High Desert Museum launches ‘250 in the West’ program to explore the regional legacy of America’s founding
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The High Desert Museum will launch a year-long program this spring called '250 in the West' to examine the legacy of the American founding in the region. The series precedes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
The program features a series of events with historians and scholars who will explore themes of public lands, citizenship and identity. The initiative aims to use regional history to encourage community conversation about modern challenges and opportunities in the West.
Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw explained that the series is designed to help residents connect through historical perspectives. "Anniversaries invite us to look both backward and forward and to pause and reconsider the stories we think we know," Whitelaw said. "In this series, our speakers illuminate little-known aspects of our region's history and the broader West. By grounding these conversations in history, we hope to create space for thoughtful engagement and meaningful dialogue at a time when many people are seeking ways to connect."
The series begins Thursday, March 12, with a presentation by Flannery Burke, a historian and professor at St. Louis University. Burke will discuss how Western perspectives influenced the intellectual development of the United States, including the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $8, with a 20% discount for museum members.
On Wednesday, April 15, Leisl Carr Childers will lead a discussion on the history of public lands from the American Revolution to the present. Childers is an associate professor at Colorado State University. Her presentation will examine how debates over land use continue to influence the High Desert region. Tickets are $8 for the public and include a 20% discount for members. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. event.
The spring series concludes on Thursday, April 30, with legal scholar and author Susan Kamei. She will explore the constitutional ramifications of the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Kamei will discuss how this history challenges traditional ideas of citizenship and what it means to be an American. Tickets for this event are $12 and include a post-presentation reception with light appetizers.
The '250 in the West' program is made possible through support from the America 250 Oregon Commission. More information and tickets are available here.
The museum will continue the '250 in the West' program in the fall with a new schedule of events and speakers. These upcoming presentations will further examine how questions of land, culture and citizenship are woven into the history of the High Desert.
