I have all these stories in my head
Local author receives nonfiction award
By JAMES C. FALCON
editors@bhgnews.com
Local teacher and writer Hunter L. Andes has another addition to his CV: award-winning author.
Andes, who lives outside Makoti, was the recipient of the Nonfiction Book Awards' Silver Award, through the Nonfiction Authors Association, for his 2019 book The Elders: Stories from Fort Berthold.
His book catalogues the stories of four elders – Marilyn Hudson, Ed Hall, Almit Breuer and Jerry White – who told of how parts of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation were flooded in 1953 to make way for the Garrison Dam.
Communities such as Elbowoods, which was located south of Indian Hills Resort, and Nishu, which would be located at what is now the mouth of Nishu Bay, were forced to move to higher ground as the area around the Missouri River there was inundated with water, creating Lake Sakakawea in the process.
The book also catalogues the history and formation of the area, including Fort Stevenson and Garrison.
The chapters stemmed from articles Andes wrote for the McLean County Independent in 2018 and 2019. He worked as a writer for the Independent from 2018 to 2020.
“If it wasn’t for my time at the Independent, none of this would have happened,” he said.
On Dec. 10, Andes learned that he was the recipient of the award.
To win the award is a humbling feeling, Andes said.
