On this episode of Great Plains Anywhere, we talk with the co-editors of the new edition of "Nebraska Government and Politics," a book that provides background and context to the origins of Nebraska's political culture and institutions. Robert Blair is a professor emeritus at the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Christian Janousek is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Creighton University, and Jerome Deichert is director emeritus for the Center for Public Affairs Research at UNO.

Great Plains Anywhere talks with Tabitha Hughes, a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska's School of Natural Resources. Hughes is the lead author on a new study tracking the movement of elk in Nebraska, published in the journal of "Biological Conservation." We talk about the history of elk in Nebraska, where they're located now, and how they migrate through the area. Hughes is a doctoral student of Professor John Benson, who is also working on the project. See a video version of this podcast at go.unl.edu/gpanywhere.

Meet Elijah Riley, Founder & Executive Director, and Kyndal Hudson, Operations Director, with Big Gumdrop Outdoors, a new Nebraska non-profit dedicated to educating underserved youth about nature.

The Community Partner in Residence program at the Center for Great Plains Studies is a new program designed to promote greater collaboration between the Center and community organizations in the Lincoln area that engage in some way with the mission of the Center. Our first Community Partner in Residence for 2025 is Big Gumdrop Outdoors.

A team from Wichita State University's Department of History is documenting queer history in Wichita, Kansas, in a new photo history book from Arcadia Publishing. Dr. Jay Price, chair of history of WSU has overseen a series of photo history books about different historical topics in the region, with the newest one focused on the deep history of the LGBTQ community in Wichita. Our student storyteller Kaitlyn Richards talked with Dr. Price along with graduate student Derek Landwehr and Center of Wichita's Chair Brent Kennedy about this project, which will release in June 2025. This is the final episode of our student storyteller's podcast takeover, thanks for listening to Pride in the Plains this semester. We'll return soon with more Great Plains Anywhere.

Cory DeRoin speaks about his experience as mixoge, an Otoe word translated as "sacred person" — someone who possesses a masculine and feminine spirit. DeRoin, a proud member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Bear Clan, is the current mayor of Red Rock, Okla., and is deeply committed to supporting tribal communities culturally, spiritually, and economically. DeRoin’s volunteer work includes volunteering with the Pawnee Seed Preservation Society, where he aids in corn harvesting in Oklahoma and Nebraska. His career and volunteerism reflect his lifelong mission to uplift tribal communities, and he remains dedicated to advancing their growth and visibility across Indian Country.

Student Storyteller Kaitlyn Richards' podcast takeover continues with an interview with Mar Lee (they/them). Mar is a Nebraskan who has spent years organizing and advocating with community members across the state on issues related to queer liberation, food production and access, sexual and domestic violence prevention, and much more. Hear about their journey from a growing up in a rural community to becoming a force for advocacy in Nebraska in this episode.

Mar responded to Kaitlyn's call for for people to tell their story of life as an LGBTQ+ person living on the Plains.

Student Storyteller Kaitlyn Richards' podcast takeover continues with an interview with Jennifer Lentfer, a poet and artist as well as a communications strategist. Jennifer responded to Kaitlyn's call for for people to tell their story of life as an LGBTQ+ person living on the Plains.

During the spring semester, Great Plains Student Storyteller Kaitlyn Richards is doing a podcast takeover! Instead of our regular Great Plains Anywhere episodes, she is hosting Pride in the Plains, a podcast dedicated to amplifying queer voices across the often-overlooked Great Plains region.

We asked our audience to share their stories of being LGBTQ+ on the Great Plains, so this episode features our first community interview with historian and artist Autumn Langemeier (she/her).