Kokoro Kara Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Fall 2016 KOKORO KARA HEART MOUNTAIN WYOMING FOUNDATION •”A Song of America:” 2016 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage •Exhibit Preview: Ansel Adams Meets Yoshio Okumoto The Walk Family: Generous Heart Mountain Champions All cover photographs from HMWF Okumoto Collection • Compassionate Witnesses: Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi “It was a miserably cold day and the documented the Heart Mountain journey, HMWF a Leadership in History Award people looked terribly cold. They got on and our longtime supporter Margot Walk, from the American Association for State the train and went away. My sister and I also provided tremendous emotional and Local History. He also brought in discovered we were crying. It wasn’t the support and compassion. more than $500,000 in grants to facilitate wind that was making us cry. It was such Executive Director Brian Liesinger, new programs, preserve buildings and a sad sight,” recalls 81-year-old LaDonna who came to us with lasting ties to Heart create special exhibitions. He has fostered Zall, one of our treasured board members Mountain, has also become one of those partnerships with the National Park who saw the last train of incarcerees leave individuals we esteem as a compassionate Service, the Japanese American National Heart Mountain in 1945. A pipeliner’s witness. When his World War II veteran Museum, the Wyoming Humanities daughter and our honorary Nisei, she grandparents acquired rights to collect Council and the Wyoming State Historic remembers the camp’s materials from the Preservation Office. Thank you, Brian, for eight-foot fence and camp, they crafted their all you have done to advance our mission guard towers and homestead from one of and your continued commitment to help continues to advocate the hospital buildings. us in the future. Best wishes to you, Emelee for this historic site’s They also rescued the and Vivian. preservation. “It was a Heart Mountain school For those who have questions about the pretty miserable thing bell, which was donated transition or about the national search for to do to people. I want to our Foundation years Brian’s replacement, please contact Helen people to know about it later and foreshadowed Yoshida at [email protected]. so that it never happens Brian’s arrival. His again.” dedicated service to the A compassionate Foundation since early witness like LaDonna 2013 made us stronger helps many Japanese in every way, so it’s with Americans—who sadness that I report that HEART MOUNTAIN emerged from their Brian will be stepping unjust imprisonment down from his role WYOMING FOUNDATION during World War II effective November 15 Honorary Advisors Norman Y. Mineta feeling ashamed—talk Shirley Ann Higuchi to relocate to Wisconsin about their experiences with his wife, Emelee Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation in a supportive environment. Volden, who has recently Alan K. Simpson That support was everywhere during accepted a leadership position with the U.S. Senator (ret.) this past summer’s Pilgrimage, which University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. Board of Directors celebrated the fifth anniversary of the We have celebrated many milestones Shirley Ann Higuchi, Chair Interpretive Center’s grand opening. with Brian and Emelee, including their Douglas W. Nelson, Vice-Chair During our firstMultigenerational Forum marriage and the birth of their first child, Claudia Wade, Treasurer held at the Northwest College Cody Center, Vivian, in May 2014. From crawling to Aura Newlin, Secretary more than 75 participants shared their taking her first steps, we’ve seen her grow experiences of the incarceration. Many up within our Heart Mountain family Damany Fisher Peter K. Simpson thanks to our fellow co-chairs, Advisory and will always remember her laughing Kris M. Horiuchi Marc Sugiyama Council Member Dr. Amy Iwasaki Mass and running on the pathway outside our Takashi Hoshizaki Hanako Wakatsuki and Secretary Aura Matsumura Newlin. In world-class Interpretive Center. Darrell Kunitomi Shigeru Yabu addition, a shout out goes to our newest The magic of telecommuting means Sam Mihara Jack Ybarra board member, Hanako Wakatsuki, who Brian will be able to serve as an active Allyson Nakamoto Kathleen Saito Yuille helped guide us through this memorable operations consultant until his successor R. Dana Ono LaDonna Zall experience. is named. The Board will rely on Brian’s Staff We’ve been lucky to have many expertise as it launches a national search Brian Liesinger, Executive Director compassionate witnesses guide us for a new executive. We’re also lucky to Darlene Bos, Marketing & Development Manager through the establishment and growth have a strong staff who carry with the Claire Cella, Programming & Communications of this Foundation. They include Alan daily activities of the Interpretive Center Coordinator Simpson and his brother and HMWF and ensure the Foundation’s initiatives Danielle Constein, Operations Manager Board Member Pete, Vice-Chair Doug continue to progress. Dakota Russell, Museum Manager Nelson, and, most recently, Pilgrimage Brian’s tenure is stuffed with Helen Yoshida, Executive Assistant to the Chair keynote speaker and “Valley of the Heart” accomplishment, including the return of Rod Liesinger, Facilities Manager playwright Luis Valdez. Emmy Award- a Heart Mountain barrack to its original Sharyl McDowell, Guest Services winning filmmaker Jeff MacIntyre, who site, an achievement that earned the Anna Clifton, Guest Services 1 Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation | Fall 2016 Daiji ni Shinasai: Executive Director Brian A. Liesinger It is with bittersweetness that I write “living history,” but given their apparent (Read more about this on page this departure column for the Kokoro energy, it might be more accurate to say Last, but not least, we are making a Kara newsletter. Life has an odd way of “animated” or “exuberant” history. concerted effort to collect and preserve presenting opportunities. Finding my way In Wyoming we use that energy to Heart Mountain artifacts. The Interpretive back to Wyoming in 2013, I discovered preserve the site and educate the public. As Center opened with a strong collection, an incredibly rare one to serve Heart we close out five years of operation of the thanks to many people far and wide who Mountain. Now there is a an opportunity Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and entrusted items to the HMWF. But we know in the form of a leadership position for my 20 years since the formation of the HMWF, there is much more out there in garages, wife, Emelee Volden, in Wisconsin. I wanted to provide an update on how that basements, attics and boxes. We have the Unfortunately, this comes at the energy has been fueling our current efforts: facilities and professional staff to care for expense of what has become a vocation The Heart Mountain barrack we these items and to bring the context and that has enriched me returned to the site narrative needed to draw out their greatest personally, professionally, last year is in line for value for future generations. So I make this intellectually and structural repairs. It has appeal to you, should you be hanging on to spiritually beyond my already been stripped Heart Mountain items that will enrich the expectations. of a web of electrical public understanding of Heart Mountain I won’t call this a wires. Soon, we will be history: please consider entrusting them to resignation and prefer putting a new roof on to us for preservation. to call it a “retirement” guard it against the harsh Continuing alongside all other projects from this role. I cannot Wyoming weather. is a constant commitment to growing an remove my passion for this The root cellarendowment that will, with your help, reach place and for this work stabilization project is our targeted initial goal of $2 million. any more than I could also underway. Structural This permanent fund is dedicated toward remove Heart Mountain architects and engineers sustaining the operation of the Interpretive itself from Wyoming. I who specialize in historic Center. have been inspired by timber structures There is an old-school Japanese phrase a tremendous group of have prepared their that I like because it is similar to something people: board members, Brian A. Liesinger recommendations to my non-Japanese parents and grandparents advisory council members, provide a solid game plan also told me: if you truly value something, former incarcerees, colleagues, community for preservation. As is always the case with then “daiji ni shinasai.” That is: if you value members—some of whom have been at this major projects, we now have to fund it. I it, you must take care of it. for decades. We have been embraced and am confident, given our past successes, With the many projects the HMWF supported widely due to this committed that we will be able to do this and start has contributed to, we have engaged the network, as well as by our donors, grantors, paving the way for public access to the root larger public in recognizing the value of members, friends and families. cellar so people can witness for themselves this sacred place. Now, it is up to all of us So while this is bittersweet, I cannot the remarkable structure. to take care of it. It is our shared legacy, as believe my good fortune to have had the Behind the scenes, we are organizing and a chapter of American history that affects opportunity to contribute to something so cataloging our cornerstone photographic us all. Heart Mountain is much more meaningful that it makes my departure so collection from Yoshio Okumoto, in than a historic site, and it must outlive us difficult. I have nothing but gratitude for preparation for an exhibition of his work. all. I have had the fortune of being not the Heart Mountain Board for giving me Before being sent to Heart Mountain, only a “compassionate witness” but also a the greatest professional experiences of my Okumoto worked as a lab tech at Stanford.