Stories for Action

This is a follow-up episode to our 2024 episode on Housing in Montana . In that episode, we covered various facets of the housing crisis, to show the complexities that exist and paths of action forward.  In the episode, we looked at the process that Whitefish was taking to update their growth policy, with the housing crisis and growing pains being especially heightened there, as it has fully becom...

Addiction intersects with nearly all of our lives - directly or indirectly. Whether it's alcohol, pills, or other forms of drugs, addiction not only impacts the individual, but is felt through entire communities, having an immense impact on human life, economies, medical services, and more. But current mainstream pathways for addiction recovery in the U.S. are costly and can perpetuate vicious cyc...

In this episode, we hear about different community-guided and collaborative efforts taking place around river health (and therefore the well-being of the land and people), in the region of Missoula, Montana. You'll hear from those whose lives connect to these rivers; to inspire ways for folks to engage, but also to gain insight to all of the moving parts that contribute to a healthy community and...

In the Summer of 2024, I was fortunate to visit the country of Timor-Leste, in Southeast Asia. This trip was through a professional exchange program hosted by The Mansfield Center and the Department of State. I worked with a local filmmaker in Timor-Leste, Salvador de Jesus, to host workshops for youth about filmmaking & elevating story for advocacy purposes. This episode shares about this tim...

In Montana, 1 out of 9 people (and 1 in 6 children) are food insecure, meaning they lack access to enough food to lead a healthy life, or don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. This lack of access can be financial or physical, for those who are in rural areas far from delivery routes. We know that food is essential for life and therefore essential for our communities to thrive. So h...

In the past 5 years, Montana's average home price has gone up 71%, while the average income has only increased 25%. The lack of housing, and that which is attainable for working class residents, is creating a crisis for residents, employers, local economies, public health, community well-being...everything. In this episode, we hear from seven people all working in different areas of this topic aro...

This is Part 2 of 2 of our episodes on the Mighty Few. We HIGHLY encourage you to first listen to Part 1, as it provides essential context. Part 2 expands on youth empowerment, connections to traditional cultures, and the approaches necessary to move this community development work forward in a good way. Historically, and still today, the Mighty Few (a District of the Apsáalooke or Crow Nation in...

Iikooshtaka’atbaatchaache, home of the Mighty Few. Historically, and still today, the Mighty Few (a District of the Apsáalooke or Crow Nation in Southeast Montana) have proven their name through resourcefulness, determination, and strength in unity. Witness the process of this community strengthening their connection to identity, the land, and community togetherness. Through truly grassroots effor...

Along this stretch of the Upper Yellowstone River in Montana, various dynamics exist. Hear from a rancher, a river restoration professional, an outdoor recreation business owner, and a Traditional Ecological Knowledge educator who are all deeply connected to this river. Whether the challenge is drought, flood, impact from river recreation, development, or otherwise, witness how approaches that are...

Along this stretch of the Upper Yellowstone River in Montana, various dynamics exist. Hear from a rancher, a river restoration professional, an outdoor recreation business owner, and a Traditional Ecological Knowledge educator who are all deeply connected to this river. Whether the challenge is drought, flood, impact from river recreation, development, or otherwise, witness how approaches that are...

Wildlife and humans have a need to move across the landscape. But our modern modes of travel have put those necessary pathways at odds with one another. Our highways create barriers for animals to carry out the daily movements and seasonal migrations that are necessary for their survival. For people, crossing paths with an animal on the highway is also a threat to our own safety and a cause for co...

Today we will hear from Patrick Yawakie-Peltier, co-Founder of Red Medicine LLC, an Indigenous civic engagement service based in Montana. Patrick was present throughout Montana's legislative session this year, advocating for and against policy that will impact the state's tribal members. Patrick will share with us his personal experience in the session as an Indigenous person and community advocat...

It seems like these days, if you spend even the slightest amount of time tuned into public events and rhetoric, you become aware of growing divisions...that there is a silent, or sometimes very loud pressure to “pick a side”, narratives and messaging coming from higher levels of public messaging, social media, policymakers, to align, to pit us against them, and sometimes this narrative can grow lo...

Helene Gaddie is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Generations Indigenous Ways (GIW). This community based Native nonprofit organization is dedicated to empowering American Indian youth with the knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education enhanced by Oglala Lakota values and way of life using Indigenous Sciences, operating in the Pine Ridge Reservation ar...

Alma McCormick is the Executive Director of Messengers for Health, an organization which holds a mission to foster and support trusted community leaders to improve the health of Apsáalooke (Crow) men, women, and children using solutions that respect and honor Apsáalooke strengths, culture, stories, and language. Messengers for Health began with a focus in cancer prevention for women of the Crow Na...

Daniel Kemmis has divided his public career between democratic theory and practice. He has been an active politician, author, and thought leader on the topics of community guided governance and decision making based upon citizens’ rooted connection to place. Kemmis grew up on a small family farm in Eastern Montana, attended Harvard University, and the University of Montana’s School of Law. Kemmis...

This episode hears from Alex Kim, a Korean American, who in 2020 founded the social enterprise Here Montana. Here Montana works to increase representation and inclusivity for People of Color and intersecting communities in outdoor spaces and recreational activities in Montana. It also works to develop personal and professional leaders in these spaces. Here Montana operates on the values of communi...

For this episode of Stories for Action, we did an "episode swap" with the Reframing Rural podcast, hosted and produced by Megan Torgerson. While they graciously are airing one of Stories for Action's episodes on their feed, we are airing this first episode of Reframing Rural's third season. In it, Megan speaks with Sarah Vogel, attorney and author of "The Farmer's Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and...

Elk are essential components to a healthy ecosystem, and food source for many. They can also create some very complex dynamics, some that can get tense. In this episode we are focusing on the intersection of ranchers and landowners, elk populations, hunters, and wildlife biologists and agencies involved in guiding management of wildlife herds. This episode is for those directly involved (ranchers,...

It could pop up in that field next to your home, or kid’s school, or elk migration corridor…and newly passed laws in Montana have made it that much easier for it to happen without input or transparency with the public. Gravel pits, or open cut mines…they may seem benign, but when you hear about how much this could effect you, your health, your well water, aquifers, the wildlife, it may make you wo...

Today we are speaking with Cole Mannix, one of the founders of Old Salt Co-op, a Montana entity with growing avenues of operations to rebuild infrastructure for Montana’s meat…but their work goes well beyond the meat itself with a mission to connect customers and producers in a shared purpose; to be stewards of the land, and to strengthen community. This conversation with Cole will touch on so man...

Mike Ruggles is the Region 5 Supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Mike has spent much of the last 10+years in the field working with wildlife and communities connected to the Musselshell River in Central Montana. The 350 miles of the Musselshell River flows through a great deal of agricultural lands, supports migratory birds and a variety of aquatic species, and has experienced a grea...

We are on the Walsh Ranch, speaking with Bud and Sheila Walsh, in Central Montana on the edge of the Fort Belknap Reservation. Many elements are dependent on the health of these grasslands; they provide key wildlife corridors, are key for regional watersheds, carbon sequestration, and the health of this region supports hardworking communities largely centered around cattle ranching. These folks ta...

Joe and Kathy Kipp, of The Blackfeet Nation, Amskapi Piikani, are always on the move; always busy with a variety of things, as cattle ranchers, advocates, parents, grandparents, and so much more. They live outside of Browning, Montana in the heart of Blackfeet Country, on the Blackfeet Reservation in Northwest Montana. As they are involved in so much, you will hear about a variety of topics in thi...

Bill Milton and his wife Dana run a cattle ranch just northeast of Roundup in Central Montana. Bill and Dana have always strived to find symbiotic relationships amongst all life on the land, and this means being involved in a lot of efforts that involve collaboration between agriculture, agency, and conservation interests. Bill will share with us about the realities of what ranchers are up against...