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
NAHA Biennial Meeting
October 10, 2026
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Join the Norwegian American Historical Association for our 2026 Biennial Meeting, an engaging all-day event celebrating Norwegian American history through scholarship, discussion, and community.
This year’s program will feature presentations by scholars who will explore the experiences of Norwegian Americans in times of conflict, from the Civil War through World War II.
Anders Bo Rasmussen
Associate Professor at the Center for American Studies, Southern Denmark University
“Ole Goes to War – but Hans Stays Home: The Scandinavian Civil War Experience, Draft Resistance, and Emerging Class Warfare in Marcus Thrane’s Norske Amerikaner”
Kristin Risley
Professor of English, University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic
“The Home Field(s): Place and Memory in the Hans Christian Heg Statues”
Ann M. Legreid
Professor Emerita of Geography and Global Studies, Shepherd University
“Campaigns on the Home Front: Norwegian Americans Mobilized for War”
Whether you are a longtime member, researcher, or simply interested in Norwegian American history, we invite you to spend the day with us for inspiring presentations and meaningful conversation.
Past Events
Ancestral Silence: Rediscovering Sámi Identity in the Norwegian-American Diaspora
Ancestral Silence: Rediscovering Sámi Identity in the Norwegian-American Diaspora
July 30, 2026 @ 3pm CST
Presenter: Freia Serafina Titland
PhD Candidate in Women’s Spirituality, artist, and Sámi-Norwegian American on the path of rediscovery.
Across North America, many Norwegian-American families are rediscovering forgotten or hidden elements of their ancestral past. Among these histories are connections to the Sámi. Yet for generations, Sámi identity was often silenced or obscured due to assimilation policies, social stigma, and pressures to conform to dominant national identities.
This webinar explores the historical roots of that silence and the contemporary journeys of rediscovery now taking place among descendants in the diaspora. Drawing on personal family research as well as doctoral scholarship on Sámi cultural and spiritual recovery, this presentation examines how these hidden histories emerge and what they mean for individuals and communities today.
Blending storytelling, historical insight, and cultural reflection, this talk invites participants to consider how family histories are shaped not only by what is remembered, but also by what is forgotten.
Celebrating 150 Years of Ole Rølvaag
April 21 @ 3:30 PM CST
Virtual
Join us for a special commemorative event honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of legendary author and St. Olaf educator, Ole Rølvaag.
Presented by NAHA and the St. Olaf Norwegian Department, this event features research and insights from the students of NORWEGIAN 373: America Fever. Come discover who Rølvaag was, the “fever” that brought him to America, and why St. Olaf Library proudly bears his name.
Tuesday, April 21
- In-Person Celebration: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Rølvaag Library
- Virtual Session: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Online via Zoom
Explore the life and legacy of a giant in Norwegian-American history. Whether you join us in the library stacks or from your own screen, we look forward to celebrating this milestone with you.
Registration is needed for the virtual event only.
Research in Progress: Rethinking Norwegian-American Women’s History with the Inaugural NAHA Fellows
April 9, 2026 • Noon, CST
Virtual
Join NAHA for a special webinar featuring the inaugural recipients of the NAHA Archives and Publication Fellowships, Mona Holm and Marika Josephson. Holm and Josephson will share how their research on Norwegian-American women’s transnational experiences have been informed by NAHA’s archival collections. This behind-the-scenes conversation will explore how new scholarship is bringing fresh perspectives to the study of Norwegian immigration to North America. Moderated by NAHA editor, Anna Peterson.
Centennial Banquet
October 25, 2025 • 5 pm
McNamara Event Center
200 SE Oak Street, Minneapolis
Join fellow members and friends of NAHA as we celebrate our centennial.
5:00 pm Social Hour
6:00 pm Dinner
Program to follow featuring Kevin Kling, award-winning playwright, author, and storyteller. Music provided by Ole Olsson’s Oldtime Orkestra.
NAHA’s centennial season is generously sponsored by:
Gold: First Citzens Bank
Silver: Mt. Olivet Homes, Faribault Mill
Bronze: Brue Skok Cellars, Goodney & Etter PA., Neuger, Kyle Jansson and C.E. Harding, Ingebretsen’s, The Norwegian Department at St. Olaf College, and Sylvsmidja.
Immigration Tour to New York City
October 5–10, 2025
New York City
NAHA is headed to New York City! We’ll visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Tenement Museum, Scandinavia House, and historic Brooklyn sites. The tour will culminate on Oct. 9, with the arrival of the replica of the sloop Restauration. This tour is a collaboration with Vesterheim Museum, as part of Crossings, the bicentennial of Norwegian migration to North America. The tour is currently filled—a waitlist is available.
Crossings and Connections
June 18–22, 2025
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Crossings and Connections: Norwegian Migration to North America, planned as part of the 2025 Crossings bicentennial, explored the causes and effects of Norwegian migration. Geared toward the public and open to all, the gathering included opportunities to explore Norwegian-American music, dance, film, historic sites, and more. Video of the plenary sessions is now available —use the link below.
Giants in the Earth Opera Day Tour
April 27, 2025
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Leave the driving to us! Join us for a bus tour from the Twin Cities and Northfield 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.
Re-Presenting the Past: The Case of Pioneer Pastor Claus L. Clausen
Clausen was a co-founder of the Norwegian Synod, the first editor of Emigranten newspaper, founder of the town of St. Ansgar, Iowa, and a chaplain among Scandinavians in the civil war. He originally intended to become a missionary to “the heathen.” What made him change his mind? Jostein Garcia de Presno, Ph.D. shares new findings in letters and diaries that shed light on his decision to emigrate to the United States.
March 26, 2025
Virtual Event
Jostein Garcia de Presno is associate professor of the history of Christianity at Volda University College in Norway.
This webinar is free and open to the public. Register using the link below.
2024 Biennial Meeting
Oct. 26, 2024
Buntrock Commons, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Recording are available of our biennial presentations:
Dr. Kari Lie Dorer Professor of Norwegian, St. Olaf College. “Muus vs Muus: Unraveling Archival (His)tories”
Vicki Tobias, MLIS, Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Information School. “Collecting, Managing and Preserving Your Family’s Archives”
Dr. Maddalena Marinari Professor of History, Gustavus Adolphus College. “The 1924 Immigration Act and the Scandinavian Experience”
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.”
