"Native people have a rich tradition of storytelling, but those stories historically have been written or published by people outside the tribes - until lately.

“Now you can do all that on a desktop computer,” said Bob Bigart, director of the Salish Kootenai College Press in Pablo. “The economics have changed. You don't need four or five full-time professional slots in a publishing house anymore.”

On Saturday at the Montana Festival of the Book, representatives from the Flathead and Fort Peck reservations will discuss recently completed books that focus on contemporary issues and tribal histories. The books were written for the Tribal History Project, a 2005 state-funded initiative that asked tribes to present their histories for Montana's K-12 students.

Four of the seven tribal colleges in Montana wrote books.

“My hope is to increase awareness through the book festival that these books are out there,” said Kim Anderson, the festival's executive director. “This project is coming to maturity and is part of the Indian Education For All Act that is written for us all.”

The Tribal History Project, a project overseen by the office of the state's commissioner of higher education, varies from Web sites and videos to dense academic tomes."

Get the Story:
Jodi Rave: Tribes publish own stories as part of history project (The Missoulian 10/24)

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