Resonance: Ninepipes Museum enters year-two of heritage grant

Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana recently completed the first year of a three-part grant through the Foundation for Montana History, titled “Resonance, Voices that Shaped the Ninepipes Museum,” and is embarking on year-two.

Year-one entailed recording the stories reflected in the museum's collection through the voices of people of the Flathead Reservation.

The ongoing project is a collaboration with Aspen and Cameron Decker, educators and owners of Xwlxwilt, LLC., who will develop the recordings into a series of podcast episodes gleaned from elders’ interviews in year-two of the grant project.

This portion will also integrate Salish language into the audio content and design gallery cards and QR codes for museum exhibits, as well as curriculum for schools. Year-three will implement the programming developed in the second year, including tours with partner schools.

According to museum executive director Jo Cheff, the three-year project focuses on building and sustaining museum educational programming. The aim is to share inter-generational knowledge of the reservation and the museum collection through storytelling, technology and museum visits, while also working with schools and community stakeholders to meet community and educational goals.

“Ninepipes Museum is deeply grateful to the Foundation for Montana History for providing funds for this multi-year project,” she said.

For more information on the museum and its offerings, call 406-644-3435 or visit www.ninepipesmuseum.org.

    Storytellers Steve Lozar and Bud Cheff trade tales in a podcast interview at the Ninepipes Museum south of Ronan. (Courtesy photo)