October Irrigator: Love Our Libraries

Donate Today Issue 13 | October 2023 Love Our Libraries And the books were constant company. Which was nice. Tama loved books. Caught in their pages were worlds bursting with color and light, love and fairness. Pressed between their covers were words that planted seeds in the garden of Tama’s mind. How magical that—even in Minidoka—such a small little library could fit so much inside of its four walls! Tama kept a word for that, too, nestled close to her heart. 'Miraculous,' she whispered. Excerpt from Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall As a child, I would walk the aisles of my local public library, my fingers trailing over the book spines. Sometimes, I selected an already beloved story because reading it again brought joy and comfort. Other times, I chose the unfamiliar, hoping for new, exciting, or tearful stories in another place or time. Stories remind us that we are human. Stories inspire and challenge. They allow us to make sense of the world around us. They help us build empathy, grow beyond our own life experiences. We become more thoughtful versions of ourselves and citizens of the world. Earlier this month, that same magical storytelling unfolded before me as author Maggie Tokuda-Hall read her book, Love in the Library, to a room full of children, parents, and grandparents at Twin Falls Public Library. Tokuda-Hall’s narrative and Yas Imamura’s wistful illustrations captivated the audience with the heartfelt telling of Tokuda-Hall’s grandparents finding love in the Minidoka library — despite the tragedy of their unjust incarceration. Sadly, many libraries — including those in Idaho — face attacks from a small group of vocal, narrow minded people who rob others of access to information and a variety of views, thus harming our freedom to think critically and participate in civil discourse.  We have fierce fighters for intellectual freedom like Tokuda-Hall and Erin Kennedy of the Idaho Library Association (see their articles in this issue of the Irrigator) as well as the many librarians across the country. At the end of Love in the Library, Tokuda-Hall provides a true quote: “The miracle is in us,” Tama wrote in her journal. “As long as we believe in change, in beauty, in hope.” That miracle is hard to find sometimes. But it is in all of us. We ALL can take steps to ensure that our story is told and encourage intellectual curiosity in our communities. To learn more about what you can do, visit PEN America. Help us share the story of Minidoka. Please consider making a donation of $18.99 to Friends of Minidoka to cover the cost of a copy of Love in the Library. For each donation, we will send a copy to an elementary school library in Idaho. Our hope is to reach at least 85 schools. Thank you for your support! Donate a Copy of Love in the Library to a School Purchase a Signed Copy of Love in the Library for Yourself Sincerely, Robyn Achilles Executive Director P.S. Look for the release of our short video with Maggie Tokuda-Hall at Minidoka National Historic Site! Featured Stories Survivor/Descendant Reflection  by Maggie Tokuda-Hall Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall visited Minidoka National Historic Site in early October. In her descendant reflection, she states “...it was my first time ever being able to experience the camp with a full understanding of what it was, and the experience was unique in my life. Profound, of course, and humbling. But also galvanizing…”  Read Her Full Reflection Here Love for Your Libraries: A Call to Fight Censorship By Erin Kennedy, Librarian and Idaho Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Chair I found myself at a bookstore event sitting next to Maggie Tokuda-Hall, an award-winning children’s book author. It’s no stretch to say I felt a bit overwhelmed. I’m a librarian, and in my world, authors are celebrities. This author, in particular, had me starry eyed. Not only had she written a book that takes place in my home state of Idaho, but she had also fought a public battle against censorship.  Read the Full Article Maggie Tokuda-Hall Speaks in Idaho By Camille Daw, Program and Outreach Manager This past month, Friends of Minidoka partnered with the Idaho Library Association (ILA) to bring author and Minidoka descendant Maggie Tokuda-Hall to Idaho on October 6 and 7 for a series of programs and speaking events.  Read the Full Article Here Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It’s never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Donate to Friends of Minidoka Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

September Irrigator: We, Too, Are America

Donate Today Issue 12 | September 2023 We, Too, Are America I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.   Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America.  –Langston Hughes In September, Boise, Idaho, hosted the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) conference. The theme, “I, Too, Am America” was inspired by Langston Hughes' poem. Friends of Minidoka and Minidoka National Historic Site were part of the host planning committees, and the Minidoka story was featured prominently at the conference with two days of tours to the site, session presentations, keynote, and awards. It was truly gratifying that were "at the table” and our story was recognized, appreciated, and embraced, thanks to AASLH, Idaho State Museum conference hosts, and conference participants. We truly felt that we, too, are America. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories El Milagro - The Miracle By Camille Daw, Program and Outreach Manager In September 2023, Friends of Minidoka staff visited El Milagro with attendees from the Removal and Remembrance tour as part of the American Association for State and Local History conference hosted in Boise. The site, located in Twin Falls, Idaho contains a long legacy of agricultural labor on the backs of individuals who history had almost ignored– until now.  Read the Full Article Teacher Training at Minidoka NHS By Camille Daw, Program and Outreach Manager In early July, the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO), the National Park Service, (NPS) and Friends of Minidoka (FOM) were excited to host a teacher training course in Twin Falls, Idaho. Teachers, located all throughout Oregon, teaching all different grade levels, traveled to Idaho to learn more about Minidoka and the best ways to teach on the Japanese American incarceration experience.  Read more here Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It’s never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Support Friends of Minidoka Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

July + August Irrigator: Trauma and Healing

Donate Today Issue 11 | July + August 2023 Trauma and Healing Raised by Nisei incarceration survivors, I experienced first hand the destructive power of silence and how the pain from the concentration camps cruelly impacted my parents psychologically and economically. As we have come to learn through the work of psychologists and sociologists, recognizing the existence of trauma is critical for our community to process, intervene in the cycle of trauma, and allow us to move forward. Last month, the first in-person Minidoka pilgrimage since the pandemic convened. Over 200 survivors and descendants participated thanks to the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee’s efforts. Through shared learning, intergenerational talk groups, and return to the site, we experienced a weekend of commemoration and community processing. In honor of the pilgrimage, this issue of the Irrigator highlights the many ways we acknowledge and move forward from the trauma of incarceration – whether it is through historic preservation, claiming our story, literature, visual art, education, or social action – and to strive for a better future for our community and for our nation. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories Minidoka Pilgrimage 2023: We The Ancestors By Camille Daw, Program and Outreach Manager Every year, about 200 people join at the Minidoka National Historic Site for the Minidoka Pilgrimage. This time together under the July sun in the high desert of Idaho often brings up difficult, and at times, confusing emotions as pilgrimage attendees reflect on their families’ experiences in the place and space they gather. Read the Full Article Lava Ridge Update: Striving for Long Term Protections Friends of Minidoka and the National Parks Conservation Association have submitted the Greater Minidoka Area of Critical Environmental Concern nomination to the Bureau of Land Management. The goal with this nomination is to create long term protections for the Minidoka viewshed and to protect the solemn and immersive experience at Minidoka that is critical to teaching about this violation of civil liberties. Read FoM’s and NPCA’s ACEC Fact Sheet Monthly Book Highlight  By Sarah Ziegler, One Stone Summer High School Intern My Name is Not Viola is told from the introspective, thoughtful eyes of author Lawrence Matsuda's mother, Hanae, as she experiences life in America during the 20th century as a young Japanese American. Matsuda writes of his mother's experiences with sensitivity and beauty, capturing the visceral emotion of the story in rich detail. Read the full book highlight here. Copies signed by the author are for sale in our online bookstore. Check out our Book Store Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It’s never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Support Friends of Minidoka Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}*

April Irrigator: Collective Resistance

Donate Issue 08 | April 2023  Collective Resistance Approximately 11,000 public comments were received by the Bureau of Land Management on its draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Lava Ridge project proposed on public land surrounding Minidoka National Historic Site. Thanks to all of you for your collective resistance — speaking out and educating others about the need to protect Minidoka. The painful history of confinement sites and their somber, reflective, and immersive educational experience must be preserved to teach the lessons about what many legal scholars call one of our nation's worst civil liberties violations. We must continue the fight to protect our history and ask for the siting of energy projects to be evaluated with an environmental justice and racial justice lens. This issue highlights other acts of resistance in our past as well as acts of resistance today in an effort to protect our future. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories  Nisei Trials – 80 Years “Courage comes in many forms,” stated Fujiko Tamura Gardner, a Minidoka survivor. September 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Boise trials of the Minidoka draft resisters. Friends of Minidoka has received an Idaho Humanities Council grant to commemorate the courage of these 40 Nisei men who wanted their full citizenship restored before serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Photo: Jim Akutsu. Link to Full Article Fighting Censorship of Love in the Library Love In The Library is a beautiful and wistful children's book by Maggie Tokuda-Hall about love blossoming between her grandparents at the library at Minidoka. Scholastic Books wanted to censor Tokuda-Hall's use of the word "racism" in the author's notes. Link to Full Article Idaho Gives: May 1st - 4th We are participating in another year of Idaho Gives! Over the course of four days nonprofits all across the state will be raising funds and competing for additional prize money. The more individual donors we have giving to our campaign, the more likely we are to receive additional funds through Idaho Gives! Make a Donation during Idaho Gives Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}*

March Irrigator: Gardens of Healing and Resilience

Issue 07 | March 2023 Gardens of Healing and Resilience When I was a child, my father lovingly tended to a beautiful Japanese garden in our backyard. My friends and I tucked flowers in stone lanterns and played hide and seek behind rocks thoughtfully placed in the garden. During quiet times, we serenely watched dragon flies land on the horsetails next to the pond's stone bridge or the tiny toads sitting on the lily pads. The garden seemed to thrive and blossom with the happy chatter of children, while giving back nurturing and healing energy. With each visit to Minidoka, I stop at the historic rock garden designed by Fujitarō Kubota. A basalt rock “V” pathway leads to the replica Military Honor Roll listing the names of those who served during WWII. A ring of rocks surrounds a large basalt rock, standing tall with blue sky and a wisp of cloud as its backdrop. Like Jamie Ford’s essay about Kubota’s Seattle garden in Spirited Stone, I imagine the experiences of this basalt rock. Born eons ago from hot lava, it sat for many years among the sagebrush, watching the golden eagles soar in the sky and the pronghorn antelope and sage grouse graze nearby. Suddenly, there was the buzz of thousands of people. Some lifted and moved the basalt rock to a knoll with an expansive view of the flat valley. They strolled among the rock formations to grieve or reflect; the rock breathed in their sorrow. The pride and pain of identity, as evidenced by the rock garden contrasting with the honor roll, hung heavy. Then, the people were gone, and the rock was by itself.  There it remained for years with the smaller rocks circling it in solidarity, waiting, until rediscovered. Still standing proud and upright, it is a symbol of our community’s strength and resilience. I cannot but think of the Japanese garden of my childhood and what it gave to me, of what Kubota’s garden at Minidoka gave to those incarcerated, and of the lessons it continues to give to us today. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden Book Highlight By Camille Daw, Graduate Fellow Spirited Stone includes essays from scholars and authors, fully encapsulating the life, work, and legacy of Fujitarō Kubota and his beautiful rock gardens that combined Japanese aesthetics with the plants, structures, and boulders of the Pacific Northwest. Read the Full Review Meet Walt! By Camille Daw, Graduate Fellow Meet Walt, Minidoka National Historic Site’s newest team member!  Meet Walt Lava Ridge Update - Call to Action Please help continue the fight for Minidoka National Historic Site! We need you to submit comments to the Bureau of Land Management on the draft Environmental Impact Statement and the impact of the proposed commercial wind project by April 20, 2023. More Information Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}*

February Irrigator: The Spiral of Injustice

Issue 06 | February 2023 The Spiral of Injustice Recently, my family visited the National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C. On our two previous visits, we started on the first floor, taking the elevator deep down into the bowels of the building where the beginning of enslavement in North America is brutally described. This visit, we chose to ride the escalators up to the top floor where we were encircled by exhibits describing the many contributions of African Americans to our nation. A quote by James Baldwin projected above us, “People evolve a language in order to describe and control their circumstances.”  The 2023 Boise Day of Remembrance focused on the power of words. When we mention this phrase, we often turn to inspirational speeches, poems, or stories that can uplift, enlighten, and bring us together. However, we forget that words also can be used to manipulate, dehumanize, and divide. And, if we fail to recognize this power, gross violations --  like the mass incarceration of an entire population based solely on their ancestry -- can occur. This collaboration with the Idaho State Museum, Boise Public Library, Boise Arts & History, Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, Boise Valley JACL, and Minidoka National Historic Site featured our short educational film, Power of Words. Kurt Ikeda from Minidoka National Historic Site discussed incarceration. Christina Bruce-Bennion from the Wassmuth Center explored  The Spiral of Injustice, identified demeaning language used today, and how it leads to the spiral of injustice. The physical design of the National Museum of African American History symbolizes what occurs when we allow inhumane acts to go unchecked, beginning with the use of dehumanizing words that lead to discrimination, then to violence, like a spiral plummeting to the bottom floor. We closed this year’s Day of Remembrance event with the poem “Legacy” by Lawrence Matsuda, a call to action for all of us to be “upstanders” and interrupt the spiral of injustice. The  link to program video from ISM will be available shortly on our website. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories First Day of Remembrance Remembered By Camille Daw, Friends of Minidoka Fellow November 25, 1978, marked the first “Day of Remembrance” event. Seattle activists organized the Evacuation Redress Committee in the early 1970s as a grassroots organization that sought individual reparations for the World War II confinement of Japanese Americans. Read the Full Essay Here Book Review: The Minidoka Interlude The Minidoka Interlude contains photos of all Japanese Americans confined at Minidoka in 1943, including children and infants. Copies available for purchase here. Read the full Review Lava Ridge Update - Call to Action We need your help! Please submit comments to the BLM and attend the Open Houses in Portland and Seattle. The comment period has been extended to April 20, 2023. More Information Focus on Confinement Sites Watch the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages 2023 Day of Remembrance event, "Focus on Confinement Sites" below. The program featured ongoing fights to protect Minidoka NHS, Tule Lake, and the Topaz Wakasa Monument. Watch Here Help Guide Friends of Minidoka's Future Friends of Minidoka is beginning a strategic planning process to decide priorities for the future. We want to hear from you! Please complete the online survey by March 10, 2023. Complete the Survey Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

January Irrigator: Education at Minidoka

Issue 05 | January 2023 Education at Minidoka I find myself drawn repeatedly to this photo of high school students at Minidoka. The light streams in between the gaps of the buildings uncured wood siding. The American flag, a symbol of freedom and democracy, hangs behind them, ever so slightly uneven in the middle; light creates slashes behind the thin fabric. I take a closer look at their faces and body language. Generally, in class photos, high school students are smiling, hopeful, and expectant, but in this, I sense shock, uncertainty, and anger. There is an honesty and rawness not seen in the later staged War Relocation Authority photos. My parents graduated from high school while incarcerated at Heart Mountain and Rohwer Concentration Camps. Later in life, they spoke occasionally of their school experiences, their dedicated teachers, and the under-resourced classrooms, but this photo digs at my heart and helps me to understand a little bit more of what they endured. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Featured Stories Student Essays  By Camille Daw, Friends of Minidoka Fellow In October 1942 school opened for incarcerated students at Minidoka. Huntville Elementary School, located in Block 10, taught students in Blocks 1 through 19 while Stafford School was in Block 32 and served children in Blocks 21 through 44. Incarcerees and administrators set up the schools in barracks, so students were both learning and living in tarpaper. Hunt Junior and Senior High occupied Block 23. The WRA purchased used desks and chairs for students, leading to the equipment constantly breaking down from years of wear and tear. Additionally the books that were purchased were very outdated also also showed signs of wear.  The WRA provided curriculum that promoted American ideals, citizenship, and patriotism, so student essays often reflected these values, and dissenting opinions were often frowned upon. Still students reflected on their experiences of removal and incarceration, with both a sense of hope and sadness about their present circumstances. For example, in the essay below, by Jim Akagi, he recalls his childhood experiences playing football until the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He explains the forced removal and his sadness about Christmas approaching and being incarcerated at Minidoka during the holiday. Jim’s essay is not the only written piece that shows the perspective of children who were incarcerated. Many other essays written by incarcerated students explain the differing perspectives and emotions they felt. Read the Full Essay Here Introducing the Minidoka Educational Resources By Kurt Ikeda, Director of Interpretation and Education Minidoka National Historic Site "I never learned about this in school!" After almost every ranger-guided tour, a visitor will offer this reflection to our staff. Our new Minidoka Education Resources is our response. Through short films and full-length lesson plans, educators can bring the important story of the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans to their classrooms. Across four short documentaries, Friends of Minidoka and North Shore Productions provide a deep dive into various aspects of lessons and legacy of Minidoka. Teachers will be able to navigate 6th-12th grade students through topics include: the loyalty questionnaire with Patriotism and Protest, the use of euphemisms in “Power of Wordsâ€, the importance of allyship through “Power of the Pressâ€, and the parallels of this history in “Standing up for Others. The topics in these films and lessons apply broadly to the experience of Japanese Americans at other camps as well. The lesson plans utilize primary sources as learning tools and are National and State standards based. Other resources include teacher and student versions of key terms, historical timelines, and printable worksheets. The lessons range from full one-hour lessons to short ten minute activities, so we encourage educators to adapt them to meet the needs of their students and classes. Throughout the year, we will highlight each of the lessons and resources. Educators are also encouraged to sign up using their email address for future educational opportunities.  Link to Films+Lesson Plans Monthly Stories This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

December Irrigator: The Comfort of Pets

Issue 04 | December 2022 The Comfort of Pets This year, my husband and I became “empty nesters” when both of our daughters left home for school. Our family pets, Poppy the Tibetan terrier and Artie the tabby cat, are our constant companions and solace as we adjust to a household without children. Poppy cuddles at my feet while I work at my desk. In the evening, Artie purrs on the cushion behind my head on the living room sofa. Pets always were important sources of comfort for my children during times of transition. Two rabbits, Salt and Zebra, helped our older daughter with a difficult move from Seattle to San Francisco in third grade. Sophie Susan the cat snuggled with our younger daughter at the end of a long preschool day. When we moved to Idaho, these family members traveled with us and became mountain town pets. Once Salt, Zebra, and Sophie Susan passed away, Poppy and Artie joined our household and helped our girls face the challenges of living in a rural Idaho town. David Sakura, a member of our Speakers Bureau, recently spoke virtually with a group of middle school students in Idaho. He shared that he was forced to leave his dog behind when he and his family were removed from their home in Washington State in 1942. My heart breaks to think how vital animals are to people during times of stress and how incarcerees (children in particular) were cruelly separated from their beloved pets during that period of extreme upheaval and uncertainty. In this month’s book column, we highlight the young adult novel, Dash, which features a girl who left her dog behind when she and her family were incarcerated at Minidoka. Our daughters returned home from California and Connecticut for the holidays. Everyone – children, parents, and pets alike –  are thankful to be reunited and to be able to celebrate this time together. We wish our Minidoka community and their beloved pets a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Robyn Achilles Executive Director Above photo courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community Featured Stories Barbed Wire Christmas: Holidays and Incarcerated Japanese Americans By Andrew Dunn, Board Chair, Friends of Minidoka Like many Americans, the Tamura family enjoyed holidays. They looked forward to sitting around a large wooden table together and eating the food their family had happily made for generations. These included ham and other familiar table items, but also the complicated and time consuming Mochi that represented a cultural staple for families of Japanese descent. This connection to Japan, though, would force the Tamura family to face terrible injustice. Forced to face a painful dilemma between maintaining certain elements of their heritage and assimilating by adopting the cultural practices of a mistrustful nation, the Tamura family’s experience is representative of thousands of other American families of Japanese descent. Read the full article here Important Lava Ridge Update! The Bureau of Land Management will release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project on January 13, 2023. The DEIS will include alternatives to the proposed project based on community feedback over the past year. Our community will have 60 days from the release of the DEIS to send comment emails and letters to the BLM. Friends of Minidoka will share our response with you a week or two after the DEIS is released. At that time, we will provide information on how to submit effective comments. Fill out the BLM’s form to be added to the mailing list to receive the DEIS in January. Click HERE.  The BLM will be holding community meetings in West Coast cities after the DEIS is released. We will update you as more information becomes available. More Lava Ridge Updates Here Community Partner Highlight: Sierra Club Idaho Chapter We are grateful for the Sierra Club Idaho Chapter’s leadership and commitment to equity, inclusion and justice and recognizing the complexity of placing a proposed wind project in the viewshed of Minidoka National Historic Site. Read the full article by Vienne Aberle, the Sierra Club's Communications & Advancement Assistant for the Idaho Chapter, here. Monthly Stories The Inukai Family Foundation will match donations up to $5,000! Double the impact of your donation. Please make a gift to Friends of Minidoka by December 31. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It is never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Make a Donation Today! This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

November Irrigator: Food Connecting Generations

Issue 03 | November 2022 Food Connecting Generations While incarcerated at Rohwer, my mother’s family ordered a hot plate from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. My grandfather cooked often for his eight daughters, resulting in a blown fuse in their barrack. “Must be the Otoshi’s again!” What it must have meant to my grandparents to prepare recipes from their parents and grandparents for their children. To not eat mass-produced food each day. To eat with your family in an intimate setting rather than a large chaotic mess hall. To have some control and power over daily activities. When my mother Keiko passed away, I inherited her cookbooks. I especially treasure her 1965 West Los Angeles Japanese American Citizens League’s cookbook, East-West Flavors. Spattered with shoyu and cooking oil, the recipes tell which were well loved and prepared often— buta tofu, kinpira gobo, teriyaki beef. There was also spaghetti, beef stroganoff, and tamale pie. Penciled notes in my mother’s handwriting are bittersweet, reminding me of her and how deeply I miss her. My teenage daughters often ask me to make “Kei-Kei’s” sukiyaki from this cookbook. They walk in the kitchen, and their eyes brighten, “Mom, that smells so good!” After devouring its contents and unwilling to waste any of the flavors, they pour the fragrant broth over white rice. This warms me to know they value this simple dish and its connection to their grandmother. “Food…is more than just sustenance,” says Chef Sugiyama in Densho’s Campu podcast. “It’s a vehicle for culture—one that persists even after we’ve forgotten things like language. It’s a way to delight in the world around us, engage our senses, connect with other people. It’s how we tell someone we love them. It’s the lessons we pass down between generations—and the ones we don’t.” Robyn Achilles Executive Director Listen to Densho’s podcast Campu Episode Six: Food This issue of the Irrigator explores how those incarcerated at Minidoka fought to preserve their culture through food and collective action. Above photo: People waiting in lunch mess hall line at Minidoka. Photograph No. 210CMB-I1-1274 Records of the War Relocation Authority, Record Group 210; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. Featured Stories Please support our work, like this monthly newsletter, teacher training, community and online programs, and preservation and protection of Minidoka National Historic Site. One of our major projects has been working with a coalition of community partners locally, regionally, and nationally to fight a massive wind project proposal which threatens the sacredness and immersive experience of the site. Minidoka NHS was named one of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America in 2022 by the National Trust for Historic Places. Our fight will continue into 2023 and beyond. Help us expand and continue our work on behalf of Minidoka National Historic Site. Please make a one-time or multi-year gift today to Friends of Minidoka. Make a donation to the campaign or learn more here! Questions? Email us at info@minidoka.org. Monthly Stories Thank you to our 2021 Donors! A full listing of supporters can be found in our first-ever Annual Report. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It is never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* **

September Irrigator: Connecting Through Words

Issue 01 | September 2022 Connecting Through Words We rose early in our household when I was growing up in Southern California. My Dad, a Nisei gardener, wanted an early start on his “route” to beat the afternoon heat. I fondly remember the quiet of the morning, our home’s light beaming warmth while enshrouded in the morning darkness.  I sat at the kitchen table waiting expectantly. I heard a car and a light thud on the driveway. Scrambling out of my chair, I ran out the front door of our 1950’s ranch house into the cool morning air. I retrieved the LA Times and skipped back inside to my Dad. Mom joined us with her coffee, and we split up the paper to read. Sometimes we were silent; sometimes we chatted quietly, sharing bits of news. “You don’t say!” my Mom sometimes exclaimed, or “what in the Sam Hill?” my Dad asked. Today, my Dad is 97 years old and still reads the newspaper, dozing off now and then. With limited mobility, the paper is his connection to the broader world. Eighty years ago in September 1942, the first edition of the camp newspaper, The Minidoka Irrigator, was published. When reading the first issue of the historic Irrigator, I cringe to see terms like “colonists” and the column “A Muzzle for Old Lady Rumor.” However, I am also moved by the poignant editorial “Eyes on Tomorrow,” the list of births at Puyallup Detention Center, and the article that 114 American citizens from Pierce and King Counties cast their absentee ballots from Minidoka for the Washington State primary. Despite the censored news, I imagine how important the Irrigator must have been to the families incarcerated, serving as a lifeline to one another, sharing what was happening in a different block or beyond the barbed wire. Today, we launch our new monthly newsletter, Minidoka Irrigator: Cultivating Community. We hope to provide a sense of connectedness among our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies while cultivating our country’s democratic values through the telling of our stories and shared experiences. Robyn Achilles Executive Director To read the first edition of the Irrigator, click here. Featured Stories The Minidoka Irrigator By Kurt Ikeda, Director of Interpretation and Education, Minidoka National Historic Site The Minidoka Irrigator was a weekly newspaper written, edited, and printed by Japanese Americans at the Minidoka Relocation Center. Each concentration camp published bilingual English and Japanese language newspapers that kept incarcerees informed about social events, sports, school activities, crimes, comics, and news from the war front. Read more. Connected Conversations in partnership with Idaho Humanities Council In commemoration of the arrival of the first incarcerees to Minidoka 80 years ago in August 1942, Friends of Minidoka and the Idaho Humanities Council partnered together to produce a 3 part series, which includes background information by Kurt Ikeda, research by Dr. Donna Nagata on multigenerational trauma, and a panel discussion by survivors and descendants (Mary Tanaka Abo, Paul Tomita, Karen Hirai Olen, Wendy Tokuda, and Stephen Kitajo) about their reactions to Dr. Nagata’s work and their hopes for the future. Watch here. We will miss you, Sam Bowlin! By Camille Daw, Fellow, Friends of Minidoka It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Sam Bowlin, Facilities Manager, Minidoka National Historic Site! Sam has been instrumental in the growth of Minidoka, and was the current longest serving staff at the site. Sam is moving to Salt Lake City with his partner and will manage multiple facilities for a large brewing company. Those who visit the park today see the hard work and dedication that Sam puts into the site every single day. Read more. Monthly Stories Minidoka 80th Anniversary Photo Gallery from our 80th Anniversary Event Full Photo Album + Video Here! Thank you to our 2021 Donors! A full listing of supporters can be found in our first-ever Annual Report. Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. It is never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Look for the launch of our 3 Year pledge campaign this fall! This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* ** Make a Donation