8.6K
Downloads
47
Episodes
Stories for Action’s mission is to spark human connection around a thriving environment and strong communities. Join us for conversations with people taking bold steps, bridging divides, and creating calls to action; helping you find your role in fostering a healthy world. Find out more at www.StoriesforAction.org. Find a story to inspire you or let us help you share your story through film, audio, or a story workshop.
Episodes
Sunday Mar 03, 2024
Sunday Mar 03, 2024
Along this stretch of the Upper Yellowstone River in Montana, various dynamics exist. Hear from a rancher, a river restoration professional, an outdoor recreation business owner, and a Traditional Ecological Knowledge educator who are all deeply connected to this river. Whether the challenge is drought, flood, impact from river recreation, development, or otherwise, witness how approaches that are guided by local communities and by the river itself can create greater resiliency for the people and place here.
This is Part 2 of 2 of our episodes on the Upper Yellowstone River, focusing on the impact from increased river recreation, a community-guided response to this pressure, and the impacts of land use changes, rural community disconnects, and the challenges and value in collaborative approaches.
This episode pairs with the film Life in the Land: The Upper Yellowstone River. The Life in the Land project is a series of films that hears from folks around Montana speaking to the value in community-guided and holistic approaches within the landscape. The content is available for free at LifeintheLand.org
LINKS:
The Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group
Park County Environmental Council
Give Back to the Yellowstone Campaign
Wild Livelihoods Business Coalition
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to spark positive action for people and place. StoriesforAction.org Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#yellowstone #montana #rivers #upperyellowstone #paradisevalley #recreation #flyfishing #fishing #montanarivers #montanafishing #rafting #community #rural #watershedgroup #climatechange #wyoming #yellowstonenationalpark #nationalpark #bozeman #livingston
Friday Feb 23, 2024
The Upper Yellowstone River: Part 1 - The Floods & Listening to the River
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Friday Feb 23, 2024
Along this stretch of the Upper Yellowstone River in Montana, various dynamics exist. Hear from a rancher, a river restoration professional, an outdoor recreation business owner, and a Traditional Ecological Knowledge educator who are all deeply connected to this river. Whether the challenge is drought, flood, impact from river recreation, development, or otherwise, witness how approaches that are guided by local communities and by the river itself can create greater resiliency for the people and place here.
This is Part 1 of 2 of our episodes on the Upper Yellowstone River, focusing on the historic floods in 2022, the aftermath, and looking forward for resiliency for people and place.
This episode pairs with the film Life in the Land: The Upper Yellowstone River. The Life in the Land project is a series of films that hears from folks around Montana speaking to the value in community-guided and holistic approaches within the landscape. The content is available for free at LifeintheLand.org
LINKS:
The Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group
Park County Environmental Council
Give Back to the Yellowstone Campaign
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to spark positive action for people and place. StoriesforAction.org Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#yellowstone #montana #rivers #upperyellowstone #paradisevalley #flooding #climatechange #rural #montanarivers #flyfishing #yellowstonenationalpark #river #bozeman #livingston
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Safe Passages for Wildlife and People
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Wildlife and humans have a need to move across the landscape. But our modern modes of travel have put those necessary pathways at odds with one another. Our highways create barriers for animals to carry out the daily movements and seasonal migrations that are necessary for their survival. For people, crossing paths with an animal on the highway is also a threat to our own safety and a cause for collisions that cost around $8 billion in damages in the U.S. every year.
The topic of wildlife-vehicle collisions lies at the literal intersection of human needs and wildlife needs. In this episode, we take a look at how our approaches to this topic can relate to all areas of planning how our human needs and communities advance, in a way that acknowledges our place within our environments. We will hear from members of Yellowstone Safe Passages, a community-guided coalition in Southwest Montana that is taking a holistic approach to mitigate this issue. We will hear from a road ecologist about what this work looks like on the ground and the jaw dropping costs of continued conflict. And a policy expert will share how this topic creates bipartisan engagement and a model for productive legislative action.
In this episode, WE HEAR FROM:
Marcel Huijser, Western Transportation Institute
Liz Fairbank, Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Max Hjortsberg, Park County Environmental Council
Peter Brown, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Erin Sito, Wildlands Network
Members of Yellowstone Safe Passages
Other LINKS:
Yellowstone Safe Passages Facebook
Yellowstone Safe Passages Instagram
Download the ROaDS app to contribute data as a citizen scientist! Follow directions on the linked document.
Paradise Valley Online Dashboard of Citizen Science Data
Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Wildlife Crossing, Flathead Reservation
Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group
Ben Goldfarb's book on road ecology, Crossings
Ologies podcast episode with Ben Goldfarb on Road Ecology
ARTICLES:
Introducing Yellowstone Safe Passages
Montana Projects Receive $9 million for Wildlife Crossings
Report calls for highway improvements to lessen wildlife-vehicle collisions (in Montana)
Mandating Wildlife Crossings in Mexico’s Infrastructure
U.S. Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program
This episode is part of the Life in the Land project, which is a series of films and podcasts produced by Stories for Action. The series hears from folks that interact with the complexities of Montana's landscapes, speaking to the value of locally-led work and the holistic approaches needed for the health of communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. Find out more about the project and watch the films at LifeintheLand.org. Reach out if you would like to host a free screening of the content for your community, organization, or classroom!
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to spark positive action for people and place. StoriesforAction.org Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#Yellowstone #wildlife #roadecology #ecology #sustainability #montana #environment #ruralamerica
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
The Montana Legislative Session from an Indigenous Perspective
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Today we will hear from Patrick Yawakie-Peltier, co-Founder of Red Medicine LLC, an Indigenous civic engagement service based in Montana. Patrick was present throughout Montana's legislative session this year, advocating for and against policy that will impact the state's tribal members. Patrick will share with us his personal experience in the session as an Indigenous person and community advocate, and also his calls for improved engagement and approaches in our state legislative process. Patrick shares messages intended for tribal members to gain information and entry points for advocacy, and also for non-Native folks to gain valuable insight and perspective. Like many of our episodes attempt to do, I hope that no matter your demographic, you can gain some insight about others or even yourself through these conversations…as I believe, whether you agree with someone or not, it benefits us to be more informed about the challenges, and humanized perspectives of those we share our world with.
This episode also shares some context and introductory information on Montana's unique tribal communities and a few specifics that contribute to the field of Indian Law. We encourage you to continue your research on these topics. Below are a few links for starting points.
LINKS:
People's Food Sovereignty Program
Native American Influences on U.S. Government
Montana Indigenous Tribes: Their History & Location (from Office of Public Instruction)
Montana Indian Education for All - curriculum & information for all ages
Info on Indian Child Welfare Act: National Indian Child Welfare Association
Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968
"The 1950's plan to erase Indian Country" piece from American Public Media
Land Status of Indian Country in Montana: Policy Basics
House Bill 163 to extend task force for MMIP - Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons
Indigenous language revitalization
What the session means for Indian Country: Char-Koosta News article
Article on funding for internet access for rural and tribal communities
This episode is made possible with support from Headwaters Foundation, working side-by-side with Western Montanans to improve the health of our communities. Headwaters is committed to supporting the health and sovereignty of Native Americans through their grants and partnerships. Learn more at www.headwatersmt.org, or find them on Instagram and Facebook.
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Learn more at StoriesforAction.org Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#tribalsovereignty #legislation #policy #tribalpolicy #indianlaw #montana #montanalegislators #democrat #republican #indigenous #indigenousvoices #nativevoices #advocacy #community #reservation #policymaker #senator #congressperson #helenamontana #mmip #mmiw #icwa #stategovernment #aclu #flatheadreservation
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Uplifting community & connection through story: Marissa Hackett
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
It seems like these days, if you spend even the slightest amount of time tuned into public events and rhetoric, you become aware of growing divisions...that there is a silent, or sometimes very loud pressure to “pick a side”, narratives and messaging coming from higher levels of public messaging, social media, policymakers, to align, to pit us against them, and sometimes this narrative can grow louder than the moral compass inside our own head.
This episode with Marissa Hackett touches on a lot of things, and I hope that one of them sparks an answer for you on how we can humanize one another again, individualize the real stories behind our actions and bandwagons. This conversation is about respecting the sacredness of a connected community and connection to place...it’s about sharing story, removing stigmas, and normalizing the hard conversations, and empowering us to allow human connection to rise above political divides.
Marissa Hackett speaks to her connection to the people and places of Montana, her work with the Human Resource Development Center in Park County and the realities in rural areas of folks needing support with housing, food, safety from abuse, or other vulnerabilities. She also touches on her experience growing up in what she terms as a cult, and parallels she sees with divisive messaging tactics that are growing today.
LINKS:
Marissa Hackett's blog "Breaking the Cycle" on Substack
Human Resource Development Center (HRDC)
Leadership 49 program - MSU Park County Extension
Montana Veteran's Affairs Division
Livingston Food Resource Center
ASPEN - Abuse Support Prevention Education Network
Article: MSU Extension & MT Dept of Ag join new USDA regional food business center partnership
Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center
This episode was made possible through support from Meadowlark Guide Co, which hosts river trips and retreats that embrace the mountains, prairies, and rivers of Montana and Wyoming. They weave together elements of personal development, healing modalities, and adventure with the intent that you will find deeper and meaningful connection to place, self, and community.
_______________________________
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Learn more at StoriesforAction.org Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#community #Montana #homeless #rural #foodbank #foodinsecurity #affordablehousing #polarizing #divisive #nonpartisan #roymasters #breakingthecycle #healing #communityhealth
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Generations Indigenous Ways: Helene Gaddie (Life in the Land series)
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Helene Gaddie is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Generations Indigenous Ways (GIW). This community based Native nonprofit organization is dedicated to empowering American Indian youth with the knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education enhanced by Oglala Lakota values and way of life using Indigenous Sciences, operating in the Pine Ridge Reservation area. They host camps in all seasons, which consist of hands on learning that integrates traditional Lakota values and Indigenous Science with Western science, touching on everything from geology, astronomy, ecosystem health, learning modern technologies such as GIS or learning about physics through archery, with bows they construct themselves.
Helene’s story and messages provides great insight for anyone already leading a community-guided organization, anyone who sees a need in their community but doesn’t know where to start to take action, anyone working in the spaces of youth outreach, education, science, and for anyone in the Oglala Lakota Nation or beyond, who want to hear about some inspiring and impactful work.
This conversation with Helene took place at the Strengthening the Circle gathering, hosted by Hopa Mountain in Bozeman in April 2023. This gathering aims to build the capacities of experienced and emerging Native-led nonprofit organizations that are working to improve economic development, education, and social services on or near reservations.
LINKS:
Native Science Field Center
National Science Foundation
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples
Strengthening the Circle, gathering
This episode is part of the Life in the Land project, which is a series of films and podcasts produced by Stories for Action, which hears from folks that interact with the complexities of Montana's landscapes, speaking to the value of locally-led work and the holistic approaches needed for the health of communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. Find out more about the project and watch the films at LifeintheLand.org
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Learn more at StoriesforAction.org Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#Lakota #Oglala #Indigenousleadership #indigenousnonprofit #traditionalecologicalknowledge #tek #indigenousscience #sciencefoundation #nativescience #southdakota #montana #youth #STEM
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Alma McCormick is the Executive Director of Messengers for Health, an organization which holds a mission to foster and support trusted community leaders to improve the health of Apsáalooke (Crow) men, women, and children using solutions that respect and honor Apsáalooke strengths, culture, stories, and language. Messengers for Health began with a focus in cancer prevention for women of the Crow Nation, but their work has expanded to serve Crow women, men, and children, in various aspects of health outreach.
Alma will speak to breaking through cultural stigmas about speaking about cancer and how important it is to have medical care advocacy be made up of and guided by the community itself. She also speaks about the healing power of forgiveness and by sharing her own story, she gives inspiration on how to take the path of helping others in the wake of tragedy.
This conversation with Alma took place at the Strengthening the Circle gathering, hosted by Hopa Mountain in Bozeman in April 2023. This gathering aims to build the capacities of experienced and emerging Native-led nonprofit organizations that are working to improve economic development, education, and social services on or near reservations.
LINKS:
State of Montana Cancer Screening Program
MT State University's College of Education, Health and Human Development (Dr. Suzanne Held)
Hopa Mountain, organization
Strengthening the Circle, gathering
This episode is part of the Life in the Land project, which is a series of films and podcasts produced by Stories for Action, which hears from folks that interact with the complexities of Montana's landscapes, speaking to the value of locally-led work and the holistic approaches needed for the health of communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. Find out more about the project and watch the films at LifeintheLand.org
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Learn more at StoriesforAction.org Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#Health #cancer #americancancersociety #crownation #breastcancer #cancerawareness #indigenousadvocacy #nativehealth #indianhealthservices #native #nativenurse #crowagency #hardin #billings #montana #indigenousleadership #cancerprevention
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Daniel Kemmis: The Politics of Place (Life in the Land series)
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Daniel Kemmis has divided his public career between democratic theory and practice. He has been an active politician, author, and thought leader on the topics of community guided governance and decision making based upon citizens’ rooted connection to place.
Kemmis grew up on a small family farm in Eastern Montana, attended Harvard University, and the University of Montana’s School of Law. Kemmis served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1974 to 1984, rising to be Speaker of the House. He went on to become the Mayor of Missoula from 1990-96. Utne Reader recognized Kemmis as one of its “100 Visionaries” in 1995, he was awarded the Charles Frankel Prize for “outstanding contribution to the field of the humanities” by President Clinton, and honored with the Wallace Stegner Prize from the Center of the American West. Kemmis has authored the books Community and the Politics of Place, The Good City and the Good Life, and This Sovereign Land. His most recent book, Citizens Uniting to Restore Our Democracy, was published in 2020. In this book, by examining the historical and current context of American society, Kemmis reminds us that when we bring our problem-solving skills to bear as engaged members of collaborative communities, we can rise above the divisive partisanship and polarization so common today, and move onto the truly democratic ground of the common good.
We speak about these topics and more, and joining Daniel and I in this conversation is Bill Milton. Bill is a cattle rancher in the community of Roundup, Montana and is engaged in a variety of entities on a local, state, and national level, as an advocate for finding symbiotic relationships between people and the landscapes they're a part of.
LINKS:
Citizens Uniting to Restore Our Democracy
This episode is part of the Life in the Land project, which is a series of films and podcasts produced by Stories for Action, which hears from folks that interact with the complexities of Montana's landscapes, speaking to the value of locally-led work and the holistic approaches needed for the health of communities and the ecosystems they're a part of. Find out more about the project and watch the films at LifeintheLand.org
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. Learn more at StoriesforAction.org Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#Montana #missoula #politics #bipartisan #nonpartisan #polarization #dividednation #collaboration #danielkemmis #mayor #howtoheal #howtoconnect #createcommunity
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Creating Community and Representation in Outdoor Recreation
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
This episode hears from Alex Kim, a Korean American, who in 2020 founded the social enterprise Here Montana. Here Montana works to increase representation and inclusivity for People of Color and intersecting communities in outdoor spaces and recreational activities in Montana. It also works to develop personal and professional leaders in these spaces. Here Montana operates on the values of community, education, engagement, and joy to create opportunities for connection, fun, and healing that nature can provide. This episode has messages for those seeking community, those who may need a perspective shift, and folks interested in starting up their own social enterprise.
Find out more at HereMontana.org or on Instagram @Here_Montana.
This episode is generously sponsored by the Patagonia Outlet in Dillon, Montana. Patagonia's work is now guided by the following words from the company's founder, Yvon Chouinard, "Earth is now our only shareholder. If we have any hope of a thriving planet - much less a business - it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have. This is what we can do."
Stories for Action is a media company working in audio, film, and photography and holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to share human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. You can find out more about our work at StoriesforAction.org or on Instagram or Facebook.
#Montana #outdoorrecreation #getoutside #publiclands #recreation #diversity #equity #diversityintheoutdoors #keepitpublic #community #ski #run #hike #hunt #fish #rafting #socialjustice #outsidejoy
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Reframing Rural: Sarah Vogel, the Farmer’s Lawyer
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
For this episode of Stories for Action, we did an "episode swap" with the Reframing Rural podcast, hosted and produced by Megan Torgerson. While they graciously are airing one of Stories for Action's episodes on their feed, we are airing this first episode of Reframing Rural's third season. In it, Megan speaks with Sarah Vogel, attorney and author of "The Farmer's Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm." Sarah shares about her experience taking on the U.S. Government in a class action lawsuit brought forward by 240,000 farmers who were facing foreclosure in the 1980's farm crisis.
This episode touches on the pressures facing local farms and ranchers, which we still see today, but also reminds us to be involved with our democracy, to use our voices, and to hold our elected officials accountable. It reminds us that relatively recently, the public was less concerned with political party loyalty and tearing down one another and more concerned with choosing leaders who selflessly got things done for the betterment of their constituents.
We hope you enjoy this episode from Reframing Rural, and checkout their previous two seasons which share stories of people and places in rural America in an effort to cultivate curiosity and conversation across geographic, class, and cultural divides.
LINKS:
"The Farmer's Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm," Sarah Vogel
More on the 1980's farm crisis
Native American Agriculture Fund
"Country" film by Richard Pearce (1984)
“Going Under: North Dakota Lawyer Sarah Vogel Fights to Save Family Farms” feature story in Life Magazine (1982)
USDA Equity Commission
Stories for Action holds a mission to use the power of storytelling to create human connection and advance a thriving planet for all. StoriesforAction.org Follow along on our Instagram and Facebook: @StoriesforAction
#reframingrural #familyfarm #northdakota #southdakota #montana #rural #farmlife #ranchlife #bipartisanship #nonpartisan #community #lawyer #usda #farmserviceagency