Arts-Entertainment
The Speaker Series of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation continues with multiple events during the second week of March. The feature event is a lecture in the Dulce Theatre at the Shane Center for the Arts on Wednesday, March 11th at 6 pm. Dr. Craig Lee, Montana State University professor of archaeology and sociology, will address the topic of Drive Lines and Buffalo Jumps in Paradise Valley. Dr. Lee’s presentation is titled: "Hunting the High Country: Drivelines & Ancient Strategies in Greater Yellowstone."
In association with Dr. Lee’s tenure as scholar-in residence, a reception, featuring a related exhibit, will take place at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum on Tuesday, March 10th at 5:30 pm. This event is also free and open to the public.
Prior to his lecture on Wednesday, March 11th, Dr. Lee plans to visit with 5th graders at Eastside Elementary School and also with a Native American Studies class at Park High.
On Saturday, March 14th, Dr. Lee and several of his associates will lead an archaeology field trip to view parts of a driveline and buffalo jump complex in Paradise Valley. The guided field trip begins at the Park County Fairgrounds at 8:30 am. Comfortable bus transportation has been arranged, and some walking or hiking is required at the site. The total cost per person is $125. Registration will soon be available through the museum.
Dr. Lee offers this text as a teaser to his presentations: “Long before roads and fences, people in the Greater Yellowstone shaped the landscape to hunt animals moving through the mountains and valleys. Drawing on recent archaeological research, this talk explores how stone drivelines, hunting blinds, and ice patches were used together as part of sophisticated hunting strategies rooted in careful observation of animal behavior, terrain, and seasonal change. As melting ice reveals alpine sites, we are seeing evidence of long-term indigenous stewardship—engineered hunting landscapes built, revisited, and maintained across generations. These observations offer not only a window into the deep past, but also insights into sustainable human–animal relationships that remain relevant today.”
The Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation is grateful for the support of many Park County organizations and individuals who have helped us make this possible: Elk River Arts & Lectures, the Park County Community Foundation, the Park County Environmental Council, Friends of Park County, Carol Lalani, Murray Hotel, and the Tom Miner Basin Association.