Context

From 2008 to 2014 a team of archaeologists conducted a series of excavations in the north Idaho town of Sandpoint. Ultimately, the project proved to be one of the largest projects in the state’s history recovering several hundred thousand artifacts.  There are multiple themes that came out of this project. In this talk Dr. Warner will talk about two of their findings: a broad question of...

Stonewall National Monument is a new national park unit located in Christopher Park, part of New York City's  Historic Greenwich Village . It is a park in progress with limited services, and in the coming years services will be added to the park in cooperation with our partners. The monument sits across the street from The Stonewall Inn, a  National Historic Landmark  known for its...

Since Godzilla's first appearance nearly 70 years ago in the classic Gojira, the King of the Monsters has become a cinematic icon and a globally recognized symbol of Japan. But what can a giant, fire-breathing movie monster tell us about Japanese culture and Japan's national experience from the mushroom clouds of 1945 through the current global pandemic? This talk will explore how the 33 Godzilla...

This presentation will explore the circumstances that allowed for the development of women’s clubs in the United States between the early 1800s and early 1900s and the underlying ideologies and sentiments that spurred the growth of activism and organizing during Progressive Era. With this foundation the presentation will then explore the emergence of women’s clubs in Idaho, the specific work of th...

Humanity struggled to contain infectious diseases long before the concept of microscopic germs emerged. The histories of smallpox, polio, and covid-19 illustrate how vaccine development has changed—and in some ways, not changed—in the last 300 years. Bio: Laura Jenski is a retired university professor and vice-president for research. She received her PhD in oncology and postdoctoral training in im...

This talk follows the cultural, economic, social and political impediments under which the Weimar Republic in Germany was born in 1918 and how the nearly constant assault of the conservative right wing upon a form of government it never accepted created opportunities for the extremist Nazi Party to take advantage of political paralysis, economic chaos, social panic and cultural despair to use demo...

It is no secret that rural lands are vanishing within the Treasure Valley and elsewhere across the Gem State. This land use change can have a range of impacts on the individuals, households and communities in Idaho. Join Dr. Jodi Brandt & Dr. Rebecca Som Castellano, both from Boise State University, for a discussion and Q & A on the ways this change is measured, the implications of this, a...

This presentation will give a glimpse into the unique history of the Basques from the late 19th century to current day, their immigration throughout the world and their impact on their communities, especially in Idaho. You will get a preview of Spain and France prior to so many Basques leaving the area as well as the incredible tourist destination it has become. You will also learn about the hards...

This talk explores the historical perspective of Native Hawaiians with regard to struggles over land, sovereignty and community empowerment over the past 50 years, and how it fits within, and should be considered a part of, a greater theme of indigenous civil rights movements in the United States. Native Hawaiian activists tapped into the American Indian movement and in the process, became part of...

Although the US constitution dedicates relatively little space to the executive branch, it is specific about the Oath a president must take. Over the last two centuries, the inaugural ceremony accompanying the formal oath of office has varied quite a lot. From people who were inebriated and rambled through the speech, to people who spoke so long they became ill; I will discuss some interesting and...

The history of the Silver Valley, Shoshone County Idaho reads like a dime novel with MURDER, MINING, MAYHEM, MEN, MONEY AND PROSTITUTION!  Many of the Mining Laws of 1972 were written from the court cases filed in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. The military highway through the South fork of the Coeur d’Alenes opened the territory to prospectors and adventurers. Wallace and the Silver Vall...

The life of American Western artist Archie Boyd Teater is recorded through his art, the construction of his studio/home, and in the extensive collection of archival material and artifacts left after the death of he and his wife, Patricia. Born in Boise in 1901, Teater became a prolific impressionist painter. With a popular studio in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Teater found success painting western scen...

How do the Renaissance and Reformation look different when viewed through the lens of gender? Join us for an exploration of women as both the subjects and creators of art. We’ll explore popular themes in art, such as Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, and the great works of artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Barbara Longhi, Fra’ Fillipo Lippi, and Judith Leyster...

Idaho novelist Vardis Fisher served as state director of the Federal Writers’ Project, a national New Deal program designed to put writers to work during the Great Depression. Meregaglia will discuss  Vardis Fisher's Boise , a never-before-published manuscript written by Fisher. Finished in 1939, Fisher never found a sponsor for this guidebook to Boise, so it sat forgotten in t...

Since 1993, October has been designated National Arts & Humanities Month to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities. Join Michael Faison, Executive Director of the Idaho Commission on the Arts (ICA) and David Pettyjohn, Executive Director of the Idaho Humanities Council (...

A brief survey of how the American wildland fire scene has evolved, beginning with the 1880 census map of forest fires to the present day. Topics will include the Big Blowup of 1910, the CCC, the cold war on fire, the fire revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, the mashup of institutions and policies that characterizes today’s scene, and the quickening of threats that is leading us into a new fire age...

Carole talks about the term “Independent Film” and what it means.  She shares some things about a few of her favorite independent filmmakers as well as some of her memorable movie-going experiences. She loves watching and talking about movies and looks forward to questions and thoughts from the audience. Carole was born at Ft. Lewis, Washington and was raised in the Army, moving every two yea...

In the 1920s and 1930s, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini celebrated a number of ancient Roman centennials, coopting Roman imagery and symbolism to inaugurate his own “rebirth” of the Roman Empire. But did these symbols mean the same thing to the ancient Romans that they did to Mussolini? Where did these symbols come from, and what role did they play in the Roman Republic? By tracing the evolution...

In this talk, Dr. Hunter will be examining the question of how best to approach the US Constitution. Among other things, he takes on the position of Chief Justice Roberts who argues that justices should approach the Constitution as neutral umpires calling balls and strikes. Dr. Hunter began teaching at The College of Idaho in 1988 and was named the Idaho Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Found...

In the age of information, why is so hard to be a well-informed citizen? Developing our news literacy can help us navigate the media landscape, and that means more than checking facts and spotting hoaxes. Yes, facts are important, but we also need a broader understanding of how news and information are produced and consumed in the digital age. What’s happening to real news, and how...

While Idaho was an women’s suffrage state, it was one of the last to ratify the 19th amendment.  Idaho’s Senator William Borah played a major role both in 1896 and in 1920.  This presentation will discuss the politics surround both women’s suffrage episodes, the women activists and their tactics that were crucial for both campaigns, and Borah’s complicated position. Katherine G. Aik...

The refugee resettlement process is a long and taxing process, not one for the faint hearted. Salome takes us on a truncated journey through the process from fleeing one’s home, adjustments in the host country, until one is finally resettled in a third country. Salome Mwangi is a resident of Idaho’s Treasure Valley since 2004. She was born and raised in Kenya and relocated to the United States as...

In 1908, Idaho’s first state park was created by an Act of Congress. It was named for Sen. Weldon B. Heyburn, who famously said “[state parks] are always a subject of political embarrassment.” This presentation traces the roots of the system from the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899, through the war years of the Farragut Naval Training Station, to the brilliant gift deed Gov. Robert E. Smylie ar...

In this presentation, we'll look at some writings of American Indian women who encountered the colonial, domestic education propagated by federal Indian schools and white women reformers who lived and worked in Indian communities throughout North America. We'll see how these Indian women writers altered the course laid out for them by these reformers and teachers, for in learning to practice...

Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp tells the story of Japanese Americans, most of them American citizens, who were forcibly removed from their Pacific Northwest homes during Word War II. They were held in squalid conditions in temporary detention centers, and then put on trains to a concentration camp in the desert of southern Idaho. Innocent of any crime, many of them would remain imprisone...