The Cultural Freedom Fellowship award recognizes individuals whose work inspires their communities, domestic and international, that are struggling to uphold and defend their right to cultural freedom and diversity. This year, a fourth generation Montanan and goat rancher Alexis Bonogofsky was handed this award.

Bonogofsky talked with KGVO's Peter Christian about her award:

"The Lannan Foundation is a foundation based out of New Mexico that focuses on indigenous rights, arts and culture, and environmental issues. Somehow I was lucky enough to be awarded the 2014 Cultural Freedom Fellowship," Bonogofsky said. "I was mainly awarded for my work in southeastern Montana working with ranchers and Native Americans on energy issues."

On Sunday, Bonogofsky will be joining the People's Climate March in New York City to represent local environmental concerns. The protest will take place during the United Nations summit on the climate crisis and is expected to be the largest climate march in history.

"Specifically in Montana I've been really focused on the proposed Otter Creek coal mine on the Tongue River railroad in southeastern Montana and working with Northern Cheyenne tribal members and local ranchers to stop those projects," Bonogofsky said. "The proposed Otter Creek coal mine has various issues, both locally, but also globally in terms of the impact it will have on climate change. It is the largest proposed new coal mine in the country right now."

Bonogofsky has also fought other Montana environmental issues, from empowering local communities to protecting vital natural resources under threat to documenting the fight for future generations.

Alexis Bonogofsky:

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