a life lived close to nature. Badger Clark: Poetry Wrangler tells the story of this iconic Western writer and celebrates his enduring poetry.

For a chance to add this book to your library, let us know how you feel about it with a reaction or a comment!

⚠️ Please be alert that there has been an increase in spam and that SDHC will NEVER ask for your credit card information.

05/27/2026

The South Dakota Humanities Council (SDHC) is excited to welcome author Matthew Davis across South Dakota for the 2026 One Book South Dakota tour featuring his acclaimed book Biography of a Mountain. As part of SDHC’s America 250 recognition, Davis will travel to communities including Pine Ridge, Eagle Butte, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, Yankton, and Custer, bringing South Dakotans together for conversations about history, identity, culture, and place.

Author Matthew Davis will speak on his acclaimed book Biography of a Mountain, which combines history and reportage to bring the complicated and nuanced story of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills to life. The book explores Native American history and culture, westward expansion, the carving of Mount Rushmore, and the ongoing conversations surrounding identity, land, memory, and how we memorialize American history. Through history, storytelling, and personal reflection, Biography of a Mountain invites readers to consider the many voices and experiences that have shaped South Dakota and the nation.

The 2026 One Book South Dakota theme, One Book, Many Stories, reflects SDHC’s commitment to fostering thoughtful dialogue across communities and perspectives. By hosting events throughout the state, the tour aims to create space for cultural exchange, reflection, and conversations that honor the histories, traditions, and voices that have long shaped this region.

In addition to author talks and community discussions, events throughout the tour will feature cultural programming celebrating the traditions and stories of South Dakota communities. Guests will have opportunities to experience local food, storytelling, art, and presentations that reflect the rich heritage of the region and the people who call it home.

One Book Tour Dates:

SIOUX FALLS
June 25, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Mosaic Arts and Events Center

YANKTON
June 25, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM CST
Mead Museum

EAGLE BUTTE
June 26, 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM MST
Lakota Cultural Center

PIERRE
June 27, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM CST
Capitol Lake Visitors Center

RAPID CITY
June 29, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM MST
Dahl Arts Center

CUSTER
June 29, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM MST
Custer Senior Center

PINE RIDGE
June 30, 11:00AM-1:00 PM MST
Oglala Lakota Artspace

The South Dakota Humanities Council acknowledges that it operates on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Oceti Sakowin – the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. We honor and appreciate the Indigenous people who have the longest relationship to this place.

05/26/2026

In case you missed it, here is last week's Humanities Café: “What’s for Supper?”: A Look at South Dakota’s Unique Food Culture

Fran Hill, food columnist and blogger, and Chris Madsen, food writer and culinary enthusiast, join SDHC host Stacy Chidaushe for a fun and informative discussion about the distinct and sometimes curious food culture of South Dakota, from its history and diverse influences to the importance of local food markets, including their impact on the food we eat and the overall health of our communities.

Watch the full video here: https://buff.ly/Afo1nYc

05/25/2026

Today we observe Memorial Day.

The freedom to celebrate the season of sunshine and memory-making has only been made possible by those who fought and died in the service of protecting that freedom. SDHC is proud to share in commemorating and honoring their sacrifice.

Read our full blog here: https://buff.ly/eH6sg0c

05/22/2026

It’s FREE BOOK FRIDAY, and today's giveaway is "The J Horoscope: Poems" by Sharon Chmielarz.

Look. A woman is writing on parchment, a scroll. We don’t know her name. Her king, Solomon, has died, and the whole country’s going to hell under the new king, Rehoboam. The year is 937 BCE. Banished from the ring of political power, she grounds herself by collecting the kingdom’s ancient stories. Of the four writers in Genesis, J is the one who delivers the earthly creatures—Noah, Joseph, Jacob, Rachel, et al—and, to paraphrase Pogo, they are us. Her cast of characters includes the god Yahweh (or Jahweh) who can appear in various guises. She’s named J for her intense interest in Yahweh’s character.

For a chance to add this book to your library, let us know how you feel about it with a reaction or a comment!

⚠️ Please be alert that there has been an increase in spam and that SDHC will NEVER ask for your credit card information.