JUST ANNOUNCED: Keynote Address will be by the honorable Senator GEORGE=20=

MCGOVERN.

War and the West
17th Annual Mari Sandoz Heritage Society Conference
March 30 to April 1, 2006
Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center
Chadron State College
Chadron, Nebraska

Taking inspiration from our theme book for the 2006 conference, The=20
Tom-Walker, the
Mari Sandoz Heritage Society invites proposals for individual papers or=20=

panel
presentations related to the subject of "War and the West,"=20
particularly the treatment or depiction of soldiers departing from=20
rural areas=97from the "heartland" of America, so to speak=97to fight in=20=

far off engagements, and their subsequent returns to their communities=20=

in the West. In her 1947 novel The Tom-Walker, Sandoz charts the impact=20=

of three wars across three generations of soldiers in a single family.=20=

After losing his leg fighting in Grant=92s Army, the patriarch, Milt=20
Stone "takes his family west to the Missouri country. There he gains a=20=

reputation as a raconteur and as a passionate defender of the little=20
man who works hard, fights the wars, and gets squeezed out by powerful=20=

interests. He lives to see his son and grandson fight in World War I=20
and World War II, respectively, and return home from those wars, maimed=20=

like him, only to have to resume a fight just to stay
alive." (UNL Press).

Proposals are welcome from across the disciplines. We are particularly=20=

interested in
literary and historical studies that explore this theme through a=20
"Western" lens. Papers related to the issue of war injuries, the draft,=20=

the divide between Washington (where wars are managed) and the West=20
(where so many of the fighting men come from), to the military impact=20
in the West (bases, ranges, testing, P.O.W. internment, etc.) to the=20
politics and divisions of war policies, patriotism, "hawks" and=20
"doves" in the West (past and present), to the literary depictions of=20
Westerners (including Native Americans) in both combat and the home=20
front are welcome.

Proposals for individual papers should be one or two paragraphs; panel=20=

proposals should include a brief abstract of each paper. Deadline for=20
submission is JANUARY 15, 2006. Please include complete contact=20
information, including Name, Affiliation, email address, mailing=20
address and phone number, and submit to:
Sandoz Conference c/o Dr. Matthew Evertson
Department of Language and Literature -- Chadron State College
1000 Main St. -- Chadron, NE. 69337

About the Annual Conference:
In its 17th year, the annual conference offers an opportunity for=20
scholars, western
enthusiasts and fans of Sandoz to gather and discuss the kind of issues=20=

and ideas of the Great Plains region that inspired her own written=20
work. Beginning with a selected work from Sandoz, panels and=20
presentations are organized around the general theme. A keynote=20
presentation takes place on the opening night of the conference. For=20
example, the 2004 conference focused on Sandoz=92s The Buffalo Hunters,=20=

and featured a keynote address by Elliott West, noted western scholar=20
and author of The Contested Plains, as well as a reading by Dan O=92Brien=20=

from his critically acclaimed memoir Buffalo for the Broken Heart. The=20=

2005 conference focused on the them of the Blizzard of 1949 and=20
Sandoz=92s 1954 novelette Winter Thunder. Willaim C. Kloefkorn, Nebraska=20=

State Poet, gave the keynote presentation, while the conference=20
featured several panels and discussions relating to the "blizzard" as a=20=

theme in western history and literature, and the Blizzard of 1949 in=20
particular. Field trips are scheduled with each conference and have=20
recently included tours of the famous "Spade" Ranch in the sprawling=20
Nebraska Sandhills, the reconstructed Cavalry Barracks at Fort Robinson=20=

(site of the 1878 Cheyenne "Breakout") and the nearby Museum of the=20
Fur-Trade.

About Chadron State College and the High Plains Heritage Center:
The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center is located on the campus of=20=

Chadron State College, nestled in northwest Nebraska along the scenic=20
Pine Ridge. Chadron State Park, Fort Robinson and the Black Hills=20
Region (including Mount Rushmore and the Badlands) are all within easy=20=

driving distance of the campus. Outdoor recreational opportunities such=20=

as fishing, hunting and cross-country skiing abound in the area.=20
"Outside Magazine" has selected Dawes County where Chadron is located=20
as one of the nation's top 100 counties in which to live. In early=20
2000, "Sports Afield" designated Chadron as one of the "top 50 outdoor=20=

sports towns" in the nation and also said Chadron was one of the four=20
best mountain biking towns in the United States. The area has a rich=20
agricultural base, possessing some of the best cattle ranching land in=20=

the world. Chadron is a community of nearly 6,000 and possesses many of=20=

the cultural and civic opportunities of larger population centers.=20
Chadron State is the only senior-level, accredited college in the=20
western half of Nebraska.

The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center is an extensively renovated=20=

former campus "Carnegie-style" library, listed on the National Register=20=

of Historic places. Opened in September, 2002, the center features=20
exhibits, a preservation/preparation workroom equipped with=20
state-of-the-art technology and an archival library. The Center also=20
serves as the repository for the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, which=20
has loaned its expansive collection of Sandoz materials for the=20
exhibits and archives. The Society assists in educational programming=20
and encourages research and publishing about the High Plains region. An=20=

adjacent two-story atrium has been named for lead donors, Vernon P. and=20=

Madge Fortune Chicoine. It provides additonal space for exhibits,=20
meetings and social events.

Contact Information:
Dr. Matthew Evertson, Department of Language and Literature, Chadron=20
State College:
mevertson_at_csc.edu
Web Addresses: www.marisandoz.org & www.csc.edu/sandoz

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Received on Tue Dec 27 2005 - 11:44:28 EST