Humanities speakers may be absent from Montana libraries and schools with DOGE cut

When an author, poet or creator comes to an event at a school and library, they often offer a source of inspiration for budding storytellers.  

Since Nov. 1, 2023, 13 events sponsored by Humanities Montana have been hosted at Whitefish schools or the community library, but such events may be a thing of the past after reports of federal cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities grant programs emerged last week.   

The Trump administration has terminated more than a thousand of these federal grants across the U.S., according to news reports from USA Today, while the bulk of the agency’s staff was put on administrative leave. 

Humanities Montana received notice April 2 that its general operating grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities was canceled. The grant pays for all of its programs, grants, staff salaries and other expenses, John Knight, programs director for Humanities Montana, wrote in an email to members. 

“As a result of this news and effective with this email, Humanities Montana is canceling all Montana Conversations, Speakers in the Schools and Poet Laureate programs, including presentations that are booked and scheduled,” Knight wrote. 

Speakers such as Chris La Tray, a Métis storyteller and 2023-24 Montana Poet Laurate, came to Whitefish in 2024 as a part of Montana Conversations programming. In Montana Conversations, trained facilitators and experts lead workshops on topics like current affairs, untold histories and native cultures.  

“Humanities Montana is a gift to us,” said Mary Drew Powers, director at Whitefish Community Library. “We depend on Humanities Montana for at least 50% of our programs here because we just don’t have the staff to do it.” 

Powers said over 50 people attended when La Tray visited in 2024.  

“He was great to work with. These are Montana people,” Powers said.  

“And Humanities Montana has a great variety of programs,” she said, referencing a Democracy Project at Columbia Falls High School.  

Powers said that when author Mark Gibbons came to the library in 2024 for his “Place Poetry: Montana State of Mind” talk, “He knew people here. He grew up in grade school with some.” 

Pointing to a poem in her office by Gibbons about “junk in the basement,” Powers said, “His poems are just real easy to read. Everybody could relate. He was gracious, like a lot of people at Humanities Montana.” 

Between the library and schools, Whitefish had six Montana Conversation events in 2024. There were 188 in Montana, 68% of which were in rural communities. 

In addition, five “Speakers in the School” events were held in Whitefish in 2024, and 491 in Montana.  

Across Flathead, Glacier and Lake counties, 63 events have been held since Nov. 1, 2023. 

Future speaker and workshop events will be “put at risk” following the cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities grant programs, according to Humanities Montana.

“Humanities programs are in museums, libraries, community centers, parks and educational institutions, including public, private and homeschool settings across Big Sky country,” said Jill Baker, Humanities Montana executive director. “Most of our funding goes to programs in rural communities like museums and libraries. It’s an essential part of building vibrant communities.” 

Last year, National Endowment for the Humanities funding reached all 56 counties in Montana. 

In addition to Montana Conversations and Speakers in the Schools, Humanities Montana uses NEH to support numerous local grants across the state; such as a 2024 $2,000 grant for a North Valley Music School program, Magic Beans: Songs for sprouting children.  

“We hope everyone will join us in emphasizing the importance of this funding by reaching out to Montana’s US Senators and Representatives,” Baker said, “or by finding creative ways to safeguard this funding and the programs and individuals it supports.”