BANCROFT, Neb. – The 50th annual Neihardt Day celebration will honor “The Sacred Circle” of the life and works of John G. Neihardt and family on Sunday, August 2 from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft.
Ron Hull, Senior Advisor for Nebraska Educational Television, will return as master of ceremonies for the event, an honor he has held for 48 consecutive years. Hull will introduce featured presenters including American folk-era musical entertainer Mike Adams, a living history interpretation of John and Mona Neihardt by Brad Kellogg and Raija Weierschauser, and the donation of the original manuscript of Neihardt’s “When the Tree Flowered” presented by James Storm. Special guests will be members of the Neihardt and Black Elk families in attendance, including a selected reading given by Neihardt’s granddaughter, Coralie Hughes, and special address by Myron Pourier, the great-great grandson of Oglala Lakota holy man Nicholas Black Elk.
Lunch and activities will begin on the grounds at 11:30 a.m. followed by the event program at 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and sponsored by John G. Neihardt Foundation, Nebraska Educational Television, and Cuming County Visitors Bureau.
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John G. Neihardt received the honor of Poet Laureate of Nebraska in 1921, with the designation of “In Perpetuity” given by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1982. He is best known for his book “Black Elk Speaks,” detailing the life and vision of Oglala Lakota holy man Nicholas Black Elk, first published in 1932.
Born near Sharpsburg, Illinois in 1881, Neihardt and his family moved to Wayne, Nebraska when he was 10. He attended grade school and graduated from Nebraska Normal College (now Wayne State College) at the age of 16. He taught one-room school for two years before moving to Bancroft in 1900, where he resided until he and his wife and children moved to Branson, Missouri in 1920.
In his later years, Neihardt returned to Nebraska to live at the home of Julius and Myrtle Young while he continued writing. His interview on The Dick Cavett Show in 1972 would become one of the show’s most memorable appearances and introduce new audiences to his works. He was writing the second volume of his autobiography at the time of his death in 1973.
The people of Bancroft first gathered to honor Neihardt in 1965, followed by official designation in 1968 through proclamation by the governor, the first Sunday in August to be “Neihardt Day” in Nebraska.
The John G. Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft is a branch museum of the Nebraska State Historical Society and includes an educational center, museum, library, gift shop, art and photography exhibits, Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden and Neihardt Study – the original one-room structure where Neihardt wrote from 1911-1920.
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NEIHARDT DAY EVENT SCHEDULE
Lunch and Activities
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
– Kid’s Activities and Vendor Booths
– Lunch by Conrad’s Kitchen
– Musical Entertainment by Mike Adams
– “Photography and the Plains Indian” and “Robinson Family Photographs” and pastel drawings by F.W. Thomsen on display
– Museum and Gift Shop open
Event Program
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
– Introduction by Ron Hull, Master of Ceremonies
– Invocation
– John and Mona: Neihardt Living History Program by Brad Kellog and Raija Weiershauser
– Welcome by Dr. Jon Cerny, Neihardt Foundation Board President
– “When the Tree Flowered” original manuscript donation presented by James Storm
– Selected Reading by Coralie Hughes, granddaughter of John G. Neihardt
– Special Guest Myron Pourier, great-great grandson of Nicholas Black Elk
– Recording of Black Elk’s Prayer by John G. Neihardt