Minnesota Humanities Center

CONDUCTS AND SUPPORTS CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA.

THE MISSION OF THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER (MHC) IS TO CONNECT OUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING AND SPARK CHANGE. OUR VISION IS A JUST SOCIETY THAT IS CURIOUS, CONNECTED, AND COMPASSIONATE.MHC COLLABORATES WITH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO BRING TRANSFORMATIONAL HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING INTO THE LIVES OF MINNESOTANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. USING STORY AS A CATALYST, WE PRODUCE, CREATE, AND SUPPORT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT EXPLORE A RANGE OF SUBJECTS. FOUNDED IN 1971, MHC IS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT AFFILIATED WITH AND SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, MINNESOTA GENERAL OPERATING AND LEGACY FUNDING. MHC IS ALSO A GRANT-MAKING ORGANIZATION AND OPERATES A FULL-SERVICE EVENT CENTER IN A HISTORIC BUILDING ON ST. PAUL'S EAST SIDE.DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, MHC USED OUR FUNDS IN THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM AREAS: EDUCATION INITIATIVES FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDING RESOURCES THAT HELP CLASSROOMS BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE. RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT STRONG RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE ROOT OF EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION. BY USING THE HUMANITIES TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING ACROSS CULTURAL AND LIVED EXPERIENCES, RELATIONSHIPS THRIVE AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT INCREASES. THE ABSENT NARRATIVES RESOURCE COLLECTION PROVIDES FREE ACCESS TO MORE THAN 1,000 READY-TO-USE VIDEOS, BOOKS, TEACHER GUIDES, AND READINGS. THESE RESOURCES SUPPORT EDUCATORS AND PROFESSIONALS IN BRINGING TYPICALLY ABSENT NARRATIVES INTO CURRICULUM, PUBLIC LIFE, AND WORKPLACES. RESOURCES INCLUDE WORKS CO-CREATED WITH PARTNERS TO FILL A COMMUNITY NEED SUCH AS SOMALI BILINGUAL FOLKTALES, VOICES FROM THE LATINO COMMUNITY, AND A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE MINNESOTA TRIBAL NATIONS. THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH TWIN CITIES PBS (TPT), MHC PRESENTED A MULTIMEDIA IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP DESIGNED TO BRING THE IMPORTANT HISTORY OF AMERICAN'S SECRET WAR INTO CLASSROOMS. DESIGNED BY EDUCATORS FOR EDUCATORS, THIS WORKSHOP USED THE TPT DOCUMENTARY, "AMERICA'S SECRET WAR, AND COMPANION TOOLKIT, TO SHARE THE STORY OF HMONG SOLDIERS WHO WERE RELIED UPON TO PREVENT THE THREAT OF COMMUNISM FROM SPREADING DEEPER INTO SOUTHEAST ASIA DURING THE VIETNAM ERA. FEATURING HMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING LEE PAO XIONG, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HMONG STUDIES AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, THIS PROGRAM SPARKED DIALOG, ENCOURAGED CRITICAL THINKING AND EXPLORATION, AND BUILT DEEPER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE SECRET WAR'S LINK TO THE VIETNAM WAR, VETERAN AND REFUGEE EXPERIENCES, AND HMONG IDENTITY AND CULTURE TODAY. NEW RESOURCES: MHC RECENTLY WORKED WITH FOUR WRITERS FROM THE OJIBWE AND DAKOTA COMMUNITIES TO CREATE AND PUBLISHED A BOOK SERIES THAT HIGHLIGHT NOTABLE FIGURES, PAST AND PRESENT, WHO HAVE LIVED, WORKED, AND BROKEN BARRIERS. GEARED TOWARD THE THIRD-GRADE LEVEL, THESE BOOKS BRING TO LIFE THE STORIES OF: ALBERT "CHIEF" BENDER, ELLA CARA DELORIA, EMMETT EASTMAN, AND PEGGY FLANAGAN. VETERANS' VOICES EXPLORES THE FULL LIFE EXPERIENCE OF VETERANS, HELPING SHAPE A NEW NARRATIVE THAT HONORS THEIR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY, STATE, AND COUNTRY. THIS PROGRAM EMPOWERS MINNESOTA VETERANS TO SPEAK IN THEIR OWN VOICES THROUGH STORYTELLING, ART, DISCUSSION GROUPS, AND MORE. WARRIOR WRITERS WORKSHOPS, HELD VIRTUALLY, HELP VETERANS FIND THEIR VOICE, PROCESS THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND CONNECT WITH OTHERS THROUGH ORIGINAL POETRY, PROSE, ESSAYS, MEMOIRS, AND MORE. THE ANNUAL VETERANS' VOICES AWARD CEREMONY IN OCTOBER BUILDS ON THESE WORKSHOPS, CELEBRATING THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF MINNESOTA'S VETERANS AND HONORING SELECTED WRITTEN WORKS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. A NEW INITIATIVE, HIKES & HUMANITIES, PROVIDES ENVIRONMENTAL EXPLORATION AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TO VETERANS THROUGH ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS. IN 2020, MHC HELD TRIPS AT AFTON HILLS STATE PARK AND AT LEBANON HILLS REGIONAL PARK. "WE ARE WATER MN" EXPLORES THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE HUMANITIES AND WATER THROUGH AN EXHIBITION, PUBLIC EVENTS, AND EDUCATOR RESOURCES. THE TRAVELING EXHIBITION ENGAGES MINNESOTANS WITH OUR STATE'S MOST IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCE THROUGH PERSONAL STORIES, HISTORICAL MATERIALS, AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION. THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP HAS FOSTERED RICH PARTNERSHIPS AMONG COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND STATEWIDE NONPROFITS. PARTNERS INCLUDE THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY, THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION. IN ITS THIRD TOUR OF THE STATE, "WE ARE WATER MN" VISITED SIX NEW PARTNER SITES STATEWIDE FROM OCTOBER 2019 TO NOVEMBER 2020. PUBLIC HUMANITIES HUMANITIES TO GO IS A SEMI-MONTHLY FACEBOOK LIVE SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WHICH ILLUMINATE THE HUMANITIES FROM MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, HIGHLIGHTING MULTICULTURAL VIEWPOINTS THROUGH LITERATURE, CIVICS, HISTORY, LINGUISTICS, AND MORE. DESIGNED TO CHAMPION, SHARE, AND AMPLIFY THE WORK OF HUMANITIES ORGANIZATIONS, HTG CONNECTS COMMUNITIES, LINKS HUMANITIES ORGANIZATIONS WITH NEW AUDIENCES, AND ENGAGES PRACTITIONERS, SCHOLARS, AND GENERAL AUDIENCES FROM RURAL AND METRO COMMUNITIES WITH THE BROAD, HIGH QUALITY HUMANITIES WORK SPARKING CHANGE ACROSS THE STATE. BUILT OUT OF A NEED TO PROVIDE RELEVANT AND ACCESSIBLE PROGRAMMING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, HUMANITIES-TO-GO REACHES MORE THAN 7,000 VISITORS EACH WEEK.NATIVE NATIONS OF MINNESOTA PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN A GROWING FOCAL AREA FOR THE ORGANIZATION. IT AMPLIFIES THE VOICES AND HISTORIES OF DAKOTA AND OJIBWE PEOPLE, PROVIDING AN INTRODUCTION TO STORIES THAT HAVE OFTEN BEEN LEFT OUT OF OUR STATE'S HISTORY. MHC IS A LEADER IN ADVOCATING THAT TRUER STORIES OF OUR STATE'S HISTORY AND PLACES BE SHARED WITH PUBLIC AUDIENCES. WHY TREATIES MATTER: SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE DAKOTA AND OJIBWE NATIONS IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TRAVELING EXHIBITION CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MINNESOTA INDIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL AND THE SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN. THE AWARD-WINNING EXHIBIT EXPLORES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DAKOTA AND OJIBWE INDIAN NATIONS AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN THIS PLACE WE NOW CALL MINNESOTA. A PERMANENT EXHIBIT IS ON DISPLAY AT THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL, AND A TOURING EXHIBIT VISITED 9 NEW LOCATIONS STATEWIDE FROM JULY 2019 TO DECEMBER 2020, WELCOMING MORE THAN 30,000 VISITORS. THE EXHIBITION HAS VISITED MORE THAN 100 TOUR LOCATIONS SINCE IT STARTED TRAVELING THE STATE IN 2011. MINNESOTA NATIVE AMERICAN LIVES SERIES IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE MINNESOTA INDIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL (MIAC) WHICH DEVELOPED THIS THREE-BOOK SERIES, WRITTEN FOR 3RD 5TH GRADERS, SHARES STORIES OF DAKOTA AND OJIBWE PEOPLE WHO SHAPE THE PLACE WE LIVE IN NOW. THE EDITORS, AUTHORS, AND ILLUSTRATOR OF THE SERIES ARE EACH DISTINGUISHED NATIVE ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER MINNESOTA, WHO ARE PASSIONATELY SHARING THEIR ART SO WE CAN ALL BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE AND CONTINUE TO MAKE MINNESOTA WHAT IT IS TODAY. LEARNING FROM PLACE: BDOTE SHARES DAKOTA TRADITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES RELATED TO SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA ON A DAY-LONG IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE. PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO CHALLENGE TYPICAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MINNESOTA HISTORY AS THEY HEAR ABOUT EVENTS THAT SHAPED THESE SITES. INITIALLY CONCEIVED AS AN EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE OFFERED THE TRIP TO PUBLIC AUDIENCES AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS FOR SIX YEARS DUE TO INTENSIVE INTEREST. IN FY2020, 148 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN 4 MODIFIED TRIPS. THESE MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE DUE TO COVID-19. GRANTMAKING: IN 2020, WE LAUNCHED A NEW GRANTMAKING PROGRAM: THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT, MHC PROVIDED GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND TRIBAL NATIONS IN MINNESOTA WHO HAVE A COMMITMENT TO HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AND ARE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DISTRESS DUE TO COVID-19. MHC RECEIVED $2.4 MILLION WORTH OF REQUESTS. WITH 500K AVAILABLE TO AWARD, MHC GAVE 81 GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS IN 25 CITIES, ACROSS 18 COUNTIES. LEGACY PROGRAMS AND PURPOSESMHC RECEIVED AN APPROPRIATION FROM THE CLEAN WATER, LAND AND LEGACY AMENDMENT FOR PROGRAMS AND PURPOSES FOR THE 2020-2021 BIENNIUM. A PORTION OF THESE FUNDS ARE USED TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS, SERVING MINNESOTAN IS STATEWIDE. LEGACY PASS-THROUGH APPROPRIATIONS IN 2020, MHC ADMINISTERED FOUR DIRECT APPROPRIATIONS AND TWO COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TOTALING $4.3 MILLION FROM THE MINNESOTA GENERAL OPERATING FUND AND THE CLEAN WATER, LAND AND LEGACY AMENDMENT FOR THE 2019-2020 BIENNIUM. GRANTEES INCLUDE TEN CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS, THREE CIVICS EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, HUNGER SOLUTIONS, AND MORE THAN 50 SOMALI, HMONG, AMERICAN INDIAN, AND OTHER CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

MHC OPERATES A FULL-SERVICE EVENT CENTER, AS CREATED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN 1996. IN ADDITION TO HOUSING MHC'S PROGRAMS, THIS RESTORED ARCHITECTURAL LANDMARK SERVES AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR EDUCATORS, SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, OTHER NONPROFITS, STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, STATE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS SEEKING TO IMPROVE BOTH THEIR INDIVIDUAL WORK AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL MINNESOTANS, BY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY, COST EFFECTIVE MEETING AND EVENT SPACE FOR EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND STAFF EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT. IN 2020, THE HUMANITIES CENTER HOSTED 153 MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN ITS MEETING AND EVENT SPACES, SERVING NEARLY 5,000 PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.