Reflections from We Are Water MN

How has family history shaped your life?

What is something you have great appreciation for that you once took for granted?

What are some of your favorite memories of play as a kid?

What chance occurrences have greatly impacted you?

What invisible systems sustain your life? 

These questions are a sampling of the personal and community reflection that were sparked through stories about water from our community members. As part of our exhibit - We Are Water MN, we interviewed thirteen Elyites for their stories about water and their personal experiences and relationships with it.  

Aurora Wahlstrom shared her feelings about the transition to living in a dry cabin. James Devine talked about his work with contractors, ensuring they understand the nature of our water-rich environment. Shaun Chosa described growing up on Basswood Lake, prior to the designation of the Boundary Waters as a federal wilderness area. Find all our local stories at this Soundcloud link!

Through a partnership with the Ely Area Community Foundation, our exhibit found a home nestled in between the Functional Fitness gym, Well Being Development, Northwoods Partners, and Happy Days Daycare. The Hub’s Community Room was a fantastic fit for the We Are Water MN project. The EACF has worked diligently to create a space that is intergenerational, accessible, and creating meaningful opportunities for Ely families. At the Ely Folk School, we focus on intergenerational, non-competitive, learning for life. Thus, we were psyched by the prospect of building this link between our two organizations. 

Over the course of the eight weeks that the We Are Water MN exhibit was in Ely, hundreds of people engaged with the exhibit and with our events. 

For the exhibit opening, we collaborated with Reflections Dance Company to offer a dance performance centered around the movement of water and how we can emulate that in dance. At our annual Ely Folk School Spring Bonfire, we offered a Water Bar - a chance for folks to sample city water, local well water, and bottled spring water  - it is enlightening as to just how much flavor and difference there is in our water sources! Many folks walked away thinking about how to test their own well water. In collaboration with Ely Community Resource, Boundary Waters Connect, and Save the Boundary Waters, we created a Spring Storytelling Showcase. We recruited local folks to write and share personal stories about their relationship and experience with water. Through hearing inspiring stories and being encouraged to respond to individual story prompts, we hope that all who attended reflected upon and gained a deeper understanding of their relationship with water! We also hosted a Tuesday Group session and a nature writing class focused on water at location amidst the exhibit.

Thank you to all the Elyites and partners who helped make this exhibit happen! We Are Water MN is a program of the Minnesota Humanities Center and their statewide partners. The traveling exhibit is currently on display in Downtown Minneapolis.