A conference to commemorate centuries of Norwegian connections
The Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) and the St. Olaf Norwegian Department will host a conference on campus this June to commemorate 200 years of Norwegian migration to and from North America.
The conference, titled Crossings and Connections, will feature talks by scholars of Norwegian migration from both sides of the Atlantic. The conference is open to the public, and there will be opportunities for attendees to enjoy Norwegian-American music, dance, historic sites, a film festival, and more. Registration for the conference closes May 27.
“Through diverse conference formats, we will illuminate Norwegian-American history by digging into journeys, challenges, and complexities of migration of the past 200 years — including the interactions between and shared histories of Indigenous Americans, and connecting the experience of the past to that of migration today,” says King Olav V Chair in Scandinavian-American Studies, Department Chair of Norwegian, and Director of Nordic Studies Kari Lie Dorer. “With over 75 speakers and a wide range of events — from panels and exhibits to concerts and trivia — we think we’ve built a program with something for everyone.”
In addition to NAHA and the Norwegian Department, conference organizers are the Norwegian Teachers and Researchers Association of North America (NORTANA, which Dorer currently leads as president), and the Norwegian American Historical Association–Norway (NAHA-Norge).
And in yet another convergence of anniversaries, the conference will mark the centennial of NAHA, which serves as an international hub for Norwegian-American history and research. An independent nonprofit organization that is housed on St. Olaf’s campus, NAHA was founded in 1925 by St. Olaf Professor of Norwegian Ole Rølvaag, historian Theodore Blegen, and other visionaries in the Norwegian American community.
Today NAHA cares for the largest archive of Norwegian-American life, maintains a robust publishing program, and hosts programs, tours, and events for its more than 1,000 members and the public. Its collection of manuscripts, diaries, photographs, legal documents, and other records, housed in Rølvaag Memorial Library, is an invaluable resource for both scholarly research and family history.
“We’re grateful for our century-long relationship with St. Olaf,” says NAHA Executive Director Amy Boxrud ’89. “It’s been critical to the longevity and success of NAHA.”