March 2, 2024

Twenty-five years ago, the world feared that Y2K would disrupt our newly computer-dependent society. Since then, technology has reached much greater heights, and the ways we tell South Dakota’s history have changed dramatically.

The South Dakota State Historical Society’s 2024 History Conference, April 5-6 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Pierre, will consider technological changes since Y2K and highlight the innovative ways our history is being discovered, studied, and utilized. Supported by an SDHC grant and organized by the State Archives, the conference will explore the theme of “Embracing the New Millennium: 25 Years Since Y2K.”

Conference attendees will hear how modern tools, techniques, and resources transform our understanding of South Dakota’s history, said Nancy Tapken, Strategic Partnership Developer for the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation.

“Like the South Dakota Humanities Council, we are also dedicated to preserving the stories that define South Dakota, and to telling those stories to promote civil conversation about the past and its relationship to our present and future,” she said. “The Annual History Conference is the centerpiece of our efforts to tell our state’s stories. It’s a vehicle through which we gather some of the best minds in the region and beyond, who are doing some of the most critical research into South Dakota’s stories.”

The conference opens Friday, April 5, with remarks by Dr. Ben Jones, Director of the South Dakota State Historical Society. Over two days, 19 speakers will give presentations on unique historical projects. A livestream option is available for those who cannot attend in person.

Special events include a Friday evening reception followed by a ’90s trivia event. The conference closes  with a Saturday luncheon featuring the Governor’s Awards for History. Speaking at the luncheon is bestselling author and public historian Jason Steinhauer, discussing his book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past.

Learn more and register for the 2024 History Conference here.

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