PIERRE, S.D. – The Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society will host a special webcast of the Smithsonian Institution’s “Living Earth” symposium entitled “Tribal ecoAmbassadors” from 1:30-3 p.m. CDT on Saturday, July 20. The symposium will take place at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre in the center’s education room.
The symposium is being hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and will include presentations by Native American students and scholars around the nation. Michelle J. DePass, assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of International and Tribal Affairs, will deliver opening remarks. The webcast is being presented by NMAI in partnership with the EPA.
There is no fee for the program, but standard admission fees apply for visitors wanting to go into the museum.
Across the United States, EPA scientists, tribal college and university professors, and Native students have embarked on projects to help community residents become part of an environmentally-conscious future. Symposium attendees can learn how expert Tribal ecoAmbassadors are developing innovative and locally-relevant solutions to protect the public health and environment – from creating carbon-negative and sustainable building materials to participatory air quality monitoring and exploring the impacts mercury and other toxins have on human health.
“This is a great opportunity to provide live programming from the Smithsonian to our audience,” said Jay Smith, director of the Museum of the State Historical Society. “We are pleased that NMAI has offered to make this a live, public programming opportunity, and we look forward to working with them again on future programming and other projects.”
The State Historical Society became a Smithsonian Affiliate in January.
About Smithsonian Affiliations
Established in 1996, Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops collaborative partnerships with museums and educational and cultural organizations to share Smithsonian Institution resources with Americans in their own communities. Smithsonian Affiliations works with affiliates to enrich communities with Smithsonian scholars, public programs and professional development opportunities. More information about the Smithsonian Affiliations program and a list of current
affiliates are available at https://affiliations.si.edu.
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Tourism. The Department of Tourism is comprised of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council, and the State Historical Society. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call (605) 773-3458 or visit history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.
