The state’s first Iowa History Conference is set to be held tomorrow at the State Historical Society headquarters in Des Moines. It’s a free event open to all.
According to University of Iowa professor Christy Nabhan Warren, the agenda includes three sessions with four themes covering a wide range of topics from the environment to education and religion to war, with a total of 46 panelists scheduled to speak throughout the day.
Professor Christy Nabhan Warren (UI photo)
“We have tenured faculty. We have teaching programs. We have graduate students, undergraduate students, museum curators, retired writers, independent scholars,” Nabhan Warren said. “And then we have (Meskwaki) tribal members Jonathan and Suzanne Buffalo, so we’re very excited.”
Organizers hope a wide range of people interested in Iowa history will attend, including parents, teachers, students and retirees.
“We want to demystify Iowa history and go beyond the jargon that scholars sometimes use,” she said. “Let’s tell our stories: the Civil War history of Iowa, the story of African-Americans in Iowa, the story of Danish-Americans in Iowa. We want to make this exciting for Iowans and make Iowans feel good about their history.”
There’s an old saying that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it, and Nabhan Warren agrees. She said one of her goals is to learn about the state’s history in order to pave the way for a better future.
“Sometimes we don’t talk to each other, we don’t get through to each other, we end up on the other side of a computer screen,” Nabhan Warren said, “and I think one of the ways to improve civil dialogue and actually start having conversations is to have in-person events like this.”
The agenda includes 12 major topics, but she noted there will also be discussion of more difficult times in Iowa’s past, including topics like slavery and immigration.
“We’re not talking about this to make people feel bad, but this is part of our history. How do we deal with this? How do we learn from our past? How do we make Iowa’s future better for everyone,” she said. “How do we show compassion and care for everyone who lives here? And how do we learn from the mistakes of the past? We can literally learn the lessons without feeling any shame or guilt as white people.”
Nabhan Warren said the conference is “one small way we show Iowans that we care about Iowa’s story, and it brings together a diverse group of people who care deeply about telling Iowa’s story in an authentic and compelling way.”
The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Iowa State Historical Society, 600 East Locust Street in Des Moines. No registration is required and there is no admission fee.
