Railroads in Native America Program

Gathering

Time: 8:15am-5:10pm
Location: Browning Theater, Ogden Union Station

8:15 to 9:00 am: On-site registration, meet vendors and exhibitors at Browning Theater entrance, breezeway and railroad shed (both adjacent to theater).

9:00 am: Brief Welcome and Acknowledgements, Alessandra La Rocca Link, Historian, Upper School Faculty, Louisville Collegiate School  

9:05-10:15 am, Session 1: Railroad Stories: Materials, Meaning, and Change in Indian Country

History is more complicated than the tropes often featured in films, music, and books. Exploring a range of topics, from the movement of sacred objects to changing tribal economies, this first panel will examine how historical realities often departed from conventional narratives.

Participants: Elliott West, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas

Larry Cesspooch (Ute), Ute Storyteller, Project Director, UteTube

Jennifer Graber, Associate Director of Native American and Indigenous Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Chair: Franci Lynne Taylor (Choctaw), Diversity in Education Consulting, former Director of the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), University of Utah

Comment: Audience

Break: 10:15-10:30 am

Coffee, tea and soda break, vendor tables in the theater's breezeway and adjacent annex (formerly the station train shed).

10:30-11:45 am, Session 2: The Great Northern: Building an Empire on Blackfeet History

Searching for truth beneath stereotypes, the students of Blackfoot Community College will share the results of their oral history investigation, which unpacks the history behind the iconic images of the Great Northern Railway. These promotional items, such as playing cards and calendars, romanticized the American West from 1928 to 1958.

Participants: Aaron LaFromboise (Blackfeet), Director of Library Services, Blackfeet Community College

Tryce Yellowowl (Blackfeet), Student, Blackfeet Community College 

Drew Laundry, Extension Agent, USDA, Blackfeet Community College

Chair: Samantha Eldridge (Diné), Interim Director, American Indian Resource Center, University of Utah

Comment: Audience

Lunch 11:45-1:10 pm: Browning Theater 

Black Sheep Cafe self service: traditional Navajo fry bread taco, topped with either green chile pork or traditional slow cooked Pinto beans. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan choices will also be offered.

Keynote: Yvette Towersap (Shoshone-Bannock), “Fort Hall Indian Reservation and the ‘Iron Horse’: Trespassers, Free Rides, and Broken Promises”

1:15-2:30 pm, Session 3: Talking Railroads and Native Americans in the Great Basin 

This interactive panel will look at both the historical and the modern impact of railroads on Native Americans of the Great Basin. Each presenter will give an overview of their work, and then open the floor to discussion with the audience.

Participants: Principal Man Ian Zabarte (Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians)

Christopher MacMahon, Director, Nevada State Railroad Museum

Sarah Keyes, Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno

Justin Gage, Lecturer, University of Arkansas

Chair: Andrew Curley (Diné), Assistant Professor, University of Arizona

Comment: Audience

Break: 2:30-2:45 pm

Coffee, tea and soda break, vendor tables in the theater's breezeway and adjacent annex.

2:45-4:20 pm, Session 4: Teaching and Learning about Railroads in Indian Territory and Among the Five Tribes 

Experiences of Native Nations in the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, and Southwest often dominate discussions surrounding the impact of railroads on Native Americans. Turning the focus to Indian Territory, panelists will discuss events involving the Five Tribes, as well as the modern challenges of teaching and learning about Indigenous perspectives on the railroad.

Participants: Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Doctoral Student, New York University

Farina King (Diné), Associate Professor, Northeastern State University

Jarren Fourkiller (Cherokee), Student, Northeastern State University

Charlee Gilliam White (Cherokee and Choctaw Descendant), Student, Northeastern State University

Chair: James C. Singer (Diné), Diversity Fellow, Salt Lake Community College

Comment: Audience

4:25-5:10 pm, Artist Talk: Amanda Francom (Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation), introduced by Michael Gross (Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation)

After 5:15 pm: Dinner & Evening Activities. Enjoy Ogden's famous and colorful 25th street on your own or with new friends!