Opening the Book

Minnesota’s rock layers are really storytellers revealing how Minnesota came to be. The land we call Minnesota was formed and migrated over millions of years (billions), once held an Ancient Tropical Sea that is responsible for our limestone and fossil beds, and endured the movement and melting of the glaciers which created our beloved lakes and powerful rivers. Humans have inhabited this land for thousands of years; the Dakota people trace their origin to the sacred place called Bdote, the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. The land tells us of beauty as well as conflict, tragedy, and always—change. What is your imprint on the land? Laurie Richardson Johnson, artist, writer, and former teacher for many years at the Minnesota History Center, will be our guide for this session.