Please Note: This event has expired.
Melissa Walls (Bois Forte and Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe) shares surprising parallels between Ojibwe and Swedish culture.
Discovering Swedish Roots: Stories from Melissa Walls. Melissa grew up in International Falls with close ties to her Ojibwe (Anishanaabe) culture from her mother – with less understanding of her father’s Swedish-American roots. At the suggestion of her Swedish aunt, she applied – and was selected — to participate in the Swedish TV show Allt för Sverige, which features Swedish Americans discovering their Swedish roots. Melissa learned of her Swedish ancestors’ difficult decision to ... view more »
ADMISSION INFO
FREE
No registration is required and this is a free-will donation event.
Contact: 651-233-0267
INDIVIDUAL DATES & TIMES*
Additional time info:
11am – Allt för Sverige with Lukas Walls
Hear about this Emmy award-winning Swedish TV show (available on YouTube) that brings Swedish-Americans to Sweden to learn about their ancestry. Lukas worked on the show’s crew for 7 seasons, including when his wife Melissa Walls was a contestant.
1pm – Discovering Cultural Parallels with Melissa Walls
elissa Walls (Bois Forte and Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe) grew up connected to her mother’s Ojibwe culture – with little understanding of her Swedish ancestry. In 2019, she participated in the TV show Allt för Sverige, where she learned of her ancestors’ difficult decision to leave Sweden after losing a daughter to famine. Hear about Melissa’s moving experience discovering her unknown ancestry, the surprising parallels between Ojibwe and Swedish culture, and Melissa’s struggle to reconcile her “colonized and colonizer” identities.
LOCATION
PARKING INFO
A free parking lot is available on museum grounds including accessible parking spots for persons with disabilities.
