Museum of the Rockies lecture to focus on Métis people’s legacy in Montana

BOZEMAN - The Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University is hosting a lecture on the history of the Métis people of Montana on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m.

The lecture, "We Know Who We Are: The History and Legacy of the Métis People of Montana," will be held in the Hager Auditorium at the museum and is free for MOR members and $5 for non-members. Registration online is required for the event, which is part of the Rosenberry-Donohue Lectures on the American West series.

The Métis people were a distinct group formed through a union of Indigenous peoples and European settlers who had early settlements in Choteau, Big Timber and along the Canadian border. Their often overlooked history and cultural contributions have had a lasting impact on Montana's history and culture, with lecture topics planning to focus on the fur trade, challenges of displacement and Métis involvement in local resistance efforts.

The presentation will be delivered by MaggieJo Widdecombe, an MSU graduate with a bachelor's degree in earth sciences, specializing in paleontology. Originally from Ashland and a descendant of the Red River Métis, Little Shell Band of Chippewa and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Widdecombe now serves as MOR's outreach and museum educator and helped to develop the museum's new paleontology exhibit, Cretaceous Crossroads.

After the lecture, attendees can enjoy light refreshments and a meet-and-greet with Widdecombe.

More information about the event is available at https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/55907.