KINSLEY – The Kansas Humanities Council recently awarded the Edwards County Historical Society and the Kinsley Library $3,397 in support of the “Kansas Military Forts and the Indian Wars” discussion series. Leo Oliva, Ph.D. will be facilitating the series with guided lectures and discussions.
The series will be held one Sunday afternoon a month from January to May. It will begin in the Kinsley City Meeting Room from 2-5 p.m. on Jan. 13. Meetings on Febr. 10, March 10, and April 14 will include guided tours of Fort Larned, Fort Dodge, and Fort Hays, respectively. The series will end back in Kinsley on May 5.
Participants will read and discuss in groups materials such as: Little Big Man by Thomas Berger, Dr. Oliva’s books about the 3 forts mentioned above, and numerous selections from primary sources including letters, newspaper and magazine articles, and other documents.
Each month will also feature a special guest scholar or interpreter, including: Ken Weidner, Mark Berry, Rex Abrahams, Joanne VanCoevern and Greg VanCoevern. Dr. Henrietta Mann, president of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College located on the campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, will wrap up the series in May.
There will be a $10 registration fee to cover admission/donation to the forts (payable at the first meeting). Participants will provide their own transportation and the library will facilitate car pools. The reading material will be acquired through the library or ILL or can be purchased. Some documents will be made electronically accessible.
 “KHC Humanities Grants support projects that connect people with ideas and engage audiences with the humanities,” said Julie Mulvihill, executive director of the Kansas Humanities Council. “This series’ lectures, readings, and discussions invite participants to consider the Indian Wars in Kansas from multiple perspectives and the site visits to the military forts provide a sense of place.”
For more information, a detailed schedule with dates, and to register on line, call 620-659-3341 or go to the Kinsley Library website www.kinsleylibrary.info.
The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based humanities programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and encourages Kansans to participate in their communities. For more information contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785-357-0359 or www.kansashumanities.org.