The Montana Historical Society will celebrate its new affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution with a week-long series of events.

The MHS has become the 156th Smithsonian affiliate nationwide, which gives it and its members special access to Smithsonian collections and resources as well as programs and expertise, Society Director Richard Sims said.

There are more than 8,000 museums in the nation.

"We are honored to have this special relationship with the Smithsonian," Sims said. "This connects what we believe is the premier historical society in the West with one of the greatest historical institutions in the world."

To celebrate that relationship the society has organized "Joining Hands with the Nation's Museum: A Celebration of Montana Art and Culture."

Admission to the museum will be free throughout the week.

On Friday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. Harold Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations, will officially welcome the MHS to its national network of partners.

At noon that day, historian Ken Robison will present "The Ozark Club of Great Falls" which stems from recent MHS research into the African-American history of Montana.

American Indian historian and museum professional George Horse Capture, who has worked for the Smithsonian and is currently a member of the MHS Board of Trustees, will present the blessing at the 1 p.m. public press conference.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer's Deputy Chief of Staff Sheena Wilson will speak at the event.

The MHS's award-winning DVD history series "Montana Mosaic" and other educational outreach material will be on display.

Other events at MHS, located east of the Capitol Building include:

- Tuesday, Feb. 12, at noon, "A Century under the Copper Dome: The Montana Legislature from Past to Present." Veteran Capitol reporter Chuck Johnson will present a program on the lawmakers who helped shape Montana's history.

- Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., "From the Heart: Heritage Quilt Registration." Quilting experts and MHS staff will help people document heirloom and contemporary quilts. They will help identify patterns, dates and materials of quilts brought in by the public and photograph them for submission to the Montana Quilt Registry kept in the Society's archives.

- Friday, Feb. 15, beginning at noon, official declaration of Society affiliation with the Smithsonian and other events.

- Saturday, Feb. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., "Cowboy Coffee and Biscuits, Native American Games, Barns and Dancing." MHS director Sims will serve up "Campfire Coffee" brewed on an outdoor fire using MHS's new custom coffees and cook Dutch-oven biscuits. Hot chocolate will also be available.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. a variety of hands-on activities for children will be offered in the museum.

Also at 11 a.m., American Indian games expert Deanna Leader of Great Falls will talk about those traditions, and Society Curator of Ethnology George Oberst will demonstrate and invite people to participate in the Native American game of "Snow Snakes," which involves sliding shaped and smoothed wooden sticks as far as possible down a snow trough.

Tribal members and Wakina Sky Indian Youth Program students have been invited to compete for prizes as part of the demonstration.

At noon, the Tiernan Irish Dancers of Helena will perform dances based on Irish traditions.

At 2 p.m. Christine Brown of the Montana Preservation Alliance and Society photographer Tom Ferris will present "Montana's Last Best Barns: A Pictorial History" based on a forthcoming book of the same name by the Montana Preservation Alliance to be published by the Society Press.