Water focus of history conference

This year the 23rd Annual Governor’s Conference on North Dakota History, to be held Oct. 28 -29, will examine the impacts of water on the history of North Dakota. Due to the expansion construction at the North Dakota Heritage Center, the conference, titled “Too Much or Too Little: The Story of Water in North Dakota,” will be held at the Bismarck Civic Center. After the Friday sessions, the annual awards dinner will also be held. Former U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan will be the keynote speaker for the banquet. The awards presentation will follow the banquet.

The two-day conference will examine the many challenges and opportunities water has presented over the years. There will be presentations on surface geology, the history of water use and its impact on settlement and people, as well as aspects of the history of water legislation and regulation in North Dakota.

Other speakers include former Gov. Allen Olson, who will discuss his lifelong involvement with water impacts, issues and regulations; Michael Dwyer, executive vice president of the North Dakota Water Users Association, who will chair a discussion of the history of North Dakota’s water use; American Indian relations specialist and retired National Park Service official Gerard Baker, who will speak about the impacts of too much and too little water on native peoples; and North Dakota State University professor of Geology Don Schwert, who will discuss how the surface geology of North Dakota influences water movement.

Other speakers will include Adjutant Gen. and former state engineer David Sprynczynatyk, former Assistant Attorney General and longtime water issues attorney Murray Sagsveen, NDSU professor of History Mark Harvey, NDSU associate professor of architecture Steve Martens, University of North Dakota associate professor of history Kimberly Porter, and Grand Forks Herald Editor and Publisher Mike Jacobs.

Also offered Friday will be an all-day workshop, “Storing and Preserving Still Photographic Materials Collections,” presented by Dianna Clise, paper conservator for the Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis. She will provide hands-on experience in the identification of various types of negatives and prints.

For information on the conference, email SHSND Administrative Assistant Kiri Stone at kstone@nd.gov or call at 701-328-2799. Registration is required, and fees include lunch. Student rates are available. Registration will be available beginning in mid-July, online at http://history.nd.gov/conference, as well as through the mail.

Tags: community, history, conference