A message from Nina Archabal, director of the Minnesota Historical Society

The familiar adage, “May you live in interesting times,” suggests at once the difficult challenges and promising opportunities that come during periods of great change. Few would dispute that we are living in such times. Certainly, this has been the experience of the Minnesota Historical Society, as we have grappled with the painful realities of budget cuts, staff layoffs and reductions in current programs and services. Yet, hope for the future of history in Minnesota has also come with the recent passage of the state’s new Legacy Act.

Last November, even as Minnesotans felt the impact of the global financial crisis, voters decisively approved an amendment to the state’s constitution increasing the state sales tax to provide funds for Minnesota’s outdoor environment and for the arts and cultural heritage. Among the amendment’s important provisions is funding for history, and now, for the first time, our state constitution includes the words “Minnesota’s history.” Soon after passage of the amendment, the Society joined with other heritage organizations to form the Minnesota History Coalition for the purpose of developing recommendations to guide our lawmakers in allocating funds as they drafted legislation to fulfill the intent of the constitutional amendment. As the 2009 legislative session came to an end in May, the legislature passed, and Governor Pawlenty signed into law, appropriations to begin implementation of Minnesota’s Legacy Act.

The act provides significant funding for history – $22 million over the next two years, allocated for specific statewide purposes. However, it must be understood that the constitutional amendment stipulates that appropriations “…shall be used to supplement, and not substitute for, traditional sources of funding.” This means that we will continue to rely on our generous members and donors, as legacy funds may not be used to alleviate the Society’s budget reduction resulting from the state’s revenue shortfall.

The Legacy Act specifies funding for new initiatives to bring history to Minnesota’s people. Allocations include $6.75 million over two years for grants to local, county and regional history organizations. Another $4 million will support partnerships for organizations developing programs to increase public access to the state’s historical resources. The Society will receive funding for new programs, including the development of a major exhibition on the regional, local and cultural diversity of Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage. Legacy funds will also support the creation of a digital library to preserve and share Minnesota images, documents and historical materials, as well as a survey of the state’s archaeological and historical resources. Together, the Legacy Act’s provisions promise to transform the ways Minnesotans will know and care for their heritage.

Minnesota’s new constitutional amendment comes at a critical juncture for the Society, as we are developing a new long range plan to address how we can best serve Minnesotans of all ages in the years ahead. The Legacy Act will fuel our vision to reach growing numbers of our state’s people with programs and services that hold value and relevance for their lives. The mandate of Minnesota’s citizens for a constitutional amendment to preserve Minnesota’s most precious and irreplaceable resources could not have come at a more crucial time in the life of our institution and our state. This is truly a transformational moment for the future of our history.

Reprinted from the July/August 2009 History Matters member newsletter.