What is your land story?
Minneapolis at Plymouth Ave. N. and Washington Ave. N. before (1938) and after (1993) the construction of Interstate 94 through the Near North neighborhood.
Look beneath today.
Each day, our lives intersect with centuries. Our choices are framed by decisions that others made decades before us. And the decisions we make today will affect generations to come.
Learn to ask the questions that will show you the layers of events, law, and people that shaped our present. Then locate your story in that larger narrative.
When you explore your land history, you’ll know whose land you stand on, how the United States came to own that territory, how that territory was carved into today’s landscape, and how that history informs our present-day relationships. You will practice asking hard questions, sitting with uncertainty, and stretching creativity. You will see the current of history that came before you and your power to direct tomorrow’s course. And you will learn how to hold both the past and the future today.
What will you uncover?
Jewell Co., KS | 1825 Treaty with the Kansa (Kaw)
Look.
Whether your story began on the family farm, Main Street, or a childhood home, look behind street addresses and rural routes to learn how the United States acquired the land that you live on.
Minnesota: The Spirit of Government, Carlos Brioschi | St. Paul, MN | 1837 Treaty with the Sioux (Dakota)
See.
Dig below the surface of your land’s story to place yourself within its historical narrative. Learn your land’s biography and how the past lives in and shapes the present.
St. Croix State Park, MN | 1837 Treaty with the Chippewa (Ojibwe)
Grow.
Look past the landscape of today to become an active steward of tomorrow’s land history. Build meaning around your personal land history and tailor your ongoing relationship to place.
