Updates from the National Park Service
In the weeks following the grand opening on March 22nd, Minidoka’s visitor center closed to visitors due to COVID-19. From Labor Day through the fall season, they were open to visitors Fridays through Sundays. While the center is closed for the winter season, visitors are welcome to explore the 1.6 mile trail and outdoor exhibits from sunrise to sunset daily. Please stay tuned for updates from the NPS regarding visitor access in the spring. If you missed our photo essays earlier this year with images of the Minidoka visitor center grand opening and the Issei: A Legacy of Courage exhibit, they are available to view on our website.
While it has been a quiet year in terms of programs and visitors at Minidoka National Historic Site, there have been several exciting developments, including many changes in staffing at Minidoka and the associated sister parks in Southern Idaho.
JoAnn Blalack, Integrated Resource Manager for the Southern Idaho Parks, took a new position with NPS in Southeastern Arizona. Blalack oversaw cultural resources at Minidoka for 11 years, and was involved in the reconstructions and transformation of the site over the years and helped care for Minidoka’s museum collections. Memorably, she surprised pilgrimage participants one year by arranging for a historic fire engine to be parked in the fire station during site tours. She has been a great Friend of Minidoka and we wish her the best of luck in the future!
Kurt Ikeda was hired as the first education specialist to jointly manage the education programs of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Minidoka National Historic Site, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. Ikeda started in February and will develop new educational curricula, present programs, and work with educators to enhance their connection to the Southern Idaho National Parks. He previously served as an intern for Friends of Minidoka and Minidoka National Historic Site and as Education Manager for the Japanese American Museum of Oregon.
Emily Teraoka was hired as a park ranger for Minidoka National Historic Site, after having previously served as Minidoka’s Curatorial and Research Assistant intern. Emily was deeply involved in both coordination and writing for the Tadaima! Virtual Pilgrimage and curated the exhibit displays in the Minidoka visitor center. She will continue to work on research and writing projects and care for the Minidoka museum collections in her time at Minidoka.
Hanako Wakatsuki, Chief of Interpretation and Education, is currently serving a 120-day detail as Acting Chief of Education at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. She is leveraging her experience coordinating the Tadaima! Community Virtual Pilgrimage to orchestrate a digital event to mark the 79th Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration on December 7th.
Though film festivals pivoted to virtual this year, the 30-minute orientation film Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp produced by North Shore Productions for the National Park Service has been on the festival circuit and was recently awarded first place in the documentary category by the National Association of Government Communicators; a Silver Telly in Non-Broadcast History by the Telly Awards; a Gold Remi in the Documentary Category at the 53rd Annual WorldFest Houston; and second place in the video category in the National Association for Interpretation Media Awards. We are heartened by the warm reception to this important story.
Minidoka Visitor Center | NPS Photo/Richard Alan Hannon