MNHS has in its care over 100,000 cubic feet of hard-copy government records and manuscript collections dating from the territorial period to the present. To access the vast majority of these holdings, researchers must currently visit the History Center or make other special arrangements. In FY16, MNHS is piloting a unique "scan on demand" service for researchers that will allow them to request, either online or in person, the digitization of specific materials with the resulting images being put online for wide public access.
American Indian ceremonies were held at Historic Fort Snelling in November 2015, marking the 150th anniversary of the execution of Sakpedan (Shakopee) and Wakanozhanzhan (Medicine Bottle) at Fort Snelling. They were convicted by a military commission for their participation in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. MNHS provided a community meal for the Dakota community immediately following the ceremonies.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids will build on recent enrollment momentum and further increase participation with its School Service Program, which takes down the economic barriers for visiting school groups. The Legacy grant will fund more educators and facilitators, curriculum development, scholarship aid, transportation assistance, art and teaching supplies, and the addition of a new exhibit to the museum.
MNHS continued its previous collaboration with Macalester College and the Somali community to add
an additional 10 interviews to those that have already been completed. The new interviews focused on
women's experiences.
MNHS and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation are increasing awareness and knowledge of Minnesota history by providing quality programming for visitors to the Great Minnesota Get-Together. In 2015, the partners added new visual and written content for the Minnesota State Fair History Walking Tour brochure. Audio and visual content was available with the smartphone tour component, and staff presented audio/visual content via social media throughout the fair. Some 40,000 brochures were distributed throughout the fairgrounds during the run of the fair.
The Historic Recognition Grant program will preserve, recognize, and promote the historic legacy of Minnesota, with a focus on commemoration of Minnesota's role in the American Civil War via media, materials, and public programs to underscore the Civil War-era origins of the state capitol to complement the visitor experience once the building reopens for public tours in 2017 is the second of three projects being administered by MNHS in cooperation with the state's Civil War Commemoration Task Force are in development
Five traveling exhibits are making more than 45 stops in communities around the state in FY12 and FY13, giving more Minnesotans the chance to experience history in their own backyards. The exhibits feature freestanding displays, audiovisual and interactive components, and onsite and online educational programming. They are Minnesota on the Map, Minnesota Homefront, Electrifying Minnesota, Uncle Sam's New Deal and Minnesota Disasters. Two traveling exhibits were developed working with teens.
Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) is one of the contaminants of greatest concern for groundwater in Minnesota. This funding is being used for activities that help identify the severity and magnitude of nitrate contamination and implement practices at the local level to reduce nitrate in groundwater. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is working with many local partners and passing funding through to local government units (counties, cities, soil and water conservation districts) to address this concern.
The MDA's technical assistance helps ensure that current and accurate scientific information is made available and used to address water quality concerns in agricultural areas of Minnesota. This funding has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation practices, share information from research and demonstration sites and enhance outreach and education to the agricultural community and local government partners.
The Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites focuses on tangible aspects of Minnesota's cultural heritage including historic places, archaeological sites, places with spiritual and traditional importance, and cultural landscapes. The survey focuses on the identification and evaluation of these places in order to improve their management and enhance their interpretation.
The Children's Discovery Museum's (CDM) new 3,000 piece Wizard of Oz (WOZ) collection will be properly archived, conservation materials purchased, and exhibit concept and design drawings completed. CDM facilitators and educators will travel to other children's museums in Minnesota for staff enrichment and professional development.
This 5,000-square-foot exhibit opened Oct. 14, 2015, and tells the story of the population exodus from the central cities to the developing Twin Cities suburbs
Twenty high school students from diverse backgrounds participated in a college-readiness program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Students learned high-level research and presentation skills while working with various collections in the Andersen Library. Students also learned how to apply for college, spent the night in a dorm room, participated in mock lectures with professors and other activities designed to increase their confidence and comfort level with campus life.
This funding supports and ensures the success of the ACHF-funded Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program. The Society seeks out potential grant applicants, leads statewide grant-writing workshops and webinars, and helps applicants with technical information critical to submitting a successful grant application, as well as supporting recipients throughout the life of their projects.
Recommendations for reducing the Minnesota Historical Society’s environmental impact will be presented and implemented during the second phase of this project. It's estimated that the recommendations can save the Society $1.7 million over five years and divert two million kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.
MNHS continues to strive for environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the fifth year of its sustainability program. Staff and visitors are engaged with sustainability through the project's "More for the Mission" campaign. Recent energy-efficiency projects within our facilities have allowed us to achieve the five-year goal of 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The U of M and MNHS are collaborating to enhance heritage education across Minnesota. This project engages students in field experiences with the archaeological collections and interpretive programs at Historic Fort Snelling and is providing research support for new programs at the Oliver Kelley Farm. These projects will help build models for collaborative instruction that fosters cultural heritage awareness and protection.
This funding allows the Minnesota Historical Society to broaden access to many of its Legacy-funded programs through the internet. It supports the web development professionals who plan, build and implement digital components that are part of many Legacy-funded history projects.
One example, the MNopedia website, was launched in August 2011. MNopedia will provide reliable, multimedia entries about Minnesota people, places, events and things.
The Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota will increase access and deepen engagement with their effectively proven School Service Program. The museum will take down the economic barriers and increase enrollment. This grant will fund more educators and facilitators, curriculum development, scholarship aid, transportation assistance and art/teaching supplies.
The Chicano Latino Affairs Council in collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center will use funding to address the education challenges and opportunities faced by Latino students. The central theme and core value is “culture and language matter,” that culture and language is an asset and not a liability. A research project will focus on identifying specific strengths in Latino culture that improve education engagement.
The Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakichiye will conduct a series of interviews with first language speakers of the Dakhóta language to understand the systematic absence of Minnesota's first language through a Dakhóta lens. The project has three objectives: 1) Understand the systematic absence of the Dakhóta language from Minnesota, 2) Understand language loss and revitalization from a Dakhóta perspective, and 3) Create Dakhóta language curriculum and archive (bilingual) from the transcripts.
The Over Here project will be a new traveling exhibit created by Minnesota History Center staff and focused on America during the World War I-era, 1914-1919. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit will depict the era as a dramatic time in American history when the nation grappled with massive upheavals brought on by social movements, mobility, and modernity at home, while exerting its growing military, industrial, and cultural influence abroad. Visitors will gain a better understanding of this tumultuous period
Through a competitive process, the Heritage Partnership Program awards grants to historical organizations statewide to support programs that will build the capacity of partnering organizations to preserve and enhance access to Minnesota's history and cultural resources. The program supports the creation and development of sustainable, history-based partnerships throughout the state.
Arts and Cultural Heritage funds supported staff time devoted to creating "Then Now Wow," a major, new, hands-on exhibit that brings fascinating people, places and stories of our state to life. Visitors to "Then Now Wow" (the exhibit's working title was "Our Minnesota") which opened at the Minnesota History Center in late November 2012, explore the state's distinctive places and meet the diverse people who have made their homes here.
To do preservation work at the Thorstein Veblen Farmstead National Historic Landmark, located near Nerstrand, in Rice County, Minnesota, that will provide urgently needed stabilization and preservation of three out-buildings at the farmstead, including the original small barn, the large hay barn, and the granary.
The Together in Time project meets the needs of a diverse, aging population by empowering them as lifelong learners, encouraging them to tell stories, and by supporting their caregivers in carrying out their essential roles. Core elements of the program include leading programs in multiple locations for those with memory loss and their caregivers and working on tools such as a mobile app to show objects from MNHS's collections in order to spark conversations.
Veterans' Voices: Native Warriors will give Native American students in Minnesota the opportunity to hear memories and stories directly from Native American veterans from within their communities. Funds will also be used to create radio segments featuring the Native American veterans sharing their personal experiences in their own words. These segments will air statewide and be archived online giving all Minnesotans access now and in the future.
MNHS continues to focus on broadening access to many of its Legacy-funded programs through the Internet. This funding supports the web development professionals who plan, build, and implement digital components that are part of many Legacy-funded history projects and helps pay for Web hosting to make these projects accessible to people in Minnesota and beyond. MNHS also uses the web to report on its use of Legacy funds at legacy.mnhs.org and for the public to apply for Legacy grant funds at legacy.mnhs.org/grants.
What's Up, Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones is a new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution that reveals the creative genius behind some of the most enduringly popular cartoons and animated films of all time. Chuck Jones brought to animation an unparalleled talent for comic invention and a flair for creating animated characters with distinctive and often wildly eccentric personalities.
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council in collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center will extend and deepen the ongoing partnership around the Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations exhibition, supporting host sites through December 2012.
