Sandoz Society conference begins tonight
The annual conference of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society will open at 7:30 tonight (Thursday, April 15) with a presentation by Dr. Elliott West, distinguished professor of history at the University of Arkansas. The program will be in the Chicoine Atrium of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center on campus.
The conference will continue through Friday. A larger than usual turnout is anticipated. All the programs will be open to CSC personnel without charge except the luncheon and dinner on Friday.
The conference will focus on Sandoz’ 1954 book, "The Buffalo Hunters: Stories of the Hide Men," one of the six books in the author’s Great Plains Series.
West, who has written several books dealing with the settlement of the West, has titled his talk "Bison R Us: The Buffalo as an American Icon."
Friday’s program will feature panels on buffalo history, bison ranching and discussions of "Buffalo Hunters" and other works by Sandoz. In addition, Dan O’Brien, a South Dakota rancher and author, will read from his book, "Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch," and discuss why he wrote it.
At the banquet Friday evening, Ron Hull of Lincoln will receive the Spirit of Mari Sandoz Award for his dedication to fostering the work and heritage of Mari Sandoz. After serving as president of the Sandoz Society for nearly 20 years, Hull is stepping down from that post this year, but will remain on the board of directors. He will discuss his friendship with the author during the banquet.
On Saturday, guests may meet at the Heritage Center at 8:30 a.m. for an automobile convoy to the RimRock Ranch northwest of Crawford, where T.R. and Kay Hughes raise buffalo.
The complete conference schedule can be found on the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society website at www.marisandoz.org.
Category: Campus News