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What Makes a South Dakotan
In celebration of our 40th Anniversary, the South Dakota Humanities Council is creating a book to answer the question “What Makes a South Dakotan?” Your entries and perspectives will make up the fifth volume of SDHC’s South Dakota Stories series, which we will release in Sioux Falls at our 10th Annual South Dakota Festival of Books (September 28-30, 2012).
An overwhelming response to our question
The South Dakota Humanities Council set out last fall to celebrate its 40th anniversary by creating a book project that had special meaning to South Dakotans.
After all, SDHC’s purpose is to serve the literary interests of our state.
SDHC staff felt the best route would be to create a book for South Dakotans by South Dakotans that would galvanize the collective citizenry as they explored the true meaning of what it means to be a true South Dakotan. As such, SDHC asked citizens a single question, “What Makes A South Dakotan?”
The response has been tremendous. People all over the state – and those who have left but possess fond memories of their native South Dakota – flooded our office with well-written and thoughtful submissions.
“We are extremely pleased to have received many excellent submissions for the What Makes A South Dakotan project,” said John Miller, South Dakota State University history professor emeritus and co- editor of the publication. “Selecting a limited number of stories for this book will be difficult due to the high quality of the submissions we received.”
Citizens gathered for “Civic Reflection” gatherings hosted around the state by various humanities scholars; they discussed potential entries and their own definitions of the question. One clever West River resident even created his own checklist of qualities possessed by South Dakota citizens.
Because of these productive discussions and the thoughtful and creative responses submitted by past and present South Dakotans, SDHC has more than enough material to compile a book we feel will truly represent the best of what South Dakota – and its people – has to offer. Our editors have begun the difficult task of sifting through the submissions and selecting a limited quantity for the final product. The book will feature stories, poems and even photographs.
This publication will be released at the 10th Annual Festival of Books, which will be held in Sioux Falls Sept. 28-30. Please keep an eye on www.sdhumanities.org for more on this project in the coming months. And most of all, thank you for your contributions to this immensely important project. The overwhelming response we received will no doubt enable us to create a book that will represent the best of our state and its people.
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