Online Programming with Idaho Humanities Council: 80 Years of Reckoning

The Idaho Humanities Council will host a three-part series titled “80 Years of Reckoning” in collaboration with Friends of Minidoka to acknowledge the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the first incarcerees at the historic Minidoka War Relocation Center in August 1942.

All three parts of the program will be available online, free of charge, via the IHC website, the Friends of Minidoka website, YouTube, and your favorite podcast service on the go.

The first episode, “80 Years of Reckoning: Minidoka National Historic Site”, is available for viewing now. This episode focuses on the history of the Minidoka National Historic Site with Kurt Ikeda, Director of Interpretation and Education, Minidoka National Historic Site. This episode is a wonderful introduction to Minidoka, touches on the impacts today, and provides context for American Society eighty years ago.

The Second episode, “80 Year of Reckoning: Multigenerational Trauma of Japanese American Incarceration”, brings on Dr. Donna Nagata from the University of Michigan to discuss multi-generational trauma and the psychosocial consequences of the World War II incarceration and historical trauma on Japanese Americans. This episode will be available to engage with by August 26th.

The final installment, “80 Years of Reckoning: Minidoka Survivors and Descendants Panel Discussion”, will focus on the impacts, stories, and legacies of Minidoka through the lens of Survivors and Descendants. The panel will include: Paul Tomita, Survivor (Sansei); Mary Abo, Survivor (Nisei); Karen Hirai Olen, Survivor (Sansei); Wendy Tokuda, Descendant (Sansei): and Stephen Kitajo, Descendant (Yonsei). This will be available by August 31 st.