The interior of the Hjemkomst, a replica Viking ship.
IMAGINE PACKING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE into a steamer trunk and sailing across a vast ocean into the unknown and a future that holds both fear and promise.
I cannot fathom this as I am neither an adventurer nor lover of water transportation. Nor would I desire to leave the familiarity of the only home I’d ever known, or loved ones behind.
To be an early immigrant to this country had to be difficult.
My ancestry is 100 percent German.
My own forefathers, both maternal and paternal, arrived here from Germany, making their way west to eventually settle in Minnesota.
A Swedish ( I think) gift shop doll.
Minnesota. Home to Swedes and Germans, Norwegians and Finns and Irish and Poles and Italians and…a whole melting pot of people in those early days of settlement. Today we might add Sudanese, Somali and Hispanic to the mix.
A gift shop doll labeled Solveig. Norwegian, I think.
So where am I going with this pondering?
In the center of the Hjemkomst Center, the mast area of the Hjemkomst ship dominates the roofline.
A visit to the Hjemkomst Center on the western border of Minnesota in the city of Moorhead, snugged against the Red River of the North, prompted all this thought about immigration. The center is, among other things, home to the Hjemkomst, a replica Viking ship constructed in northwestern Minnesota and then sailed from Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, across the Atlantic Ocean to Norway in 1982. (Click here to read my post about the Hjemkomst.)
A Scandinavian painting on a plate in the gift shop.
It was the Hjemkomst Center Heritage Gift Shop which truly directed my thoughts toward immigration and celebrating the cultural diversity of our country. Here, in this store, you can purchase merchandise which connects to ethnicity.
A Viking helmet on display.
And because I have never traveled across the ocean, not any farther west than the eastern border of Wyoming, but as far east as New York with the Statue of Liberty within my view, shops like this allow me to experience snippets of other countries and cultures.
Hands down, I found this to be the most stunning piece of handcrafted art for sale in the Heritage Center Gift Shop. Bosnian immigrant Dzenan Becic carved this incredible cedar chest and other pieces sold in the gift shop. I tried to find more info online about this artist, but could not. His father, Izudin, is also a carver. These artists live either in Fargo or Moorhead.
I know. This museum gift shop does not hold the same meaning to those of you who are seasoned world travelers. But for me, a child of the land-locked prairie, such places hold a certain allure. I suppose it’s like reading a book. I can travel afar without actually ever boarding the ship.
More Becic carving in a wall shelf.
Just a cute little Viking I spotted for sale in the gift shop. May I call a Viking “cute?”
BONUS BUY:
Even though, geographically, you’re in Moorhead, Minnesota, and not Fargo, North Dakota, when you’re at the Hjemkomst Center, you may still be interested in purchasing this Fargo native t-shirt.
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
That carved chest is astounding!!! Love the sweet dolls, also! I canNOT even imagine starting off for California in a wagon train years ago (even now!!!!!) much less crossing the ocean in something a little larger than a row boat!!! Motivation supersedes fear of the unknown (and many other thoughts/emotions) and resulted in who we are today! Cannot fathom such!!!!!
Our ancestors were mighty brave, weren’t they?
That chest is a work of art. I just stood there and gawked at it and ran my hand across the carved wood.
Great Post – love your photos! Happy Monday:)
Ah, thank you; you are so sweet.
Izu Becic and his wife Mena are very good friends of my mother-in-law, Dianne Kimm. Dianne helped them get settled in the area when she worked with Lutheran Social Services as a refugee program manager out of the Pelican Rapdis office. Dianne recently retired but is still very involved with the refugees. http://www.minnpost.com/driving-change/2011/08/ethnic-turmoil-vibrant-diversity-trio-helped-pelican-rapids-transform-its-cul
Dianne has many of Izu’s pieces throughout her house (fireplace mantel, headboard to name two). They are so beautiful. We have one piece, a bowl.
I can certainly find out more information about the Becics from Dianne if you’d like me to. Let me know.
I have been venturing to NW Minnesota for a decade already and have never been to the Hjemkomst Center. Next year! My 7 yr old son visited it this past summer with his Grandpa Kimm.
There are so many wonderful things to see so in our awesome state!
Yes, if you have more info about these incredible woodcarvers, pass it along and I will share. Your mother-in-law is quite fortunate to have pieces of their art because it’s just, wow, beautiful.
You know that I absolutely agree with your final statement of “so many wonderful things to see in our awesome state!”
I’m a Norwegian girl trapped in a German name! Great images.
Hilarious. That’s all I have to say.
I love Scandinavian shops – esp. at this time of year. Not sure that I’ll get to one this year, though. sad!
Aren’t there any Scandinavian shops in your area?
There’s one in St. Peter – about 1 1/2 hours away.
I remember you telling me about this one. But that is not in your region, or at least I don’t consider 1 1/2 hours away in your area.
Yeah, it’s not exactly close but it’s the best I can do! We often go the day after Thanksgiving and shop in Mankato and then go the further ten minutes or so up to St. Peter, but don’t think we will this year. Too much going on…bummer.
Oh, sure, that makes sense. Really, do you want to shop the day after Thanksgiving anyway and face all those crowds? I’ve never done that. Maybe crowds will be down this year with so many major retailers opening already on Thanksgiving. Craziness. Pure craziness. Do we really need to shop on Thanksgiving? I think not.
I agree – it’s very sad, I think, that Thanksgiving is being stolen by retailers. And as for the Mankato Mall, it’s NOTHING compared to MOA – we made that mistake when Ian was tiny…NEVER again will I go there on Black Friday! And the Swedish shop is quite nice any day!
If our nation wasn’t quite so possessed with consumerism and material possessions…
The Mall of America on Black Friday? No way. In fact, and most people cannot believe this, I have never been to the MOA. Ever. And I live within a 45-minute drive of the mall.