Local History News: May 17, 2023

Field Note

Staff from the Native American Initiatives and Heritage Preservation, Planning, and Outreach departments of the Minnesota Historical Society were out at the Upper Sioux Community in Yellow Medicine County, MN for a family history "Preserving Photographs Event & Open House." The event showcased preservation methods for photos and digitization how-to's for your own photographs. Staff also was on hand with a scanner and copystand to digitize family photos and albums brought in by tribal members for them to take home.

Heritage Preservation Grants

The Grants Office is coming to Pope County
You bring the questions; we'll bring the answers. The MNHS Grants Office will be holding an in-person Grants Open House with our colleagues at the Pope County Historical Society in beautiful Glenwood, MN on June 6, from 11 am to 1 pm. Drop in to chat with friendly grants and local history services specialists about your Minnesota history work, open grants, or project ideas. A light lunch will be provided. 

RSVPs are appreciated but not required. RSVP to Gillian and include a few notes about what you'd like to talk about.  If we have interest in specific topics from multiple groups, our team will put together a short presentation.

Grants Office Webinar: Environmental Monitoring in Museums
May 18 - Online: 2 to 3 pm (CT). Temperature, humidity, and UV? Before you can apply for a grant to improve your museum environment, it's important to understand what its current conditions are. Learn how to use a data logger, write an environmental monitoring plan, and what to do with all of the data you will find. Hear advice about grants to support monitoring work. Improve your museum space. Presented by Megan Narvey, Outreach Conservator. 
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com 
Join by phone: ‪(US) +1 386-361-3086‬ PIN: ‪420 891 978‬#

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from Hennepin History Museum. Have a blog? Let us know!

Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ = VCPC + LA²
The equation in the title came about as a way for me to remember what I was writing about. Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ is the Dakota name for Bassett Creek.

In 2021, Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) sought to take their land acknowledgement beyond the paper it was written on. VCPC built upon the words of their acknowledgement with deeds, reaching out into the Native American community to start multiple conversations. The Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ / Bassett Creek Oral History Project is an effort to amplify those voices that they might ring out to garner community partners to effect change.

Hennepin History Museum was fortunate enough to become the repository for this oral history project, as it may be the first one of its kind – one which focusses on Native American people in the Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ watershed, including Golden Valley and other Minneapolis suburbs. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Do You Trust Me? Cultural Heritage Planning with Indigenous Communities - 106 Group
• Open Door at the Superintendent’s House - Minneapolis Park History
• May’s History Friday: Kraus-Anderson Projects Featured in Doors Open Minneapolis - Kraus-Anderson
• Pope County Photographers – Porter Brothers / Darkes & Porter - Pope County Historical Society

From the Tube

This week's post is from CGEE Hamline University. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Biboonkeonini: The Wintermaker
This video presents stories and artwork about the Ojibwe mythological figure known as Biboonkeonini, or the Wintermaker. The stories are illuminated by Ojibwe artist and scholar Carl Gawboy in dialog with photographer Travis Novitsky, whose images also help tell the tale. The video is produced by CGEE as part of the Talking Sky interactive, based on the book Talking Sky by Carl Gawboy and Ron Morton. Watch Video »

More MN Tube posts

• Officers Row Privies on Fort Snelling’s Upper Post - Council for Minnesota Archaeology
• Object Collections Reveal 6 - Munro's Sword - Freeborn County Historical Museum
• The Tiny City that Almost Wasn’t - MinneCulture
• Black Critique, Louis Moore - African American Registry
• Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay: Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center U of MN

Job Opportunities

Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship,  Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.

MNHS

• Program Facilitator I, Kayak Guide/Naturalist -  Forest History Center
• Program Assistant - MN History Center

LOCAL

• Archives Technician - Mankato University Archives, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN
• Museum Assistant - Jackson County Historical Society, Lakefield, MN

REGIONAL

• Education and DEAI Coordinator - German American Heritage Center and Museum, Davenport, IA
• Collections Coordinator - South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, Brookings, SD
• Outreach Coordinator - Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile North Dakota State Historical Society, Cooperstown, ND
• Senior Registrar - Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Museum Administrator - McHenry County Historical Society, Union, IL
• Education Program Specialist II - Museum of the Grand Prairie, Mahomet, IL
• Public Program Specialist I - Museum of the Grand Prairie, Mahomet, IL
• Museum Manager - Skokie Park District, Skokie, IL
• Indianapolis Preservation Coordinator - Indiana Landmarks, Indianapolis, IN
• Collections Coordinator - Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• Collections and Community Engagement Manager - University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN
• Director of Development - The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology, Newark, OH
• Civic Education & Outreach Manager - Supreme Court of Ohio, Columbus, OH
• Director/Executive Secretary - Allen County Museum and Historical Society, Lima, OH
• Welcome and Safety Attendant - Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, MB
• Policy and Compliance Specialist - Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB
• Program Interpretor - Children's Museum, Winnipeg, MB

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Summer Graduate Fellow - American Association for State and Local History, Nashville, TN
• Curatorial Intern - Grinnell College Museum of Art, Grinnell, IA

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the Proctor Historical Society.

Exhibit: To Have and To Hold - 10 Years of Marriage Equality In Minnesota
Opens May 17 - Rochester: History Center of Olmsted County - Same-sex marriage was made legal in Minnesota when Governor Mark Dayton signed Bill HF 1054 into law, defining marriage as between "two persons" rather than between an man and a woman. The law went into effect on August 1, 2013. Ten years later, this exhibit examines the laws, activism, and legal cases that culminated in marriage equality for all people in Minnesota, as well as sharing the perspectives of Olmsted County's LGBTQ+ community. Learn more »

Presentation: Getting to Know the Goat
May 18 - Bemidji: 12 pm. Beltrami County Historical Society - Learn about the Great Northern Railway Historical Society and its quarterly publication, "The Goat." Cost: Free. Learn more »

Event: History on the River Cruise - The River We Have Wrought
May 18 - Winona: Winona County Historical Society -  The flooding of the Mississippi River is subsiding in time for the first cruises of the season, which will feature “The River We Have Wrought” with John Anfinson. John argues that the upper Mississippi River has seen three distinct ages, and that we have entered a fourth. Each presentation will be offered during a 4 to 5:30 pm river cruise and again for a 6 to 7:30 pm cruise. Cost: $150 members/$200 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation: Author Sheri Brenden to discuss Title IX pioneers
May 22 - St. Paul: 6 pm. Chapter Booksellers - Join local author Sheri Brenden for a discussion of her book "Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX." She will be in conversation with her sister Peggy Brenden, one of the subjects of the book. Learn more »

Presentation: Minnesota Museums Month with WBLAHS
May 22 - White Bear Lake: 6 to 7 pm. White Bear Lake Library - May is Minnesota Museums Month. To celebrate let’s look behind the scenes at the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, their sites, their collections, and their story. They will share some of the most interesting items from their collection as well as stories that make them a unique local history organization. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: History of St. Thomas
May 24 - Le Sueur: 6 to 8 pm. New Prague Area Historical Society - Dan Callahan and Dennis Dvorak will be sharing the history of the St. Thomas Area. Location: Pancake House at the Pioneer Power grounds. Learn more »

Workshop: DIY Webinar - Plaster Repair and Wood Window Maintenance 
May 25 - St. Paul: 6:30 to 8 pm. Rethos - So you just bought an old home, but now what? There are lots of projects to plan and things to fix. But where should you start? Join resident Old Home professional Mark Johnson for a round table on prioritizing projects for your new home. Location: Rethos Office, Landmark Center. Learn more »

Event: Phelps Mill Open House
June 2 - Underwood: 1 to 3 pm. Otter Tail County Historical Society - Celebrate the restoration of the historic mill and join in for refreshments and self-guided tours of the renovated mill. Otter Tail County Historical Society presentation at 1:30 pm; Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 2 pm. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Event: Telling Queer History's 10-Year Anniversary Celebration
June 3 - North Saint Paul: 6 to 9 pm. Telling Queer History - Celebrating 10 years of connecting LGBTQ+ folks through storytelling and community-building gatherings. Live storytelling, a legacy ideation station, intergenerational story pods, and a dance party. Cost: sliding scale. Location: Wilder Foundation. Learn more »

Trip: 2023 BWCA Trip for Veterans
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is once again hosting a free trip for veterans to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota this summer. This will be the fifth year and trip number 7 that the Center has offered. Trip date is July 10 to 16, 2023. Applications are due by May 26. Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Minnesota Museum of Mining, Chisholm, MN.

Native Nations and Local History Organizations Workshops
MNHS Local History Services is working with MNHS Native American Initiatives to offer the workshop “Native Nations and Local History Organizations.” Focused on building an understanding that Minnesota shares borders with four Dakota and seven Ojibwe nations who are oftentimes overlooked or underrepresented in non-Native spaces, this training is intended to support the work of history organizations across the state. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how to talk about Native Nations in Minnesota.

Dates and Locations:

• Tuesday, May 30 from 10 am to 1 pm - Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter - Register »
• Wednesday, May 31 from 9 am to 12 pm - Becker County Museum in Detroit Lakes - Register »

Interpreting the U.S. 250th - Webinar Series Bundle
May 24, June 28, and July 19 - Online: American Association of State and Local History - This three-part webinar series will offer best practices in interpretive planning, connections to fieldwide themes for the 250th, and the chance to find inspiration and workshop ideas with fellow practitioners. Attendees can choose to attend one session, two, or all three of the series. Cost: $25 members/$55 nonmembers. Learn more »

What Can Dew Point Do For You?
May 31 - Online: 11 am (CT). Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - When most of us think environmental monitoring, we think temperature and relative humidity. But what about dew point? What if we told you that dew point is an incredibly invaluable environmental indicator that can tell us so much about not only the collections environment, but also about the condition and functionality of our buildings and HVAC systems? This 30-minute webinar is an exploration of dew point: What is it? How can I measure it? How can I use it to care for collections? It is designed for collections stewards with all levels of experience and understanding of environmental monitoring. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Nonprofit Leadership Transitions
June 1 - Online: 9 am to 12 pm (CT). Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Learn about preparing for an upcoming leadership change, setting yourself up for a successful search process, and onboarding your new leader for short-term and long-term success. Cost: $75. Learn more »

Transforming Difficult Conversations
June 1 - Online: 9:30 to 11:30 am (CT). Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Many of us dread and avoid difficult conversations because they’re uncomfortable and unpredictable. We are often unsure of the impact on the relationship and if the situation will resolve or become worse. In this interactive session, you’ll learn the basic neuroscience of conversations, and strategies to equip yourself to transform a potentially difficult conversation into an open dialogue and opportunity for understanding and growth. Cost: $45 members/$65 nonmembers. Learn more »

Using Oral Histories
June 8 - Online: 11 am to 12 pm. (CT). Indiana Historical Society – Join colleagues on Zoom to learn about ways history organizations can utilize oral histories beyond exhibits. During this Brown Bag, they'll discuss how to use oral histories to deepen community engagement with history, how to talk to people about the ways we might share their stories, and lessons learned from oral history-based projects. Cost: Free. Learn more »

NCPH 2024 Annual Meeting Call for Proposals
National Council on Public History + Utah Division of State History - The Annual Meeting happening April 10-13, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah, explores the idea of Historical Urgency. What constitutes an urgent historical need? Consider submitting an optional early topic proposal by June 12, 2023 to gather suggestions on your topic, seek collaborators or co-presenters. Submit a fully formed session, working group, or workshop proposal online by July 15, 2023.  Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Museums and YouTube: You’ll never believe these 3 tips to improve your channel - American Alliance of Museums

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Protecting Native Places Fund 
May 26 - (deadline): National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers - Established in partnership with The Wilderness Society through the support of the Wilburforce Foundation, the Protecting Native Places Fund will support efforts to protect and manage Tribal cultural places, increase the role of Tribes in management and stewardship of culturally significant areas, and address racist and offensive place names. The focus of these efforts is on the management of public lands. Eighteen $5,000 grants are available to NATHPO members. Learn more »

2023 Unsung Hero Awards - Nominate an Unsung Hero
May 31 - (Deadline): Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, in partnership with the McKnight Foundation, is accepting nominations for the Unsung Hero Awards. Four Minnesotans, two from the Twin Cities Metro and two from Greater Minnesota, will each receive $10,000 in recognition of the significant impact they have had on the State of Minnesota and its communities. Learn more »

Core Grants Program
June 30 - (deadline): Needmor Fund - These grants provides general operating support to groups engaged in the work of community organizing around social justice. Learn more »

Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions
August 9 - (deadline): The Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) program supports institutions that provide fellowships for advanced humanities research in the United States and abroad, foster communities of intellectual exchange among participating scholars, and provide access to resources that might otherwise not be available to the participating scholars. Learn more »

News

MALHM Mutual Assistance Individual Census
The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Mutual Assistance group is asking for your help! They are conducting a census of staff, volunteers and people interested in helping other local history organizations in the event of an emergency.

By filling out this census you are opting in to communications about emergencies where your skills would be useful in assisting. You are not obligated to participate when contacted.

Your information will not be made public. It will be utilized by the MALHM Mutual Assistance Team and its delegates in the event of a disaster. Take census survey »

Work continues at the Winona County History Center Museum's Armory Building
A 500-700 lbs dam sector was hoisted from the Main Exhibit Hall floor to its new home on the second floor as part of the early stages of a full exhibit redo. The dam sector is a wooden pattern (12 foot by 8 foot) used to make the metal piece for a lock and dam system. This large item (as well as many others) needs to be moved to make room for new exhibits on the first floor gallery space. Meanwhile on the building's exterior the stained glass windows were stabilized, cleaned, and touched up. An old opaque material that protected the glass was replaced with clear Plexi - making the glass visible from outside - and much brighter on the interior. The stained glass work was a donation made by the local studio Cathedral Crafts.

Sinkhole tourism? Fountain, MN Sees an Opening
MPR - The sinkholes that pockmark the fields and forests of around Fountain are not obvious — unless you know what to look for.
“It seems like just a grove of trees,” said Sara Sturgis, executive director of the Fillmore County Historical Society. “Something that could cause that big of a concern should look a little scarier.” Continue reading »

Historical Society Exhibit Focuses on Fabrics
Sun Patriot - You don’t have to be a quilter or tailor to appreciate the new exhibit that opened last Thursday at the Carver County Historical Society Museum located at 555 West First Street in Waconia. The exhibit, titled “Material Pulses: Seven Viewpoints,” is focused on the art of quilt-making, but more broadly encompasses the whole realm of textile arts. It features 17 works by seven fiber artists from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The artists investigate color, pattern, and size through traditional and experimental quilt-making applications. Continue reading »

Non-Partisan League and the Filming of a Movie in Rosemount
Dakota County Tribune - The Rosemount Area Arts Council will perform a new play, “Free Air,” at the Steeple Center in Rosemount on Aug. 17-19 and 24-26. The play is based on a silent movie of the same name that was filmed, in part, in Rosemount in 1921. There was a strong connection between the production of the movie and a political movement called the Non-Partisan League. Continue reading »

Historical Society’s New Director Ready to Bring History to Life
Owatonna People's Press - The Steele County Historical Society’s new director just joined the staff, but her roots in southern Minnesota go deep. The society announced last month that Jennifer Thiele would be coming aboard as the new executive director. She succeeds Kellen Hinrichsen, who resigned from the position last August. Thiele will be fulfilling vital responsibilities that have been overseen by the the society’s staff and board of directors in the interim. Continue reading »

Featured Book Star Party, Author Polly Carlson-Voiles, Illustrator Consie Powell. "Star Party" Author Event Sunday, May 28, 11 am to 3 pm Location: Split Rock Lighthouse Minnesota Historical Society Press.	Featured Article Minnesota History Mayo Clinic’s Moulages and Medical Museum: The Waxing and Waning of a Twentieth Century Educational Partnership Volume 66, Issue 8, 2019-20	Featured Article MNopedia AIM Patrol, Minneapolis Featured MNopedia Article
Minnesota History Organizations Directory  • County, Chapters, and Local • Statewide/Topical Historical • Regional History Coalitions • Professional Organizations	Minnesota Main Streets Reinvigorate your community's commercial district.	Preservation Specialists Directory Look up products or services.

From the Heritage Preservation Department
Reminder: Due to COVID-19 all Heritage Preservation Department staff (Grants Office and Local History Services) are working remotely until further notice. If you need to connect with a specific staff member, please email them directly.

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