Tamarac Oral History Project Partners: Tamarac Interpretive Association Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge Becker County Historical Society

Only fragments of information are currently available regarding the rich history of what is now refuge land. Tamarac Interpretive Association is ready to take action and build a collection of oral histories and catalogue archives relating to historic land use. We feel this project will bridge the histories of an ethnically diverse community.

This project has urgency as many of the people with first-hand accounts are in their later stages of life. The Oral History Program will ensure that these unique treasures and tales are not lost. We hope you will support our goal to capture and communicate the lies in history that this area has to offer.

The main component of the project is to collect the oral histories of past residents or their kin through audio and video recordings. These resources will then be available to enhance exhibits, website, or create new educational products. In addition, copies of the oral histories will be made available to the Becker County Historical Society, where they will be available to researchers and patrons.

The Tamarac Interpretive Association believes that this program will be the beginning of an ongoing increased effort to preserve and communicate the history of the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding community. The audio and video compilations are tools that can used in the future to create new interpretive exhibits, enhance existing exhibits, and be incorporated into a more dynamic website for both the Becker County Museum and the Tamarac Visitor Center.  Future plans are to create a video compiling the oral histories that can be sold as a fundraiser for both the Becker County Historical Society and the Tamarac Interpretive Association.

To date the committee has made 2 grant applications and compiled a contact list of potential interviewees. A pilot video of one initial interview is complete and available for view at the Tamarac Visitor Center upon request.

If you have personal accounts of activities that occurred on Tamarac prior to 1960 we would love to hear from you. Thank you for your consideration of this worthwhile endeavor!

The Tamarac Interpretive Association is accepting monetary donations for this project.

Checks can be made to: Tamarac Interpretive Association
35704 County Hwy 26
Rochert, MN 56578
Phone: 218/847-2641
Email: tamarac@fws.gov

The Tamarac Interpretive Association is a 501(c) 3 Refuge Friends organization whose mission is to facilitate activities and programs that interpret, protect and restore the natural and cultural resources of Tamarac Natural Wildlife Refuge. Your contributions are tax deductible.