The item I chose with personal cultural significance is a large wooden trunk that I inherited through my dad's side of the family. The trunk was made in Norway in 1868, and was painted in a traditional Norwegian style called rosemaling. It was used to carry every possession that my great great great grandparents chose to bring with them when they immigrated from Norway to America. In the early to mid 1800's many different people from European cultures chose to immigrate to America in search of opportunities they did not have in their home countries. My great great great grandparents were among this flood of immigrants into the U.S., and, like most, took very little when they came. They spent weeks on a boat in the rat-infested and damp bottom part of the ship, the best accommodations they could afford. When they reached America they ended up settling in Farebul County, Minnesota. They lived in what was called a dugout home, basically a hollowed-out hill, and lived on only the possessions they had been able to take with them in the trunk. The trunk has been passed down in my family since my great great great grandparents gave it to their son, and today I am the 7th generation in my family to own it. When I was little, I used it to keep my most important possessions (mainly stuffed animals, they were my favorite) safe and today it serves as a reminder to myself of the resilience of my family and ancestors.

– A.H.

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