The Hmong Museum in St. Paul is hosting the first outdoor version of a traveling water exhibit, We Are Water MN. The walk-through, digitally interactive exhibit is located at the Hmong American Partnership’s Little Mekong Plaza, 402 University Ave. West, St. Paul, MN, now through March 8, 2021.
The traveling We Are Water MN exhibit is a partnership created to collaboratively share Minnesota’s water stories, visiting different communities for about eight weeks at a time. The traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information.
This version of the We Are Water MN exhibit shares facts and stories about Minnesota water and our connections to it, with Hmong water culture as a special focus. As described by the Hmong Museum, “the Hmong American community’s relationship with water threads through history and culture. The way we gather around water in the past and present has transformed from survival and trauma to happy and fun memories.”
Also featured is a farmer-member of the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), Doua Vang, who shares his experience and the sustainable practices he uses in his farming operation. HAFA manages a 155-acre farm in Dakota County where member families lease land, hone their business and agricultural practices, and sell produce to the HAFA Food Hub.
A visit to the Hmong Museum and We Are Water MN is a unique outdoor activity to do during the pandemic. The exhibit includes digital content that can be accessed through QR codes with a smart phone, so be sure to bring your phone and ear buds. This digital content includes video, audio, and websites to provide a deeper look into the content. The digital content can also be accessed on the We Are Water MN project website for later viewing. The exhibit is open 24 hours a day in the Little Mekong Plaza.
The original indoor We Are Water exhibit is still on display in Mankato, Minnesota until March 5, 2021. Learn more about that location.
We Are Water MN is a project offered by the Minnesota Humanities Center, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Historical Society, and Departments of Health, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. This project is made possible by the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment and the McKnight Foundation.
###
Media Contact
Margaret Hart, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Margaret.Hart@state.mn.us
