I am the eighth of 12 children. Six boys and six girls. We divide into three groups of four and I am the youngest of the middle group. Photos by Gary Porter My dad was a railroad worker and my mom was home with us. At the time, the regularity and frequency of railroad work …
My mom and dad are both from Somalia, and they came to the United States with their families when they were really young. They were fleeing the civil war in Somalia. Photos by Kara Counard “For the first 14 years of my life, I lived in Minnesota. In Minneapolis there’s a huge Somali population, but …
“When I came back to America, I became more confident in who I was.” Read More »
I grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia. Somalis have a very close culture, we take care of each other. If someone doesn’t have a car, you take them to work. If someone is not making enough money, we help them with the rent by chipping in. If something tragic happens, like someone becomes sick or gets …
“I see myself as someone who knows both cultures—American and Somali.” Read More »
My name is Dylan Jennings, or Bizhikiins—Young Buffalo, as we translate from Ojibwemowin, our language. Photos by Megan Monday “My parents were really young when they had me, just out of high school. They met down by Waaswaaganing, or the Lac du Flambeau Reservation, near Minocqua. They stuck together to raise me and to take …
“I dedicate my life to educating others about Native people.” Read More »
I was born in 1950 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. I lived literally between two lakes, a woods, and a swamp. We were on the edge of the city limits, and quite a few of our near neighbors were on small farms. Photos by Megan Monday “In my family, we have some Welsh and some Scottish …
People assume just because I live here on the reservation that I’ve been here all my life. But I have to tell them no, I was born in Chicago, and I’m a product of the Indian Relocation Act. Photos by Megan Monday “The Indian Relocation Act was an initiative that displaced Native Americans from the …
“I am descended from people who embraced the breath of life.” Read More »
https://vimeo.com/262586381 Jennifer grew up in a loving home, living with her undocumented grandmother. Her grandma eventually received amnesty under President Reagan, but for years fear, anxiety, and isolation were her family’s challenges. Follow along as Jennifer uses her curiosity to bravely lead her family into fullness. Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin …
“There was a layer of anxiety that made my family not so typical.” Read More »
https://vimeo.com/193730795 Marena won us over with her soft voice and sweet, earnest attitude. When we spoke with her, she shared her love of her culture and her experience with Title VII education. There are sovereign tribes all over this state-now-known-as-Wisconsin. We loved hearing Marena talk about her wish. Share This Post Share on facebook Share …
Duane: When I was growing up in Oulu, Wisconsin, everywhere you went there were people speaking the Finnish language. Finnish sounds and refrains were around every corner. I remember going to the co-op store in Iron River as a kid. There’d always be these old-timers sitting on a bench by the door, passing time, speaking in …
Janel: My very first memory in Wisconsin is of visiting the cow. I was about 10, and I had my picture taken with her—with the cow named Chatty Belle. At the time it cost 10 cents to get the Chatty Belle to talk to you. I laugh at the picture when I look back at …
“My name is Chatty Belle and I’m the world’s largest talking cow!” Read More »
Alyssa: I grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I remember being a little girl and walking from our home, past my friend’s home, to where we could feed carrots to the horses at the farms that bordered right up to our neighborhood. But then the suburban sprawl increased, and the farms were pushed further and further away. …
I am Catherine Locke Whitford, and I am a full-blooded Cornish woman. We are here in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which is my second home, having been born and raised in Linden, six miles away. At one time that was the largest Cornish settlement in all of Wisconsin. Photos by Megan Monday “I’ve grown up always …
WISCONSIN HUMANITIES