Dakota Russell has
spent the past twenty years working in the field of cultural interpretation. He
is currently the museum manager at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center (http://heartmountain.org/ ) in Park County, Wyoming.
1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
It's
been a gradual process. I started working at a historic house museum when I was
a teenager. Back then, the appeal was getting to go "behind the
ropes" into forbidden and often forgotten areas. I soon discovered that
all of history is like that-- there's always something new to uncover and
explore. Instilling that same feeling of discovery in others is a big part of
what keeps me hooked on history.
2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal
life?
It’s how I
met my wife! We were both working at different sites related to the Daniel
Boone family, and we started sharing notes and collaborating on programs. We
both still work in museums today, so there’s a lot of shop talked at the dinner
table. I’m an interpreter and she’s a registrar, so often we come at problems
from entirely different directions. Leaning on each other’s expertise can be
extremely helpful in solving them.
3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
I
started out as a part-time interpreter at Battle of Lexington State Historic
Site in Lexington, Mo. That’s where I learned the ropes. Eventually, I became
the full time interpreter at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site in Ash
Grove, Mo. The site had yet to open to the public at that time. My primary job
was to research and develop the interpretation. I had an amazing opportunity to
decide what stories we would tell, and how we would tell them. I became so
attached that I stuck around for another 15 years! I left Missouri for Wyoming
this past summer, and joined the staff at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center,
where I’m excited to delve into an entirely new subject and an entirely new era
of history.
4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
I
tend to think of history somewhat the same way I think of novels or movies or
music: they’re all stories we choose to tell. The stories we tell about the
past can encourage people to look differently at their own lives and the world
they live in. That, in turn, can affect our future. For that reason, I think
it’s important to expose people to a diversity of viewpoints and voices from history.
5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about
and why?
I
really enjoy digging up forgotten stories or perspectives. Back at Nathan Boone
Homestead State Historic Site, one of my most satisfying projects was
uncovering a rich African American history of the place, which began with
slavery and continued well into the 20th century. It opened up whole new ways
to interpret the site. I guess I’m most interested in preserving the lives of
people who didn’t have the power or means to write themselves into history.
That’s a big part of what drew me to Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and the chance to tell the stories
of more than 14,000 Japanese Americans confined there during World War II.
6. What is the mission of the
Heart Mountain Interpretive Center?
The
mission of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation is to:
●
Preserve and memorialize the Heart Mountain World War II
Japanese American Confinement Site and the stories that symbolize the fragility
of democracy;
●
Educate the public about the history of the illegal imprisonment
of Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain during World War II and its impact on
the Big Horn Basin;
●
and Support inquiry, research and outreach to highlight the
lessons of the Japanese American confinement and their relevance to the
preservation of liberty and civil rights for all Americans today.
7. What will visitors take
away from Heart Mountain?
We
want our visitors to understand that democracy is an activity, not an
assumption. Japanese American incarceration didn’t happen in some “dark period”
of our national history. It happened when the US was supposed to be at its
best, a paragon of freedom doing battle against ultimate evil. All this while
we were incarcerating our own citizens because of their race. Fear and hatred
are powerful forces, and it wouldn’t take a huge cultural shift for this to
happen again. All it would take is for us to let our guard down. We all have a
responsibility to actively support each other’s rights, and sometimes we have
to question or speak against authority. If we fail to do that, democracy means
very little.
