EVENTS, EXPERIENCES, EXHIBITS, ETC.
PAT HENDERSON
Commemorating the Nez Perce
COMMONS/ROGER
Big Hole National Battlefield remembers the events
of Aug. 9, 1877, when members of the Nez Perce tribe
awoke to gunfire from U.S. Colonel John Gibbon’s
troops. By the time the smoke cleared the next day,
90 Nez Perce members were dead, along with more
than 30 soldiers and volunteers.
A majority of group programs at the 655-acre site,
which is located 60 miles southwest of Butte near
Wisdom, Montana, start at the visitor center. Displays
in the museum and an introductory movie provide an
overview of the events that took place in 1877.
Many guided activities are offered during the sum-
mer months, including the popular battlefield hike.
This ranger-led walk covers one to two miles and
includes narration on the battle, the landscape and
the tribe. Two other options are the 30-minute deck
talks and the summer speaker series.
Groups also can time a visit to coincide with the
Annual Commemoration of the Battle of the Big
Hole, which this year will be held Aug. 11. This event honors
both those who lost their lives and those who survived, and
is a traditional day of remembrance for the Nez Perce people.
It begins with a tribute service and includes a pipe ceremony,
presentations, a drum circle and a performance by the Nez
Perce Nation Drum band.
Each year in late May the battlefield also is the site of
Coyote Camp, an educational program geared for school
groups. As part of the camp, students rotate through activity
stations and see cultural demonstrations.
For more information, call +1.406.689.3155 or visit
nps.gov/biho.
A very alive poets society
This October, North America’s largest poetry event will return
to Newark, New Jersey. The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival,
which brings together a who’s who of poets and spoken-
word artists, as well as enthusiasts from around the world, is
scheduled for Oct. 18–21.
Throughout the four days of this biennial festival, readings,
discussions and conversations with over 50 internationally
and nationally renowned writers will take place at a variety
of venues in Newark’s Downtown Arts District. The signature
Evening Main Stage Readings bring some of today’s most cel-
ebrated poets to the stage at Prudential Hall.
There are a number of additional events, such as Poets on
Poetry, Poetry Samplers and the Conversations series, which
allow the general public to interact with and hear from the
distinguished writers. Poets on Poetry includes a panel of
writers who discuss poems and poets that have impacted
their lives and work. As part of Poetry Samplers, more than 20
artists give brief readings of the works of other festival artists
to introduce them to a broader audience.
The multi-faceted Conversations sessions give the public a
chance to talk with featured artists about how topical issues
are represented in poetry. There are presentations including
two to four writers, who share about their lives and their art,
and additional panel discussions with festival storytellers
that have covered topics ranging from “Poetry and Jazz” to
“The Dignity of the Ordinary.”
To learn more, contact +1.973.735.2135 (ext. 104) or go to
dodgepoetry.org/festival-events/2018-festival.
NTAonline.com
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