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Please join us and 84 other hardworking Flathead Valley nonprofits for the Great Fish Community Challenge!

On Aug. 12 the campaign kicked off to support the work of 85 standout nonprofits. What an incredible turnout from and for the community as the ballpark concourse pulsed with do-gooders of all stripes and specialties.

At the Northwest Montana History Museum booth we introduced visitors to woodsmen along the Whitefish River in 1904, and museum Executive Director (and longtime bookbinder) Margaret E. Davis taught dozens of people to bind a short history of the museum they took home with them.

The party also will pop up throughout the valley before the campaign end on Sept. 12 to cheer community boosters and spread the word. Come on out for events from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., say hello and support the people who make the good life in the Flathead even better.

Visit online for more details about the campaign and click here to donate to the museum from the convenience of your keyboard. All donations to the museum go to the museum and once the $10,000 mark is reached, the Whitefish Community Foundation adds a percentage match. Win-win-win!

Thank you to all our supporters regardless of when and how you give.

More details to come, but for now save Jan. 5 and 19 and Feb. 2 and 16 for four Sundays of learning and socializing with expert presenters from Jack Gladstone (pictured) and Denny Olson to Aspen & Cameron Decker and Sally Thompson.

Reserve your spot by coming into, or calling, the museum. The ability to make online reservations is coming soon.

Last time Mark T. Johnson came to the museum, in April 2023, the Notre Dame professor and author (who lives in Helena) came to speak on the Chinese experience in Montana. His research for his book, The Middle Kingdom under the Big Sky (shown), uncovered the lives and stories of many who came West and contributed significantly to the development of Montana. At one point Chinese residents accounted for more than a tenth of the state’s population.

During his time in Kalispell, Johnson toured Demersville Cemetery and looked at materials in the Northwest Montana History Museum archives. His findings on Flathead Valley resident Mar You became part of a talk he delivered at the Montana History Conference in Helena last year.

Now Johnson returns to bring in the Year of the Snake with a talk about Keeping Chinese Culture Alive on the Montana Frontier.

In his words, “From the earliest days of non-Native settlement of Montana, Chinese pioneers played a key role in the region’s development. Navigating life in this new land, Montana’s Chinese residents gained comfort through the continuation of their spiritual and cultural practices. Yet, publicly practicing cultural traditions invited unwanted attention from anti-Chinese forces who sought to expel the Chinese from the region. This talk details how Chinese Montanans persevered to maintain cultural continuity and togetherness through these practices while resisting tensions and threats from their detractors.”

Details:
6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025; free admission (books available for purchase and signing)
Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 2nd Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901; 406-756-8381; nwmthistory.org
More info about Johnson and his book: https://www.bigskychinese.com/

The artist’s reception for Valentina LaPier, whose work is currently displayed in the museum’s north changing gallery, runs 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Come meet the artist, see her work, and gather with us!

Click here for more on her work.

Details: Free artist’s reception runs 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20; regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell; 406-756-8381; nwmthistory.org

So far about 150 people have signed up to have up to four treasures each verbally appraised by experts as part of the Foundation for Montana History’s Montana Antiques Appraisal Fair. This is Kalispell’s turn to host this popular, unique event.

The museum has submitted a couple of items for public appraisal during the day, such as this arrow quiver from the Edo period in Japan that one of the museum’s board members found in the shed of her place in Somers.

This fundraiser for the foundation draws a range of items and people for a day of education and entertainment. There are a few afternoon slots left; sign up at https://thefoundationformontanahistory.thundertix.com/events/232678 (no firearms, chemicals, or jewelry). Otherwise, it’s free to spectate and soak in the atmosphere from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.

See you Saturday at the fair!

Just in time for reading season, the Northwest Montana History Museum welcomes book writers and lovers from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, for a program of speakers and exhibitors focused on Northwest Montana.

Featured speakers include Debra Magpie Earling, Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, Melissa Barker & Stewart Wilson, and Leslie Budewitz.

We also welcome writers and publishers to exhibit and sell their books; please submit interest to participate at nwmthistory.org/programs/northwest-montana-book-festival/. Help us present a wide range of subjects and genres by spreading the word!

Festival mission: Gather Northwest Montana readers and authors to promote, celebrate, and inspire regional writing and writers.

Thank you to Humanities Montana for the support.