We Are Hmong Minnesota/Peb Yog Hmoob Minnesota is divided into three sections:
HONORING
First gallery A selection of artifacts from Hmong traditional life in Laos — basketry, textiles, jewelry, weapons, and objects for spiritual rituals. An entire wall of the gallery is taken up by a timeline of Hmong history from ancient days through the upheavals of war and displacement in the 20th century.
REMEMBERING
Transitional space linking the two galleries The major element here is an art installation, “Let the Spirit Fly,” with thousands of brightly colored spirit papers of the type burned as offerings at Hmong funerals. In the words of artist and exhibit designer Sieng Lee, it is “a remembrance of the countless lives, memories, and heartaches that have paved the way for Hmong Americans today who are still living in transition, looking to redefine a future.”
UNDERSTANDING
Second gallery Focuses on the Hmong journey from Thailand to Minnesota from 1975 to 2004, when the last refugees arrived. Visitors can explore life in the refugee camps; the first years of settling in the state; the clan system; language, religion and spirituality; work by Hmong artists exploring themes of culture and memory; a timeline of Hmong women’s history in Minnesota; Hmong in politics; and an interactive farmers’ market.