Multicultural programs at Mount Rushmore National Memorial next week will be filmed for a 2009 national multimedia program involving filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan.

To celebrate American heritage at Mount Rushmore, cultural groups and performers who have presented in the past at the memorial are returning to highlight their traditions, culture and music for a wider audience through the "Untold Stories" series.

The five-part series is being filmed for PBS by Florentine Films and WETA-TV. The series, due out in fall 2009, also will be available on Public Broadcast System DVD, streamed on a companion Web site and made available for use in community, education and park settings to accompany a 2009 Ken Burns-PBS documentary about America's national parks.

Mount Rushmore Superintendent Gerard Baker said the following presentations, Aug. 17-19, are open to the public:

* Sunday, Aug. 17, the Voices of Faith Choir from Faith Temple in Rapid City will perform gospel music in the memorial's amphitheater at 6 p.m., a prelude to the 8 p.m. evening lighting program.

* Monday, Aug. 18, the Germans from Russia Heritage Society will demonstrate history, heritage and dance at the cultural exploration area at the Grand View Terrace from 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

* Tuesday, Aug. 19, Lakota hoop dancer Jasmine Pickner will perform at the Grand View Terrace at 9:30 a.m. The Sons of Norway will demonstrate crafts, history and dance at the Grand View Terrace from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

* National Park Service cultural interpreters will share Native history and provide educational demonstrations at the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota heritage village between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. all three days, as they do throughout the summer.

Interpretation and educational outreach at Mount Rushmore has expanded to include the stories of the original inhabitants of the Black Hills region. The program aims to develop understanding, respect and friendship among the visitors sharing the memorial's vision of freedom and democracy, according to a news release.