Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/joseph-medicine-crow/)
Should we be mourning the death of Ben Steele or celebrating the miracle that he lived for 98 years and 269 days? I can’t say I knew Steele well, but I’m reasonably certain he would have favored a celebration. And I’m absolutely sure that he would rather we were happy than not. (more…) Continue Reading →
Joseph Medicine Crow, the great Crow Indian historian, author and war hero, often called the last living Plains Indian war chief, reportedly died this morning at the age of 102. His death was reported on the Facebook page of Ben Pease, the artist whose portrait of Medicine Crow is above. In a private message, Pease said Medicine Crow “passed to the ‘Other Side Camp’ Sunday morning.” Among his many honors, Medicine Crow was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—by President Obama in 2009. In Billings, the District 2 School Board voted last year to name a new middle school in the Heights—the first public school built in Billings in 30-some years—after Medicine Crow. Continue Reading →
The School District 2 Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to name a new West End school Ben Steele Middle School following a last-minute petition drive in support of Steele, a World War II veteran and longtime artist and art teacher in Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →
The saddest quotation in last week’s Billings Gazette came from Shonn Lehmann, a volunteer weighing names for a new West End middle school. After fellow volunteer Dana Winchell suggested the district avoid naming the school after a human being because of the politics involved, Lehmann said, “I think that’s what we need to avoid, ticking people off.” (more…) Continue Reading →
Maybe Billings School District 2 should adopt the naming system used in some cities and simply assign numbers to new schools. The soon-to-be-named building on the West End would thus be known as Public Middle School No. 6. God forbid it should be named after anyone whose life might serve as a shining example to generations of young students. (more…) Continue Reading →
