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Incashola formally recognized as ‘heritage keeper’

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News from the Montana Historical Society

The Montana Historical Society has announced the honorees of major recognition by the Board of Trustees, presented each year at the Montana History Conference. The Montana Heritage Keepers and Heritage Guardian Awards are bestowed by the Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees to honor exemplary work, commitment, and effort in identifying, preserving and presenting the history and heritage values of Montana for current and future generations. The awards were presented last Sept. 22 in Helena at the Montana History Conference Awards Banquet.

Thomas Nygard of Bozeman, president of the Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees presented the awards and said, “Our Heritage Keeper Awards, as well as the seldom-granted Heritage Guardian Award, of 2017 is clear evidence of how diverse the Board of Trustees’ awards are. Recognition stemmed from the work of a Native American for his tribe to a High School teacher for his students and onward to a museum stalwart for her work for the greater museum family. 

The Heritage Guardian Award was given to a Women’s Studies and Feminist champion. Montana understands where the history is made.” 

Tony Incashola of St. Ignatius is among this year’s Heritage Keeper Awardees. Incashola has dedicated his life to preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the culture, history, and language of the Salish and Pend d’Oreille people. 

Under Incashola’s leadership, the Culture Committee has compiled an impressive record of preserving traditional language, knowledge and cultural practices. Equally, the Committee has shared that information through museum exhibits, interpretive signage, books and articles, websites and apps. According to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley, Incashola’s “steady leadership, dedication to the cause of cultural survival and revival … has helped establish the SPCC as one of the foremost tribal cultural institutions in the nation.” It has also “helped spur our young people to learn their own identity and has helped the wider public gain greater respect for the CSKT.”

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