2012 Minidoka Pilgrimage June 21 - June 24, 2012

Celebrating our 10th Annual Minidoka Pilgrimage and recognizing the 70th Anniversary signing of Executive Order 9066

Sept '95 photo of ruins of Camp Minidoka in Idaho. Courtesy: gis.washington.edu

(SEATTLE) - Seventy years ago, almost 13,000 people of Japanese-ancestry, many of whom were American citizens, were removed from their homes and sent to a desolate “incarceration camp" near Twin Falls, Idaho. This summer, the 10th pilgrimage will take place with former internees, their families, and friends - from Seattle, Portland and across the nation - to the former Minidoka Camp in Idaho. This is an opportunity to learn, share memories, and ask questions about the Minidoka experience. Consider participating as a way to bring your family together and reconnect with friends. Participation is limited.

The 2012 Pilgrimage will include:

• Access to barrack building and mess hall. The buildings are now safe to enter. People will be able to go in portions of both historic buildings.
• Reconstructed fence is complete. It runs about one mile in length from the stone entrance buildings along the North Side Canal to the historic swimming hole. The trail is parallel to the fence, so that visitors can see the fence and walk along it.
• New collections storage building completed to house Minidoka collections items at Hagerman Fossil Beds.
• Guided tour of the Minidoka Internment National Monument by National Park Service staff.
• BBQ dinner hosted by the city of Eden.
• Commemorative Closing Ceremony at Minidoka.
• New activities for 2012 are in the works - stay tuned!

This year, the Civil Liberties Symposium sponsored by Friends of Minidoka is going to be held in Boise, ID at Boise State University. The Pilgrimage will officially begin in Boise on Thursday, June 21 and then travel down to Twin Falls, ID once the Symposium concludes on Friday, June 22.

The second day (Friday, June 22) of the Civil Liberties Symposium at Boise State University is included in both packages. For more information about the Civil Liberties Symposium or to register for the first day, please contact Hanako Wakatsuki at: info@minidoka.org.

Please review the Hotel and Information document and the Registration Form for more information on Pilgrimage packages (Seattle and Boise/Twin Falls). This information can be found on the Minidoka Pilgrimage web site at www.minidokapilgrimage.org (The Seattle Package cannot accommodate the 1st day of the symposium).

This year we are very excited to be offering a SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP for this year's Pilgrims who are over 80 years of age and older, and were imprisoned in any of the American concentration camps during WWII. Please review this Senior Scholarship Registration Form to apply for the scholarship. This can be found on the Minidoka Pilgrimage website, mentioned above.

For other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at minidokapilgrimage@gmail.com.

For those who cannot access the forms and information by computer, please leave your name and address with Ann Fujii Lindwall at 206-367-8749 and they can be mailed to you.