osa , ▁Iowa , ▁and ▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁child hood ▁years ▁in ▁L eth bridge , ▁Al berta , ▁with ▁his ▁family . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁to ▁Great ▁F alls , ▁Mont ana , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁gradu ating , ▁Howard ▁land ed ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter ▁for ▁the ▁Great ▁F alls ▁Le ader , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁two ▁daily ▁newsp apers ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁news ▁editor ▁at ▁the ▁Le ader ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 2 0 , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Le ader , ▁Howard ▁developed ▁a ▁characteristic ▁writing ▁style ▁that ▁was ▁simultaneously ▁straightforward , ▁ev oc ative , ▁and ▁comp elling , ▁and ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁his ▁talent ▁began ▁to ▁receive ▁bro ader ▁attention . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s ▁Howard ▁author ed ▁numerous ▁non f iction ▁articles ▁for ▁national ▁publications , ▁including ▁The ▁Nation , ▁Har per ' s ▁Magazine ▁and ▁others . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁string er ▁covering ▁Mont ana ▁issues ▁for ▁Time ▁and ▁Life ▁mag az ines . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁ess ays ▁Howard ▁produced ▁for ▁these ▁period ical s ▁expl ored ▁the ▁difficulties ▁faced ▁by ▁Mont ana ' s ▁Native ▁Americans ▁and ▁other ▁dis enf ranch ised ▁groups ; ▁others ▁were