Iowa Roots

Linda Feikema of Orange City, IA explains creating quilts with applique.

Sandy  Taylor Short of Marshalltown talks about her family business,  Taylor's Maidrite.  It was the third Maidrite sandwich shop established in Iowa, and it's still going.

Ruth Mwangangi of Des Moines talks about maintaining the traditions of folktales from her native Kenya.

Members of  Malek's Fisherman Band based in Duncan, Iowa talk about their family business and history.

Ishmael Allahasari of Marion, Iowa, talks about his life in Iraq and playing the Mid Eastern instrument, the Oud.

Tango dancer Nora Garda of Iowa City, talks about coming to Iowa from Argentina and performing and teaching traditional dances from her native country.

Meskwaki woodcarver Luke Kapayo of Tama, Iowa, talks about the art of traditional wood carving, from dishes to other implements.

Harlan Brown of the Brown Otter Singers Song and Dance Group on the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, Iowa, talks about the tribe's rituals and music.

Gracie  Vrieze of Storm Lake, Iowa, talks about upholding some of her native Latino celebrations.

Holiday traditions in the Swedish community of Stanton, Iowa. Marlene Kennon, Myrna Johnson, and Ross Rossander   the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center in Stanton.

Leann and Brea Baumhover of Storm Lake talk about sharing a traditional pastime.

Joanne Alberda of Sioux Center and a member of the Sioux Prairie Quilt Guild.

Carolyn Elder of Orange City… and a member of the Sioux Prairie Quilt Guild.

Kathy Kelly of Orange City and a member of the Sioux Prairie Quilt Guild

Pat Jongewaard of Sioux Center and member of the Sioux Prairie Quilt Guild.

Marcia Van Oort of Doon, Iowa is a member of the Sioux Center Quilt Guild. 

Sunday Goshit  of Iowa City talks about the tradition of storytelling in his native Nigeria.

Ritu Varma of Johnston, Iowa, is a native of India and she talks about carrying on the musical traditions of playing ragas on the sitar.

Marlene Kennon, Myrna Johnson, and Ross Rossander of  the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center in Stanton talk about the Swedish way of welcoming autumn, which features the traditional  lutefisk ...salted cod.

Marty Mincer of Mincer Orchard in Hamburg, Iowa, talks about the roots of his family's orchard business

Sunday Goshit of Iowa City talks about the social customs in his homeland of Nigeria.

Irene Irene Mirabo Kucinski of  Sioux City talks about making traditional Norwegian foods including the unique Kransekake or Tower Cake!

Monica Akuin of Des Moines talks about her Sundanese traditions.

Jon Honette Marlene Kennon, and Ross Rossander of Stanton, Iowa, Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center talk about some of their Swedish traditions.

Irene Irene Mirabo Kucinski of  Sioux City, Iowa, talks about some of her Norwegian traditional customs.

Miguel and Sophia Grima of Sioux City, Iowa, talk about Mariachi band performers.

Annette Anderson of Kimbalton, Iowa, talks about some of her Danish traditions and folklore.

Simon Stanfield of Indianola, Iowa, talks about a traditional gathering of people who perform old time country songs, the way they were before the Grand Ole Opry!

Ammar Mahmood of Des Moines talks about performing and upholding his traditional Iraqi music.

Pragnya Prakash of Urbandale, Iowa, talks about teaching and upholding her traditional East Indian art of dance.