Context

This talk follows the cultural, economic, social and political impediments under which the Weimar Republic in Germany was born in 1918 and how the nearly constant assault of the conservative right wing upon a form of government it never accepted created opportunities for the extremist Nazi Party to take advantage of political paralysis, economic chaos, social panic and cultural despair to use democratic structures to come to power, establish a dictatorship, and increase popular support among Germans for the Nazi agenda. It will focus on Nazi use of traditional, conservative, populist and nostalgic themes to present a palatable program for non-Nazi members of the upper and middle classes that cut across traditional cultural cleavages in Germany, including religion, region, social class, gender, age, the rural-urban divide and the military-civilian divide. Key issues include revision of the post-World War I treaty system, destruction of the perceived leftist threat to Germany, stabilization of the economy, and restoration of self-esteem and solid German values to social and cultural life. Finally, it explores the Nazi presentation of WWII in terms that made it possible for non-Nazis to participate willingly in perpetrating Nazi crimes. Bio: Dr. Peter Black was the Senior Historian and Director of the Division of the Senior Historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum from 1997 until his retirement from federal service in January 2016. Previously, from 1978 until 1997, he served as a staff historian and (after 1986) as Chief Historian for the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. Since January 2016, he has been active as an independent historian/consultant, whose most important client is the USHMM, in particular the Division of the Reference Historian. Educated at the University of Wisconsin (BA: 1972) and Columbia University (Ph.D in 1981), Dr. Black has held various teaching positions at George Mason University, Catholic University, American University and Columbia University. Watch the video here.

6 Apr 20211h 14min

It is no secret that rural lands are vanishing within the Treasure Valley and elsewhere across the Gem State. This land use change can have a range of impacts on the individuals, households and communities in Idaho. Join Dr. Jodi Brandt & Dr. Rebecca Som Castellano, both from Boise State University, for a discussion and Q & A on the ways this change is measured, the implications of this, and the social effects disappearing farmland can have on impacted communities. Bios: Jodi joined the Human-Environment Systems Research Center at Boise State University in 2015. The goal of her research is to better understand how human societies and healthy ecosystems can thrive, on a rapidly changing planet. She focuses on quantifying human-environment interactions and whether they create sustainable environmental trajectories. She works with a wide range of people, including economists, ecologists and anthropologists, farmers, hunters and tribal communities. Rebecca L. Som Castellano is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Boise State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Rural Sociology at The Ohio State University, her M.A. in Sociology from the University of Kentucky and her B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Fairhaven College at Western Washington University. Previous research projects have included examination of the actors and interests involved in the construction and development of National School Lunch Program policy; inequalities within sustainable agriculture initiatives; food insecurity in both urban and rural contexts; and climate change adaptation. Frequently working in interdisciplinary collaborations, her current work focuses on the experiences of Latina farm workers in Southern Idaho, and land use change, including concern with the development of farm land and sagebrush steppe in Idaho. She is also currently working to develop research focused on how COVID has shaped local food consumption. For her work, she has been awarded several national awards, including a USDA National Needs Fellowship. Her research has been funded through a range of grants, including the American Sociological Association, the United States Department of Agriculture, and Mountain West CTR-IN Program for Clinical and Translational Research. Watch the video here.

23 Mars 20211h

This presentation will give a glimpse into the unique history of the Basques from the late 19th century to current day, their immigration throughout the world and their impact on their communities, especially in Idaho. You will get a preview of Spain and France prior to so many Basques leaving the area as well as the incredible tourist destination it has become. You will also learn about the hardships Basques faced throughout the entire immigration process as well as their perseverance as they established themselves in the many communities in the western United States. Finally, attendees will learn about the Basque’s impact on local communities and how one can be part of the Basque community in Idaho and beyond. The Basque Museum & Cultural Center shares the story of the Basques in the Basque Country and their immigration and their establishment in the West in an effort to empower people of all backgrounds to explore points of connection and reflect on the common dignity of the human experience. Bio: A fourth generation Basque-American, Annie was born and raised on a cattle ranch in the small northern Nevada town of Paradise Valley. She attended a small three-room grade school until 9th grade when she was bussed into Winnemucca for the remainder of High School. As a participant in Student Council and High School Athletics, Annie found that her time was always spent working with many other people. She carried that habit to Boise where she attended Boise State University and graduated with a degree in Spanish with minors in Basque Studies and Business. She also joined the Oinkari Basque Dancers and served as a board member, dance director and liaison for 10 years. Her connections with Oinkaris and the wonderful Basque community in Boise opened great opportunities for study and travel in the Basque Country as well as job opportunities on the Basque Block. Annie has worked in some form of education since college, and was hired at the Education Program Specialist for the Basque Museum & Cultural Center in the summer of 2013. In 2016, she was asked to lead the organization as the Executive Director to continue the success of preserving, promoting and perpetuating Basque history and culture for generations. Watch the video here.

9 Mars 202157min

This talk explores the historical perspective of Native Hawaiians with regard to struggles over land, sovereignty and community empowerment over the past 50 years, and how it fits within, and should be considered a part of, a greater theme of indigenous civil rights movements in the United States. Native Hawaiian activists tapped into the American Indian movement and in the process, became part of a wider movement for the rights of indigenous peoples impacted by American settler-colonial dispossession and marginalization. As the Native Hawaiian movement took shape, not only did it gain inspiration, momentum and support from mainland indigenous Americans, but, over time reciprocated the same. Native American and Native Hawaiian protests over land and sovereignty demonstrated growing indications of indigenous solidarity; Native Hawaiian activists joined the Standing Rock protests in 2016, viewing the Dakota Access Pipeline as a desecration of land belonging to indigenous Americans. Likewise, Native American activists provided support for the Mauna Kea protests in 2018-2019, some even staging protests on the mainland. Bio: Dr. Erik Hadley received his BA in History from the University of Montana and MA and PhD in History from University at Buffalo, with specializations in Early Modern Europe and the Atlantic World. He is a lecturer in the History Department at Boise State University, where he teaches classes on medieval and early modern Europe and oceanic histories of the Atlantic and Pacific Worlds. His research interests center on cultural history, particularly folkloric rituals, identity and popular commemoration, in both Western Europe and indigenous peoples in the Americas and Hawai’i. Dr. Hadley is the recipient of 2019-2020 Fulbright Research U.S. Scholar grant to Belgium to study the historical evolution, commemoration and public memory of UNESCO-recognized folkloric ritual festivals dating back the late Middle Ages and has authored numerous articles on historic cultural identity in French-speaking Belgium. Watch the video here.

23 Feb 20211h 10min

Although the US constitution dedicates relatively little space to the executive branch, it is specific about the Oath a president must take. Over the last two centuries, the inaugural ceremony accompanying the formal oath of office has varied quite a lot. From people who were inebriated and rambled through the speech, to people who spoke so long they became ill; I will discuss some interesting and politically important inaugurations. In addition, I will discuss who typically gets an invitation to inaugurations and how this impacts Idahoans. Bio: Matthew Miles is a professor of Political Science at BYU-Idaho where he teaches undergraduate courses on the Executive Branch and a longtime member of the Presidents and Executive Politics section of the American Political Science Association. He has authored a book and more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles. His research on the Executive Branch has been published in Public Administration Review, Policy Studies Journal, The International Journal of Press/Politics, and Presidential Studies Quarterly. Watch the video here.

12 Jan 202157min

The history of the Silver Valley, Shoshone County Idaho reads like a dime novel with MURDER, MINING, MAYHEM, MEN, MONEY AND PROSTITUTION! Many of the Mining Laws of 1972 were written from the court cases filed in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. The military highway through the South fork of the Coeur d’Alenes opened the territory to prospectors and adventurers. Wallace and the Silver Valley are mining camps, the railroads came because of the money to be earned shipping ore concentrated to the smelters. The industry has evolved with the changing times, environmental regulations and the communities are ready to continue their sustainability with changes as well. Shauna moved to Wallace in 1980, because the wind does not blow here! Wallace is the best small mountain town where a person could reside. It is on the Interstate 90 corridor, near to Spokane, Washington, and Missoula, Montana. (If one must go to the city.) It is in the middle of mountains, rivers, hiking trails and outdoors sports. She finds the history of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District, Shoshone County and the railroad transportation fascinating and surprisingly modern. She is curious and an avid reader, of all kinds of topics. It is a pleasure to reside and work in Wallace as we define ourselves as a mining camp, a tourist destination, a trailhead on crown jewel bicycle path, and a hometown. Watch the video here.

1 Dec 202056min

The life of American Western artist Archie Boyd Teater is recorded through his art, the construction of his studio/home, and in the extensive collection of archival material and artifacts left after the death of he and his wife, Patricia. Born in Boise in 1901, Teater became a prolific impressionist painter. With a popular studio in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Teater found success painting western scenes, commissioned portraits, and the Teton Range. His art funded trips around the world, and in the 1950s, a studio/home in Idaho designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The only Frank Lloyd Wright designed structure in Idaho, Teater's Knoll still overlooks the Snake River. Teater's legacy reaches across disciplines and generations, still touching the lives of people who knew and study him. This conversation will explore Teater's life and ongoing impact through the many sources that recorded his story. Henry Whiting, owner of Teater's Knoll in Hagerman, Idaho. Henry is an expert on Frank Lloyd Wright and he has written two books about his home in Hagerman. Lester Taylor is a former economics professor who wrote the book on Archie Boyd Teater. His book, The Life and Art of Archie Boyd Teater, was published in 2016. He owns hundreds of Teater paintings and met Archie when he was alive. Employed by the Idaho State Historical Society, Chelsee (she/her) is a public historian with a background in archives and museums. She earned her MA from Boise State in 2017. Watch the video here.

17 Nov 20201h

How do the Renaissance and Reformation look different when viewed through the lens of gender? Join us for an exploration of women as both the subjects and creators of art. We’ll explore popular themes in art, such as Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, and the great works of artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Barbara Longhi, Fra’ Fillipo Lippi, and Judith Leyster. Lisa McClain is a Professor of History and Gender Studies at Boise State University. She specializes in the history of Christianity during the Reformation era and the intersections of gender, religion, and popular culture. She is the author of the books Divided Loyalties? Pushing the Boundaries of Gender and Lay Roles in the Catholic Church, 1534-1829 (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) and Lest We Be Damned: Practical Innovation and Lived Experience among Catholics in Protestant England 1559-1642 (Routledge, 2004), as well as numerous book chapters and journal articles. She is a past Idaho Humanities Council Research Fellow. Watch the video here.

10 Nov 20201h 1min