I grew up on the outskirts of Sun Prairie. As a kid, I spent most of my time on my granddad’s farm. It was a great time. I learned machinery and a work ethic, no doubt about that. Photos by Sterling Strathe I think it also laid a groundwork for a land ethic, even though …
I was born in Chicago. My family moved back up to the Bad River Reservation where my father is from when I was four months old. After a few years, we moved into the border town of Ashland, which is just to the west of the reservation. Photos by Stanley Schrock I went to the …
I grew up in Port Washington. I feel like I lucked out because we were right near Lake Michigan, it was part of our family routine to take our dogs to the beach. The lake has always been this place for me to have fun, but also reflect and kind of meditate. There is something …
My father was an English teacher. When I was seven years old, he asked me, ‘Masood, when you graduate, where would you like to go?’ I said, ‘I want to go to America.’ Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd He said, ‘Why is that?’ I answered, ‘Well, I’m reading a lot about America and learning about …
“I believe that if people can be taught to hate, they can easily be taught to love.” Read More »
I was born and raised on the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Indian reservation in northern Wisconsin — I had a lot of fun growing up there. Photos by Andi Stempniak As kids, we were outside all of the time. In the summer we spent the majority of our time swimming, and in the winter it was …
If it wasn’t for the railroad I would never have been born. Trains brought my parents together. Photos by Laura Merchant On my dad’s side, my grandfather was the last family member born in Germany. He was born in 1885, two years after the establishment of the city of Spooner. As a young man, he …
I am a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa whose congregation — a religious community of Catholic Sisters — is based in the southwestern Wisconsin town of Sinsinawa. Photos by Tyra Leonard Born and raised in Big Spring, Texas, I am also Mexican American and a third-generation American. My parents are devout members of their Catholic parish. …
“It is a blessing to live in community, to love and serve God and God’s people.” Read More »
A long time ago, I dated a pilot who took me flying—multiple times, actually. And I fell in love with it. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd It was one of those moments where a light bulb went off and I thought, ‘Hey, I could do this.’ And I thought more about it and decided if …
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 »
When I was a kid, I always wanted to live on a farm. I often asked my parents, ‘Can we at least live in the country?’ I loved animals more than anything. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd But we always lived in town, in the La Crosse area. My dad’s a physician and my mom …
A Century-old, Family-run Farm Perfects the Corn Maze. Read More »
I was an extremely lucky kid to grow up on a small farm. I’m the seventh of eight kids in a farm family from down in far southwest Richland County. Our home farm is right above the Wisconsin River. Photos by Andi Stempniak I grew up exploring the Driftless ridges where I could hunt and …
“I want my grandchildren to have the same clear-water experiences I had growing up.” Read More »
I was born and raised in Kyle, Texas. My mom was extremely creative and crafty and just loved making pretty things. Photos by Colleen Bies Growing up in the projects and being raised by a single mom for most of my childhood, my siblings and I never felt like we were missing anything. My mom …
