(bright music) - [Announcer] On this episode of "Postcards."

- We are grateful to all of the artists who have participated, and a number of them are here for the opening, and we're looking forward to seeing them and toasting them.

- All I ever wanted to do since I was four years old, since I was still in Sweden, I wanted to perform.

- It wasn't until I was on the airplane flying over that I had that moment to myself of, holy crap, I'm 19, and I could die.

(intriguing music) (uplifting music) - [Announcer] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and the Citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies, Mark and Margaret Yeakel Jolene on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota, on the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria, Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

A better future starts now.

West Central Initiative empowers communities with resources, funding, and support for a thriving region.

More at wcif.org.

(gentle music) - The exhibit is called "Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art," and it features 24 artists from the upper Midwest who work with traditional Nordic skills, but change the traditions in some way.

Some of them, in some cases, the traditions are changed because the artist is using local materials like a buffalo hide instead of a sheep skin.

And in other cases, the traditions are changed because the artist has ideas that are innovative, but still bases their work in the traditions.

(inspiring music) - Well, the American Scandinavian Foundation is an organization which was founded here in New York City in 1911, to foster understanding between the Nordic countries, which is Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, and the United States.

(visitors chatting) From 1911 on, we have been presenting a large array of programs, including fellowships, cultural programs, publications, and membership offerings.

The foundation in 2000 open Scandinavia House, the Nordic Center in America, which is the building in which we sit and where we're presenting this exhibition.

(birds chirping) (gentle music) - In selecting artists for the exhibition, I looked at artists who had been trained in skills that related to Nordic traditions, but who were taking those skills in new directions.

In some cases, that was because they were using local materials or inspired by the local environment, and in other cases it was, it was just applying their own creative ideas to the traditions.

But everyone in the show is pretty much trained in skills that come from Nordic traditions.

(gentle music) - [Edward] Each artist seems to have a very distinctive point of view.

Many of them incorporate some of their own personal history, which is very interesting.

And they're also relating back to Nordic traditions, which sometimes come down through their family, which is a very nice sort of continuity going back over decades and generations.

(upbeat music) (visitors chatting) - At this exhibit, I made two ale bowls, and I made a wall hanging alter piece, which features a take on the sleeve skull, which is a traditional Swedish, also kind of a ale bowl that was traditionally used for drinking out of.

(upbeat music) (visitors chatting) - I feel like this show is, it feels sweet and it feels cozy, and it feels like all the things that like I want to be surrounded in my whole life.

So it feels soft and hard and warm and cozy and like how I would imagine it is, would be like in Scandinavia.

I make art because it is a way for me to express myself in a language that is uniquely mine.

It's a way for me to connect to my community and to other cultures as well as my own.

(upbeat music) (visitors chatting) - I created a birch bark carrier for my guinea pig for this exhibit.

I keep thinking about Baby Beth or Childhood Beth, always wanting to be an artist and being so pleased that I'm here in New York City showing up a birch bark woven guinea pig carrier because that's just so fun.

I am just thrilled to be here.

(calm music) (visitors chatting) - When I'm doing something like this, I get in the zone, like, and oh, it's just wonderful, because time goes by, and wow.

And then to people, they enjoy watching me carve, and they enjoy these things, so I'm happy to do it.

(calm music) (visitors chatting) - I think it's really important to get this full card out to people, that I think people are craving it to learn to work with their hands.

I think a lot of people can relate more to some of this stuff than maybe to some other artwork.

It's like I can't draw for the life of it, but I can model with my hands or with clay or metal or something like that.

But I can't draw.

I couldn't draw anything I made, no way.

And that shouldn't really stop anybody either from doing it, but I really hope that, yeah, that people will feel like this is something they can do.

(inspiring music) (visitors chatting) - The idea behind the show was to encourage people to get engaged in learning about these traditions and perhaps even taking them up.

One of the things that we talk about in the US, but people in the Nordic countries also talk about, is how we can keep the traditions alive.

And in both cases, the answer to that question is usually through innovation.

And so part of the message of the exhibition is that these are works that are traditional in nature, but innovative in spirit, and they're meant to sort of capture people's imagination and engage them in thinking about the traditions.

(calm music) (visitors chatting) The exhibition opens tonight at Scandinavia House in New York City, and it will be here until August of this year.

Then it goes to South Dakota, to Minneapolis, to Vesterheim, to Decorah, Iowa, then to the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota, to the Woodson Art Museum in Wasaw, Wisconsin.

And then finally to the Devoes Art Museum in Marquette, Michigan.

So it's traveling to all six of the upper Midwestern states.

(uplifting music) - I'd like to say we are very happy that this exhibition's happening here, and I know that Sally Yerkovich has put in a great deal of time with it.

And we are grateful to all of the artists who have participated, and a number of them are here for the opening, and we're looking forward to seeing them and toasting them.

(uplifting music) (group applauding) - The crafts really are an expression of the Nordic spirit and of the different Nordic cultures.

So they're part of our humanity, and it's really important to keep that expression alive.

It's not just for people of Nordic heritage, it's for people who appreciate the skills and the design of the art and who can help carry on those traditions.

(uplifting music) (upbeat music) - She's made over 55 films.

She has entertained thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of troops.

She remains a hero of mine, not only as an entertainer, but for her, and that's heart and courage.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Miss Ann-Margret.

(audience applauding) (upbeat music) (audience laughing) - All I ever wanted to do since I was four years old, since I was still in Sweden, I wanted to perform.

Mother and I lived with Muma, my mother's mother, and Uncle Kali, mother's brother.

And I would perform for them.

Mother and I would would, we would harmonize to Swedish songs.

I love performing since I was four years old.

Well, I was at my first year at Northwestern, and they were getting a group together to go on a USO tour, and they asked me, and I was the only freshman and everyone else was older.

I had said, "Great, I want to!"

I had a great time.

- This what I find interesting that there was a survey put out, a questionnaire was put out to troops in country, who they would like to see most because the government was going to try to round up entertainers.

And by far the petition named Ann-Margaret.

(lively music) - I received a letter that had all these signatures of gentlemen who wanted me to come and perform.

I never forgot that, never ever.

In 1966, I went to Vietnam with Johnny Rivers and his bassist and drummer.

♪ Long dear dance information ♪ ♪ Gimme Memphis, Tennessee, ow ♪ I mean, there were only like four of us in '66, and then in '68 it was Bob Hope, Les Brown and his band of renowned, and oh boy, there were a lot of us.

There was like, I think, 80 of us.

- [Interviewer] It must have been a thrill though, to be there in front of all those people who were probably desperate in some ways for just a slice of home that you brought them.

- Oh my gosh, I wanted to give that to them.

- How did you feel about the war in Vietnam as it became increasingly unpopular?

Were you ever concerned that supporting the troops would hurt your career?

- Oh, stop.

Stop.

Oh, poop.

(audience laughing) First of all, I don't get involved in politics.

I'm with my guys and the gals.

I'm with them, not politics ever.

- [Interviewer] Did you have any opinions or thoughts about the war itself or did you just focus on those men and women?

- Oh, just those men and women.

I don't get into politics.

I stay away from that.

- What song, all the songs that were popular during that period of time that you were in country, what song was most requested, do you think?

- One of my favorite songs was "Teach Me Tonight."

- Oh, yes.

- It's one of my very favorites.

And of course, you know, I loved: ♪ Bye, bye birdie ♪ ♪ Dah-Dah-dah ♪ - [Member] How about "Viva Las Vegas"?

♪ Viva Las Vegas ♪ (audience laughing) - So you had a lot of ventures at perfume company.

The proceeds of the sales of her signature perfume goes to Vietnam veterans.

What inspired you to do that?

- I was around when I saw how they were treated, (audience applauding) and I never forgot it, and I never will forget it.

That's how I am.

- Being back here today in Forest Lake, Minnesota, why did you choose to come back?

Why are you here today?

- To be with my guys, to be with my guys?

- From the bottom of my heart is to be in our many.

Thank you.

- It means the world to me.

I'm totally emotional, and as I said, it's gotten me into a lot of trouble many times.

But (laughs) I will remain the way I am.

(uplifting music) (inspiring music) - It wasn't until I was on the airplane flying over that I had that moment to myself of, holy crap, I'm 19, and I could die.

I was proud of that because for me, I thought there'd be no better way to honor my family than dying in combat to show that I was willing to sacrifice myself for my family, for their safety, and all that.

So I was proud of that, but it took a lot from me when that didn't happen, as much as I tried, I tried every chance I got.

(tense music) Hello, my relatives.

I'm a descendant of the Bdewakanthunwan, Sisithunwan, Wahpethunwan, Council Fires, of the Seven Council Fires of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota nations.

I'm from the Pose family from where the river bends and the place that they dig for the yellow medicine.

During the summer between my junior and senior senior years, when I made that decision that I'm gonna join the military in hopes that I could prove myself as a man, as a warrior.

So I spoke with my family about it, and because I was only 17 at the time, I had to have my mother sign the paperwork to allow me to go in.

The one request that she made is that I didn't go infantry, and it was a hard pill swallow, but I decided I'll not go infantry for her.

So I ended up signing my contract that summer, and I shipped out for basic training a couple weeks after completing high school.

Hey Auntie Vanji, Hey Uncle Wilbert, it's Drew.

Things are going great for me.

My job is in the communications field.

I provide communications for the guys up on the front lines and everything to relay back headquarters and calling them anything that they need.

- Well, I'll introduce them again.

Of course, you know Drew and Shakina, Nalen and Steven.

Okay.

(group laughing) - That's a wrap.

- A wrap.

- That's over.

- Okay.

- In November, 2004, we arrived in Kuwait, and we spent a month in Kuwait to get acclimated to the environment.

It was an experience to cross into from Kuwait into Iraq.

It was like three o'clock in the morning.

It was just eerie quiet, and all you hear over the radio, we're getting ready to cross over, keep your eyes open and get ready for anything.

The people were just so resilient in having nothing and still being able to do so much and be able to see that, it was different, 'cause you just thought, and what we would kind of train is everyone's, anyone can be an enemy and no one's looking to be your friend.

And it was kind of a shock to the system when kids are trying to play soccer with you or kind of just engaged with you and everyone was a lot more friendlier than we initially thought they were gonna be, but at the same time you could, there was just a eerie undercurrent in the surrounding in your environment where, you know, you were being watched.

I think it was maybe that April timeframe, one of our sister units, Charlie company, they got hit with a roadside bomb and they lost some guys.

That kind of changed the mood for all of us, because we weren't a combat unit, we're communications.

We provide, you know, with the nerds in the trucks providing all the voice and data capabilities.

So when they got hit, it kind of shook the entire battalion, 50th Signal Battalion, so I volunteered for convoy duty and became a convoy gunner for the convoys and we were running communications supplies to our other sister units and sister sites out there that spread across from Fallujah up to Bilad, even further up north and down south to Baghdad.

On one occasion over in Ashraf, our unit, they lost their antenna to a dust storm.

So we loaded up everything and we drove out there, and the Ashraf was probably under two hours away.

Driving out there we would see, you know, people just doing their daily business.

But when we came back through, there was nobody, and there was an apartment complex there, and there's not a single soul outside.

That's where we learned, start listening to your environment because they'll help you tell you what's about to happen.

And just as we all got that sense that something was wrong is when the roadside bomb went off.

And it hit the vehicle ahead of me, and it blew off the whole front end of their vehicle.

Thankfully, no way was too injured in the vehicle, was still somewhat operational.

So once that assessment was made, we just hit the road going and made that turn and flew down the road and got out of there.

And that was the first roadside bomb attack that we got to experience.

And it puts everything into a different perspective.

When you have that concussion wave ripped through your body, dust and disorientation sets in, you become very skeptical of everything on the road, 'cause they were utilizing everything and anything they could, from animal carcasses where they would stuff animal carcasses with artillery shells and lay 'em on the side of the road.

So you just think it's a dead animal, and then boom, you'll get hit, or just piles of junk on the side of the road, trash bags and stuff like that.

You're looking at that garbage bag, but you're also looking to see if you can see any wires or start looking around the surrounding area to see, you know, how are the people acting or are there any people around, so it becomes, the hypersensitivity to your surroundings, which over there you need to keep on 24/7/365, and then you become addicted to that hypervigilance.

And it's hard to shut off.

My unit, we were the Alpha Company 50th Signal Battalion under the 35th Signal Brigade under the 18th Airborne Corps.

We were first team airborne.

We were so confident in our ability to get our communications up.

From the time that we jumped outta the plane until the time we hit the ground and get that first communications up, we often had it within 15 minutes easily to be able to get that all done.

But in order to be able to do that, you gotta be able back up what you're doing.

So that physical toll it takes to be able to do that help forge who we became as brothers and sisters.

Because when you're jumping out of an airplane at 800 AGL, above ground level, with 120 pounds of equipment to last you for three days, you fall a lot faster than everyone else.

You know, I'm still in communications with so many of 'em.

We still talk all the time because of our shared experiences, our shared hardships, of, you know, hiking 12, 15 miles and then working out and doing all that.

And just the day in, day out, jumping up to two, three times a day, it takes a toll.

When I first joined the military, I was 5'10".

I'm 5'8" right now, was pushing it.

I've shrunk that much just from that constant weight and pressure on my back of jumping with heavy equipment.

So now in my older age, I feel it a little bit more, but when I was young and dumb, I was rocking with the best of them, and it was an honor to work with them.

And I think about my brothers and sisters all the time.

Coming back, it was difficult because we're so proud of everything that we did.

We accomplished our missions, we experienced life at this height, the highs and its perfect lows.

But it was challenging to go through all that with your brothers and sisters, and lose them to drunk drivers, lose them to suicides, 'cause it just couldn't take everything that we experienced.

There was a big push to get more troops back into Iraq, so we knew eventually our number would be called again.

So we just focused on training, doing more missions, pushing ourselves harder, pushing ourselves faster.

(solemn music) (intriguing music) (uplifting music) - [Announcer] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and the Citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies, Mark and Margaret Yeakel Jolene on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota, on the web at halomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria, Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

A better future starts now.

West Central Initiative empowers communities with resources, funding, and support for a thriving region.

More at wcif.org.

(uplifting music)