Conference Plans Taking Shape

The 2010 Mushing History Conference will be held in Willow, Alaska, on September 25 and 26, in conjunction with the 2010 Willow Dog Mushers Association’s Third Annual Symposium. A tentative schedule has been developed for this year’s conference:

Mary Shields

On Saturday, September 25 the 2010 Willow Dog Mushers Association’s Symposium will hold center stage in the Willow Community Center, and a wealth of canine athlete related programs are being planned. The Keynote Speaker will be Mary Shields, the first woman to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1974, and a panel of some of the first women to run the Iditarod will discuss various aspects of women and mushing. Also included will be a Gear Swap/Vendor Fair, Hands-On Seminars, multiple workshops and a Symposium/Fundraising Dinner with a Silent Auction and a showing of Mary Shield’s PBS video, Season of the Sled Dog.

From noon to 5:00 on Saturday the Old Log Cabin Community Center will be transformed into a mushing history museum, and a continuous informal conversation about the history of mushing will take place throughout the day. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion as we explore the items on display, and share mushing experiences and adventures, tales of the trail, and more.

On Sunday the 2010 Mushing History Conference will get underway in earnest, with a full program focusing on the history of sled dogs and mushing:

10:30 to 10:45 – Welcome, opening introductions
10:45 to 11:30 – First presentation
11:30 to 12:15 – Second presentation
12:15 to 1:00 – Lunch and visiting
1:00 to 1:45 – Third presentation
1:45 to 2:30 – Fourth presentation
2:00 to 2:45 – Fifth presentation
2:45 to 3:00 – Break for 15 minutes
3:00 to 3:45 – Sixth presentation
3:45 to 4:30 – Seventh presentation
4:30 to 5:30 – Women Mushers Panel
5:30 to 6:00 – Closing

The presentations for this year already include the All Alaska Sweepstakes, the Serum Run, Dog Mushing in the Northwestern Fur Trade, Iditarod Mail Carriers, and the history of women in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, with more still under discussion.

Artist David Totten

We are excited to have Talkeetna artist David Totten designing a poster for this year’s combined event with the Willow Dog Mushers Association’s Symposium. David, who often used his own recreational team of sled dogs as models for his well-known “sled dog art,” has been awarded numerous placements in the prestigious “Art Show at the Dog Show” competitions, and in 1995, 1997 and 1999 was selected to paint the official prints of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

Information updates about the 2010 Mushing History Conference will be shared via this website and the Mushing History Discussion Group, and at the Mushing History Facebook page.

Conference Director:
Helen Hegener
• Mail: P.O. Box 759, Palmer, Alaska 99645
• Phone: 907-354-3510
• Email: helen@northernlightmedia.com
Northern Light Media

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