Zeeland Historical Society Interim Director Audrey Rojo poses next to a collection of native American artifacts that are part of the new “We The People: Roots of Belonging” exhibit at the Dekker Huis Museum.
Among the artifacts at the new “We The People” exhibit are naturalization papers for Peter and Maria Zandee that were signed by then U.S. Rep. Gerald Ford.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A new exhibit at the Zeeland Historical Society’s Dekker Huis Museum that ties into the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country explores the stories of belonging, citizenship and identity.
“We The People: Roots of Belonging” is a collaboration between the Zeeland Historical Society and the Holland Museum that received funding support from America250MI, a statewide committee tasked with commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., the American Revolution’s role in Michigan’s history and the impact that these, and various historical events, have had on the people of Michigan’s past, present and future.
An open house to officially kick off the exhibit will take place next Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at both Dekker Huis and the Holland Museum, 57 W. 10th St. in Holland. Admission is free.
The idea of holding the open houses at the two locations simultaneously is by design, Zeeland Historical Society interim director Audrey Rojo said.
“We intentionally did (an open house during) evening hours so that people who are usually working during open hours or have busy weekends can stop in after work,” Rojo said. “People are encouraged to visit both (locations) within that time frame, or if they can only visit one (the day of the open house), come back and visit the other another time.”
The “We The People” project explores immigration, identity and belonging in West Michigan through historical artifacts, interactive storytelling and personal narratives – ranging from the early Dutch settlers and indigenous peoples to more recent immigrant communities.
The Dekker Huis portion of the exhibit focuses on the history of the Native Americans who lived in the area, as well as the Dutch immigrants who began arriving in the mid-1800s, while at the Holland Museum, the emphasis is on more recent immigration, Rojo said.
The exhibit also includes selected interviews from an oral history initiative where local residents get to share their own stories of coming to West Michigan.
Some of the artifacts in the exhibit include naturalization papers that were signed by then-U.S. Rep. Gerald Ford, documents from Company I of the 25th Michigan Infantry, a unit consisting largely of Dutch immigrants that fought in the Civil War, and Bibles in both Dutch and English. Rojo notes the Dutch Bible is considerably larger than the English one.
“A lot of the soldiers wrote home and asked for English Bibles because they were much smaller,” Rojo said.
Another display of artifacts is titled “Opportunities of Citizenship,” which include a jury summons, a passport, voter registration cards and election campaign materials. A quilt that was created by home economics students at Zeeland High School in 1976 in conjunction with that year’s bicentennial celebration is on display as well.
The Zeeland Historical Society and the Holland Museum received a $25,000 grant through America250MI to support the joint exhibit and oral history initiative.
The “We The People” exhibit will continue through December. Hours for the Dekker Huis Museum are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A new exhibit at the Zeeland Historical Society’s Dekker Huis Museum that ties into the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country explores the stories of belonging, citizenship and identity.
“We The People: Roots of Belonging” is a collaboration between the Zeeland Historical Society and the Holland Museum that received funding support from America250MI, a statewide committee tasked with commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., the American Revolution’s role in Michigan’s history and the impact that these, and various historical events, have had on the people of Michigan’s past, present and future.
An open house to officially kick off the exhibit will take place next Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at both Dekker Huis and the Holland Museum, 57 W. 10th St. in Holland. Admission is free.
The idea of holding the open houses at the two locations simultaneously is by design, Zeeland Historical Society interim director Audrey Rojo said.
“We intentionally did (an open house during) evening hours so that people who are usually working during open hours or have busy weekends can stop in after work,” Rojo said. “People are encouraged to visit both (locations) within that time frame, or if they can only visit one (the day of the open house), come back and visit the other another time.”
The “We The People” project explores immigration, identity and belonging in West Michigan through historical artifacts, interactive storytelling and personal narratives – ranging from the early Dutch settlers and indigenous peoples to more recent immigrant communities.
The Dekker Huis portion of the exhibit focuses on the history of the Native Americans who lived in the area, as well as the Dutch immigrants who began arriving in the mid-1800s, while at the Holland Museum, the emphasis is on more recent immigration, Rojo said.
The exhibit also includes selected interviews from an oral history initiative where local residents get to share their own stories of coming to West Michigan.
Some of the artifacts in the exhibit include naturalization papers that were signed by then-U.S. Rep. Gerald Ford, documents from Company I of the 25th Michigan Infantry, a unit consisting largely of Dutch immigrants that fought in the Civil War, and Bibles in both Dutch and English. Rojo notes the Dutch Bible is considerably larger than the English one.
“A lot of the soldiers wrote home and asked for English Bibles because they were much smaller,” Rojo said.
Another display of artifacts is titled “Opportunities of Citizenship,” which include a jury summons, a passport, voter registration cards and election campaign materials. A quilt that was created by home economics students at Zeeland High School in 1976 in conjunction with that year’s bicentennial celebration is on display as well.
The Zeeland Historical Society and the Holland Museum received a $25,000 grant through America250MI to support the joint exhibit and oral history initiative.
The “We The People” exhibit will continue through December. Hours for the Dekker Huis Museum are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
