When local communities face relentless fear, ordinary citizens step up in extraordinary ways. Karna Sunby shares her story of driving into Minneapolis to support refugees and students who are in the country legally and in hiding from ICE. From delivering food boxes to driving terrified students under the threat of arrest, discover the incredible power of “neighboring” and community resistance in a time of crisis.

Karna calls her story “Neighboring”.

Karna Sundby’s journey of self-discovery has led her to explore many paths in life, from teaching meditation, to a successful career in corporate sales. What has always driven her most is the desire to make a difference. Often the toughest times in life are the ones which break us open and forge within us a deep well of compassion.

In our next story, Greg Munro wakes up on his grandparents’ Montana homestead at eight years old. He falls in love with the land and the hard-earned romance of ranching. Decades later, as a law professor working alongside Indigenous colleagues, a stark realization shattered his nostalgia: the farm he cherished was built on stolen Blackfeet land. Today, we explore one man’s journey from boyhood wonder to confronting the deep history beneath his roots in a story Greg calls “The Expanding Power of Place”.

In Greg Munro’s 50-year career as a trial lawyer, including 30 years as a law professor at The University of Montana, he has made storytelling the center of his advocacy. Greg is awed by this ancient and beautiful communication. He is now the patriarch of both sides of his large family. He was born curious, and persons, places and things are endlessly interesting to him. Greg describes himself as the proverbial jack of all trades and master of none.

Every year, Adyasha Nayak’s grandparents’ home in India offered an escape filled with chai, warmth, and the captivating tales of her grandfather—a former Forest Service ranger. Years later, after following in her grandfather’s footsteps and eventually moving across the world to Montana, a moment of deep homesickness revealed something unexpected: the comforting power of home can be found where you least expect it. Adyasha calls her story “Finding Home”.

Adyasha Nayak is a researcher and artist from India. Love of stories drives many of their interests in life. They are about to finish their PhD and excited to be using their degree helping marginalized communities in their home state. When not on their computer, you’ll find them birdwatching or painting.

Mandy Moonbird is the last employee left standing at the city’s seediest “no-tell” motel. She survived bedbugs, crime scenes, and hiding out in empty rooms watching Law & Order. But her final week on the job brought an even bigger disaster. Pick up your broom and dustpan and listen along in a story Mandy calls “Last Housekeeper Standing”.

Mandy Moonbird is an artist from Kalispell, Montana. She is trained in sustainable construction and is currently studying art at the University of Montana. You can catch her painting live onstage at concerts and festivals across the world. She is passionate about creating community-wide art projects, and wants to apply art therapy practices to public art. Mandy is on a mission to find the sourest sourdough in Missoula.