Opening the Book

During this session, Laurie Richardson Johnson shared how Minnesota’s land tells the story of its history through its rock layers, rivers, and landscapes. She explored how the state was formed over billions of years, from ancient geological shifts and the time when a tropical sea covered the region—leaving behind limestone and fossil beds—to the glaciers that shaped Minnesota’s lakes and river systems. Laurie also reflected on the deep human history of this land, including the Dakota people’s connection to Bdote, the sacred confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, where they trace their origins. The conversation highlighted how the land holds stories of beauty, conflict, tragedy, and constant change, while inviting reflection on the ways each of us leaves our own imprint on the places we call home.