Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

About Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

Minnesota history is a rich tapestry, weaving together the diverse experiences, cultures, and events that tell the story of our state. It’s a story that affects—and includes—all of us. Minnesota Unraveled, a podcast by the Minnesota Historical Society, pulls on the threads of the past to reveal new perspectives and expand our knowledge of the history we share. Host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez and her guests invite listeners to think like historians and recognize that learning about other people’s lives in the past can be a powerful way to reveal our place in the present. Join us on a journey across the North Star State as we take a look around us and ask questions that pull us into the past.

Publisher

Minnesota Historical Society

Category

history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Oct 2024

Latest episode

16 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

3 of 27 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   16 Apr 2026

   We Live On: Telling Queer History and the Transformation of Silence

   Silence was once a form of survival for many in the LGBTQIA+ community. But in Minnesota, a group called Telling Queer History set out to change that, by creating spaces where people across generations could share their stories openly, often for the first time. So how did Telling Queer History transform silence into language and action? What made those spaces feel safe, welcoming, and worth the risk of vulnerability? And why is intergenerational storytelling vital to LGBTQIA+ history? In this episode, host Chantel Rodríguez and her guests – TQH founder RJ Lawrence, and members Harry Waters, Jr., José Maria Herrera Tamayo, and Jayce Wepplo – dig into those questions, and explore how storytelling is an act of making history. We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://mnhs.info/podcastsurvey

2. 

   2 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Power of a Waterfall: A History of Owámniyomni and Fuji Ya Restaurant

   Between 1880 and 1930, St. Anthony Falls helped establish Minneapolis as the flour milling capital of the world. But the story of the falls is about more than the economy and hydropower. People from many backgrounds have also been drawn to the falls for its cultural and spiritual power. To the Dakota people, it is known as Owámniyomni, a place of spirit, story, and connection. To Reiko Weston, founder of Fuji Ya Restaurant, it became a way to bridge cultural divides between Japan and Minnesota. In this episode of Minnesota Unraveled, Dr. Chantel Rodríguez and her guests–Deacon DeBoer, Carol Weston Hanson, and Shelley Buck–pull on the threads of two seemingly unrelated stories that are, in fact, deeply woven together in the rich tapestry of St. Anthony Falls’ history as a site of cultural, spiritual, and economic power. We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey. https://mnhs.info/podcastsurvey

3. 

   19 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   She is Here Now: Eliza Winston and Slavery in Minnesota

   In the summer of 1860, Eliza Winston fought for her freedom in a Minneapolis courthouse. Eliza made history as the first enslaved person to do so in the state of Minnesota. But Eliza herself is noticeably absent from the story. She left behind almost no paper trail. In this episode of Minnesota Unraveled, host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez and her guests search for answers–who was Eliza Winston? Why was she in Minnesota, and what did her fight for freedom look like? Through the powerful words of poet Mary Moore Easter, the historical research of Dr. Christopher Lehman, and the curiosity of Jason Benjamin’s fourth grade class, Eliza is here now, finally taking center stage in her own story. We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Inside a recent episode

The Power of a Waterfall: A History of Owámniyomni and Fuji Ya Restaurant

Published 2 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I mean, if you look at different areas, plants can grow anywhere. That's why there are plants that grow everywhere. in concrete. They're able to find a way to grow through concrete. The same with water. If water wants to get somewhere, water's going to go where it wants to go. That's why right now at the site, there's water that seeps through the concrete above the mill race. So they have their own sovereignty and that needs to be recognized. And during this project in the design and engineering phase, we do, we sat and we listened. We needed to listen to the land and the water to hear and feel what they wanted. […]

Who has been a guest on Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Lisa Lissimore
• Frank White Jr
• Kim Heikkila
• BJ Carpenter
• Mary Lou Nemanic

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

50 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 13 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

6

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History