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Cultivating Cultures, Cultivating Community
MOORHEAD-- A total of 1,100 people attended the Pangea-Cultivate our Cultures event in Moorhead, MN on November the 19th. Maureen Jonason, Executive Director of the Hjemkomst Cultural Center, confirms that this year's number were higher than in years past.
Pangea- Cultivate our Cultures Festival, took place from 10am-4pm at the Hjemkomst Center on Saturday, November 19th. This event took place over the course of a day and offered onlookers the chance to experience different cultures that are present in the Fargo/ Moorhead area. The Hjemkomst Center is home to the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County and houses a Viking ship that is permanently on display. Although this museum normally charges an entrance fee, the fee was waived and all were welcome on the chilly Saturday morning last week.
Pangea is a cultural experience fair that offers music, food, entertainment, crafts, merchandise and more. The main stage, located in the center of the main floor of the Hjemkomst Center, offered a variety of performances. The Buffalo River Dancers started off the festivities with pow-wow celebratory dances to the sharp beat of a animal skin drum. Immediately following the opening act were traditional dances deriving from India, where the dancers wore brightly colored saris and bells around their ankles to draw attention to their quick foot-work. Other performers brought liveliness to the stage throughout the day, including a group of bagpipe players and a marimba band.
With performances spanning the length of the event, attendees were able to come and go as they please, while enjoying the food and other festivities around them. Later in the afternoon, Hung Ngo performed a solo act with his guitar and harmonica. Finishing off the performances were the Kurdish Dancers, livening up the stage and ultimately bringing the audience up to take part in it. The day ended with guests dancing around the room to Kurdish dance music, experiences a culture other than their own and having a great time.
Chris Carlson, a Communication Studies and Theater Art Adjunct Instructor at Concordia College, was the emcee for the main stage. His activity in other events at the Hjemkomst led to him being asked to head the main stage and lead the performers for the cultural fair.
“Fear and misunderstanding are not easily overcome, but this event and all that it includes offers people a chance to do just that: overcome personal obstacles.” said Carlson.
The food shares a spotlight with the performers as many attendees come to taste food from other cultures. A total of 11 countries were featured, each offering a variety of items from main entrees to side dishes to desserts. Junior Nursing student, Sofia Olesen attended the event. She notes that her favorite food offered was a traditional Danish dessert known as aebleskiver.
“My family usually serves it during Christmas, but I get to enjoy the special treat early during the Pangea festival.” Olesen notes. She also discusses her views on the importance of the event. “It’s important because it provides an opportunity for our community to engage with others. You can go and learn something new about a culture and become a more educated and open-minded person.” said Olesen.
The Concordia French Club had a food table set up showcasing the French/Canadian crepe. There was both a sweet and savory option. Emily Neer, a student at Concordia College, helped run the booth. Neer chose to participate in Pangea this year because of her prior experience at the fair. The French club had a similar booth last year and Neer chose to partake in it again this year because she believes the action helps her live out Concordia’s mission of BREW, Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World.
Booths set up along the hallways of the Hjemkomst offered onlookers a variety of opportunities. One could purchase handmade beads or even learn about a particular cultural community that is present in the Fargo/Moorhead area. Meredith Gruenes sat at the German table where German advent calendars were being sold to profit the Concordia German Club. Any booth that featured a particular country offered stickers for mini passports. Children that attend the event can gather these stickers and fill out their passports all the while learning about cultures that are in Fargo/Moorhead.
Along with the cultural fair that took place at the end of the week, Concordia offered a flag induction ceremony to promote the week of international community. Concordia installed 31 flags in the Atrium including the flag of the United States. Nepal, Afghanistan, and Norway flags are present as well, just to name a few. Jon Leiseth, the Minister for Faith and Spirituality in Action was apart of the induction.
“We are reminded that we are a diverse community, that we have many and varied connections with the world and its peoples.” Leiseth said. He notes that not only do the flags add necessary color to the atrium, they also show that now, more than ever, Concordia represents a global community.
