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Welcome

The Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures is committed to the languages and cultural traditions of this region’s diverse peoples. We foster research and the preservation of archival collections, while producing educational and outreach programs for a broad public audience. We also assist community groups, classrooms, and scholars with projects involving Upper Midwestern Cultures.

The Region

A territory of woods, waters, fields, small towns, and blue collar cities, the Upper Midwest has long been a cultural middle ground: the meeting place for centuries of Woodland and Plains Indians, the American region with the most entrenched and varied European-American population as well as growing communities of African, Asian, and Hispanic Americans. While the contours of the Upper Midwest are not precisely defined, most consider Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as the heart of the region (with overlap into lower Michigan, Ontario, Manitoba, the Dakotas, Iowa, and Illinois).

CSUMC News

  • Mapping Early Sounds of a Czech Singer in the USA

    By Filip Šír Friday, February 9, 2024 4:00-5:00 p.m. Memorial Library, Room 126, 728 State St Free and Open to the Public   The Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures is excited to …

  • CSUMC Welcomes Folk Artist-in-Residence Liesl Chatman

    As part of the Nordic Folklife project, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures welcomes Folk Artist-in-Residence Liesl Chatman to campus for the Fall 2023 term. Liesl Chatman is a spoon carver and …

  • Old-time Barn Dance!

    The Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures is hosting another great performance and dance featuring former Musician-in-Residence Beth Hoven Rotto, Jon Rotto, and the Scandinavian-American Old-time Dance Music Ensemble! Beth, Jon, and the …

  • Seeking: 2 Nordic Folklife Postdoc Fellows

    CSUMC’s Nordic Folklife project is looking to welcome two Postdoctoral fellowships to advance folklife fieldwork and research with Nordic American folk artists and organizations. Fellows will be expected to conduct original fieldwork, research, and create …

  • Old-time Barn Dance!

    Mark your calendars for a fun and exciting dance featuring CSUMC’s Musician-in-Residence Beth Hoven Rotto and the Scandinavian-American Old-time Dance Music Ensemble! Coming off the heels of a fantastic debut performance in the Great Hall …

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