NAHA holds regular events for its members and the general public. Our members receive invitations and discounts on event admission when applicable. Archived videos of events are often available. Keep an eye on our website and social media for news of upcoming in person and virtual events.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars and join us for these upcoming events! All NAHA events are open to our members and the public alike.
- Oct. 26, 2024: NAHA Biennial Member Meeting at St. Olaf College. Check back soon for more information.
- April 27, 2025: Bus from the Twin Cities to Sioux Falls for a performance of the opera “Giants in the Earth: The Norwegians in the Dakota Territory,” presented by the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.
- June 18–22, 2025: Crossings and Connections, a conference exploring the causes and affects of Norwegian migration. Geared toward the public and open to all, the gathering will include opportunities to explore Norwegian-American music, dance, historic sites, and more. The call for papers deadline is October 9, 2024. Learn more on the conference website.
- October 5–10, 2025: NAHA will partner with Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum for an Immigration Tour in New York City. More information is available on the Vesterheim website.
Past Events
Author Talk with Gunnar Nerheim
March 16, 2024 • 1 pm
Norway House, 913 East Franklin Ave., Minneapolis
Join us to hear Gunnar Nerheim, University of Stavanger professor emeritus of modern history, speak about his new book. Norsemen Deep in the Heart of Texas: Norwegian Immigrants 1845–1900 will be hot off the press from Texas A&M University Press. This free event is co-hosted with Norway House. Books will be available for purchase from Ingebretsen’s, and the Kaffebar will be open for snacks and beverages before and after the talk.
Jacob Fjelde Art Tour
October 28, 2023 • 12:30–5 pm
Minneapolis
Dr. Kristin Anderson, professor of art at Augsburg University, will guide us as we explore the life and work of immigrant sculptor Jacob Fjelde, who emigrated from Ålesund, Norway, in 1887. Stops will include Augsburg University’s Lindell Library, Minneapolis Central Library, Loring Park, Hennepin History Museum,
Lakewood Cemetery, and Minnehaha Park. Cost is $50 for NAHA members; $65 for non-members; $40 for students.
Sámi Collections and Sámi Museums in the Nordic Countries
October 4, 2023 • 4 pm
Tomson Hall 280 • St. Olaf College
Author Barbara Sjoholm will discuss national museums in the Nordic countries with significant collections of Sámi material culture. She’ll also discuss the establishment of Sámi museums in Norway, Sweden, and Finland in the past fifty years and their role in the renaissance of Indigenous Sámi music, duodji (handicraft), and language restoration.
This event is co-hosted by the St. Olaf Norwegian Department and NAHA and is free and open to the public. A recording of the presentation will be available after the event.
Putting the “Story” in Family History
May 6, 2023 • 10–11 am CDT
Join NAHA for a virtual spring member meetup! We’ll explore turning genealogical research into meaningful family stories. Our featured speaker is author, historian, and writing instructor Dr. Rachel Hanel, associate professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The event is free, but registration is required. Join us and invite a friend!
2022 Biennial Meeting: Norwegian Americans in the Twin Cities
Oct 22, 2022 • 9–3 CDT
Join us on the campus of St. Olaf College for a day of learning, socializing, and supporting the work of NAHA. In addition to four engaging presentations, we’ll enjoy a Nordic-themed lunch, hear news from NAHA leadership, and elect new board members. This year’s theme is Norwegian Americans in the Twin Cities. Keynote speaker is David C. Mauk, author of The Heart of the Heartland: Norwegian American Community in the Twin Cities, copublished by NAHA and MNHS Press. Register by October 17. All are welcome! Members $45; Non-members $49; Students $40. (Students, contact NAHA for additional registration options.)
Norwegian Immigrant Ancestors and Their Documents
July 26, 2022 • 9:50 a.m. CDT
Members and the general public are invited to join NAHA for its biennial member meeting. lanned cooperatively by Mindekirken, Bygdelagenes Fellesraad, Norway House, and NAHA, the day-long event will offer presentations giving historical context as well as tips for parsing these documents without Norwegian language skills. Following the presentations, participants can get assistance with their own documents. The requested donation is $10 and the event includes lunch and refreshments.
Transatlantic Frameworks
April 7, 2022 • Noon, CDT
Our spring virtual event features emerging scholarship from two of our members. Grab your lunch (if you live in the Midwest) and join us for Transatlantic Frameworks. MIRANDA MOEN will present “Ethnicity, Class, and Regional Building Styles: The Foundation of Immigrant Architecture.” HENRIK OLAV MATHIESEN will share “Early Transatlantic Correspondence and Translocal Communication Structures: The Case of the Vossing Letters from the Nesheim Books.” The event is moderated by historian Annette Atkins, NAHA board member.
Artistry and Industry Tour to Norway
June 18–26, 2022
NAHA is pleased to offer “Artistry and Industry of Norway,” blending cultural, industrial, and agricultural history. The group will travel by bus from Oslo to Bergen, enjoying spectacular natural beauty, stays in historic hotels, and delicious, locally sourced meals along the way. Stops include the Oleana knitwear factory, the Telemark Canal, Hotel Dalen, fish and fruit farms in the Hardanger region, and the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. NAHA Editor Anna Peterson, associate professor of history at Luther College, will guide the tour, and Amy Boxrud, executive director of NAHA, will host it. Contact Betina Kohler at Borton Overseas reserve your space.
Norwegian Haugeans in Context
November 4, 2021
1:00 p.m. CDT • 19:00 EST
Join the Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) and Det norsk-amerikanske historielaget i Norge (NAHA-Norge) in marking the 250th anniversary of Hans Nielsen Hauge’s birth. Hauge was a 19th-century Norwegian spiritual leader and social reformer. Prof. Vidar L. Haanes, will present “Millennial Hopes and Scandinavian Immigrants to America: Norwegian Haugeans in Context.” Vidar L. Haanes is Professor of Church and Intellectual History and Rector at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society in Oslo. NAHA-Norge President Arnstein Hjelde of Østfold University will moderate the event. This webinar is free and open to the public. Please join us!
Linked Histories
While this program was cancelled, you can learn more about this topic at the link below.
August 4, 2021 • 6:00 p.m. CDT
Join NAHA and Norway House as we explore the relationships and interactions between settlers and Indigenous peoples of Minnesota. In response to the Red River Girl Exhibit at Norway House, we’ll focus on the circumstances that brought settlers to claim land in Minnesota—first in Houston County and later in the Red River Valley. We’ll gather at Norway House in Minneapolis: 6 pm social time, 6:30 program. NAHA and Norway House members, $5; general public, $10. Presenters are Dr. Betty Bergland, emerita professor of history, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Dr. Brenda J. Child (Red Lake Ojibwe), Northrop Professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota. Moderated by NAHA Editor Anna M. Peterson.
2021 Spring Member Meetup
April 11, 2021 • 2:00 p.m. CDT
Join NAHA online for our annual Spring Member Meetup. Our featured speaker is Kyle Ward, who will discuss his research on the history of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep.) — a unit of Norwegian-Americans and Norwegians in exile during World War 2. NAHA Editor Anna M. Peterson will moderate the event. Kyle Ward is director of social studies education and teaches history at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He currently serves on the board of directors for the 99th Battalion Educational Foundation. This event is free and open to the public. Join us, and invite a friend!
2020 Biennial Member Meeting
October 24, 2020 • 9:30 a.m. CDT
Members and the general public are invited to join NAHA for its biennial member meeting via Zoom. Erika K. Jackson of Colorado Mesa University will present “Becoming White: The Case of Scandinavians in Chicago,” moderated by Anna Peterson. A short member meeting will follow, with updates to the membership and election of new board members.
New Directions in Migration Research
May 14, 2020 • 4 p.m. CDT
The NAHA Spring Member Meetup, originally planned as an in-person event, has been rescheduled online. Terje Mikael Hasle Joranger, director of the Norwegian Emigrant Museum, will present “New Directions in Migration Research.” As a historian focusing on ethnicity and migration, Joranger’s research has centered on transnationalism, cultural encounters, and acculturation. Since 2011 he has served as editor of “Norwegian-American Essays,” and he is co-editor of an anthology, “Nordic Whiteness,” which explores the status and privilege of Nordic immigrants in the United States. The event is moderated by NAHA Board Member Daron Olson, associate professor of history at Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana.
2016 Biennial Member Meeting
Oct 29, 2016
The 2016 Biennial Meeting explores Norwegian-American folk music folklorist Jim Leary, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His keynote presentation is called “Early Recordings of Norwegian-American Folk Music: History and Happenstance.” During our Nordic-inspired luncheon, NAHA will conduct its biennial business and share exciting plans for the future. The day ends with an open Nordic music session in downtown Northfield. Invite a friend — all are welcome!
2014 Biennial Member Meeting
May 14, 2014
Our 2014 Biennial Meeting featured a session presented by NAHA member Karen V. Hansen, “Entangled Encounters: Scandinavian Settlers and Dakota Indians, 1890-1930.” Hansen is Professor of History, Sociology, and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University and author of “Encounter on the Great Plains: Scandinavian Settlers and the Dispossession of Dakota Indians, 1890-1930.”
