Minnesota Historical Society

USING THE POWER OF HISTORY TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, HISTORY EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ACCESSIBILITY TO A NETWORK OF HISTORIC SITES, PUBLICATIONS OF MINNESOTA HISTORICAL CONTENT AND ARCHIVAL SERVICES.

HISTORIC SITES AND MUSEUMS: ADMINISTERS 26 HISTORIC SITES AND MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND TOURS. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC STAFFED INTERPRETIVE EXPERIENCES WERE STILL OFFERED AT JEFFERS PETROGLYPHS, SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE, OLIVER KELLEY FARM, LOWER SIOUX AGENCY AND THE MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER. FIVE OTHER SITES, INCLUDING LAC QUI PARLE AND MARINE MILL WERE ACCESSIBLE FOR SELF GUIDED TOURS. STAFF AT LOCATIONS THAT REMAINED CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC WORKED ON OPERATIONS, PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES ISSUES. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, MNHS MANAGED CAPITAL PROJECTS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, INCLUDING HISTORIC FORESTVILLE AND MILL CITY MUSEUM. WORK ALSO CONTINUED ON THE $35M FORT SNELLING REVITALIZATION PROJECT, AN INSTITUTIONAL EFFORT, ENCOMPASSING A TOTAL SITE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAM AND PRESERVATION OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. WHILE MNHS TOOK APPROPRIATE SAFETY MEASURES TO PROTECT STAFF AND THE PUBLIC, WE PREPARED TO REOPEN MOST SITES IN THE SUMMER OF 2021 ON A FOUR DAY SCHEDULE PER WEEK. THE MNHS LIBRARY ALSO PREPARED TO REOPEN ON A LIMITED BASIS FOR APPOINTMENTS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021. THESE WERE CRITICAL STEPS IN REENGAGING THE PUBLIC.

EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND CONTENT DEVELOPMENT: DEVELOPS MINNESOTA HISTORY CURRICULUM, PROVIDES TEACHER EDUCATION AND COORDINATES THE MINNESOTA HISTORY DAY PROGRAM. PLANS, FABRICATES AND INSTALLS EXHIBITS AT SOCIETY INTERPRETIVE FACILITIES AND MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. DEVELOPS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND OUTREACH, INCLUDING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND NATIVE AMERICAN INITIATIVES. PUBLISHES BOOKS AND OTHER MEDIA RELATED TO MINNESOTA HISTORY. MNHS CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, ENGAGING WITH TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THE DIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IS REFLECTED IN ALL THAT WE DO, AN EXAMPLE OF WHICH IS HAVING COLLEGE FELLOWS AND INTERNS BEING HOSTED BY MNHS FOR CAREER BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES. NATIVE AMERICAN INITIATIVES CONTINUED TO WORK ON ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR NATIVE PEOPLES ACROSS MINNESOTA AND BEYOND. HISTORY DAY CONTINUES TO BE A SIGNATURE PROGRAM FOR MNHS. IN FY 21, EVEN WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, MINNESOTA'S STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, IN SCHOOL, REGIONAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS. THE MNHS PRESS LAUNCHED A MAJOR COLLABORATION WITH THE MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE TO PUBLISH OJIBWE STORIES. OUR EXHIBITS DEPARTMENT HOSTED THE HISTORY CENTER'S FIRST PERMANENT EXHIBIT DEVOTED TO NATIVE AMERICAN CONTENT. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MUCH OF OUR ON-SITE 2021 SCHOOL PROGRAMING HAD TO BE CANCELLED. WE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS DIGITALLY THROUGH THE NORTHERN LIGHTS CURRICULUM AND THE INSTITUTION CONDUCTED VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO OUR MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. MNHS CONTINUED TO SHIFT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO HYBRID FORMAT - OFFERING LIMITED IN PERSON PROGRAMS WITH A VIRTUAL OPTION. THIS SHIFT HAS ENABLED US TO SERVE A MUCH BROADER AUDIENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WILL BE AN ONGOING FOCUS AREA FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

LIBRARY AND COLLECTIONS: MAINTAINS AND MAKES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THE MNHS' COLLECTION OF BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS, MAPS, OBJECTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, WORKS OF ART, ORAL HISTORY RECORDINGS, PRIVATE MANUSCRIPTS AND PERIODICALS ON MINNESOTA HISTORY; AND CATALOGS, RESTORES AND DIGITIZES DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES THE ACQUISITION, PRESERVATION AND CATALOGING OF PUBLIC RECORDS, AS WELL AS THE SOCIETY'S RESPONSIBILITIES AS STATE ARCHIVIST. CONDUCTS HISTORIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, AS REQUIRED BY LAW. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE OFTEN MEASURED BY PUBLIC USAGE. IN FY 2021 THE GALE FAMILY LIBRARY WAS ON PACE TO SERVE AS MANY CLIENTS AS PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT WAS FORCED TO CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. OUR COLLECTIONS CONTINUED TO GROW IN FY 21, WITH THE ADDITION OF MORE ORAL HISTORIES AND OVER 1,500 NEW ARTIFACTS. THE ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM CONTINUES TO PERFORM SERVICES FOR THE STATE OF MN DEPARMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS OTHER SURVEYS AS REQUIRED. AS INDICATED ABOVE, THE LIBRARY PREPARED TO REOPEN FOR APPOINTMENTS ON A LIMITED BASIS IN THE SUMMER OF 2021.

HERITAGE PRESERVATION: PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION; ADMINISTERS GRANT PROGRAMS SUPPORTING PROJECTS IN PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF MINNESOTA HISTORY; ADMINISTERS THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT IN MINNESOTA. IN FY 21 STATEWIDE PRESERVATION SAW OVER $5.0M AWARDED IN ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND MONIES AWARDED THROUGH GRANTS ACROSS MINNESOTA. THESE GRANTS SERVE MANY PURPOSES ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE OF MINNESOTA, INCLUDING; HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING, DIGITAL PRESERVATION, ARCHAEOLOGY, EXHIBITS, INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PUBLICATIONS AS WELL AS SEVERAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS.