TellTale: Dakota Folklife and Stories

Rural Mandan, ND singer, songwriter, and poet Chuck Suchy shares the compelling story behind his historical ballad The Hand of Josephine, which was a part of the 1990 project “We the People.”

Rural Mandan, North Dakota singer, songwriter, and poet Chuck Suchy talks about his song Western Justice, which was a part of the 1990 project “We the People.”

Rural Mandan, North Dakota singer, songwriter, and poet Chuck Suchy talks about the emotional story of the titular woman behind his song Katie O’Hare, which was a part of the 1990 project “We the People.”

Rural Mandan, North Dakota, singer, song writer, and poet Chuck Suchy talks about the songs Keeping it Free and River Liberty from the 1990 project “We the People” that address citizenship responsibilities.

Keith Bear the Mandan/Hidatsa flutist, artist, and storyteller from New Town, North Dakota, talks about the healing power of music.

Keith Bear, the Mandan/Hidatsa flutist, artist, and storyteller from New Town, North Dakota, shares how he first learned to play the wooden flute and how he was taught and given the right to make them by his uncle Carl.

Keith Bear, the Mandan/Hidatsa flutist, artist and storyteller from New Town, North Dakota, shares his traditional story of Turtle and Pretty Crane.

North Dakota is a melting pot for fiddle music. Fargo, North Dakota, fiddle player Loy Larson and Bismarck, North Dakota, guitarist John Lardinois discuss how fiddle tunes evolved as influences from across the world made it to North Dakota.

Two old friends, Fargo, North Dakota, fiddle player Loy Larson and Bismarck, North Dakota, guitarist John Lardinois sit down together to talk about one of Thomas Jeffersons favorite fiddle tunes Gray Eagle, square dances in Western North Dakota, and the history of fiddling contests.

Two old friends, Fargo, North Dakota, fiddle player Loy Larson and Bismarck, North Dakota, guitarist John Lardinois sit down together to talk about and play the popular traditional dance tune Red Wing.

Two old friends, Fargo, North Dakota, fiddle player Loy Larson and Bismarck, North Dakota, guitarist John Lardinois sit down together to talk about and play one of their favorite traditional waltzes Over the Waves.

John Lardinois, of Bismarck, North Dakota, is not only an accomplished guitarist but also a talented luthier. John shares how he learned this skill as an apprentice under renowned luthier Dan Roberts of Belgrade, Montana. John also tells about the best guitar he owns after being a part of the North Dakota Council on the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program.

Fargo, North Dakota fiddle player Loy Larson and Bismarck, North Dakota guitarist John Lardinois reconnect over their love of music and play some of their favorite old tunes together.

Frank Kuntz of Linton, North Dakota, shares of the healing he and his late brother Leo Kuntz, both Vietnam veterans, felt after working with Nokota horses.

Frank Kuntz of Linton, North Dakota, has the largest and oldest herd of Nokota horses in the world. Frank shares the history behind this truly unique breed of horse.

Frank Kuntz shares how he and his late brother Leo Kuntz learned to love horses from a young age, growing up in Emmons County, North Dakota. While horse breaking and racing, the Kuntz family would discover and then fall in love with a different horse breed called Nokota.

Rural Mandan, North Dakota singer, songwriter, and poet Chuck Suchy discusses the ideas behind his song A Big Small Town, which was a part of the 1990 project “We the People.”

The claim to lands of the west as a huge source of revenue for the new US.

States' Rights