Indigenous, Hmong and Tibetan communities are sharing their stories across the Twin Cities this weekend. Local artists painted a medicine wheel-inspired mural on Lake Street, a Tibetan festival honors community resilience through music and a film series shows how Minnesota became home for Hmong stories. 

Muralists honor life’s interconnectedness

Hmong stories told through film

In Progress, a St. Paul nonprofit mentoring digital storytellers of color, will host Qhia Dab Neeg, a series tracing 50 years of Hmong filmmaking in Minnesota — from early experimental community films to the latest work by Twin Cities artists. 

“A camera first came into my hand when I was 12,” said St. Paul filmmaker Sai Thao, a co-founder of In Progress. “As a 12-year-old, being a Hmong girl, growing up with lots of siblings, oftentimes I didn’t get to speak. Having a camera in my hand, I quickly learned that it could be utilized as my voice.”

This year’s festival, which began in 2009, opened in October with screenings exploring Hmong representation on television. Featured speakers included state Sen. Foung Hawj, producer of Minnesota’s first Hmong TV program “Kev Koom Siab,” and Zoua Vang, the first Hmong news anchor on mainstream American television for Fresno’s KSEE-TV. 

An earlier screening in the festival highlighted Kang Vang’s film “1985,” which follows a Hmong teen and his friends on a journey to find a mythical dragon. 

“Qhia Dab Neeg is like stories of the dead and stories of long ago,” Thao said. “A lot of the elders who came here in the 1970s are now leaving us. There’s a whole new generation that has transitioned into that space now and what we’re trying to do is take a look at how storytelling has shaped those experiences and transitions.”

Saturday’s screening and social mixer at Destiny Cafe 2 in St. Paul will feature short films and music videos, offering attendees a chance to engage directly with Hmong American filmmakers. 

Tibetan musicians mark 55 years of youth organizing

The Sabathani Community Center in south Minneapolis will be filled with rock, rap and traditional Tibetan music as the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Minnesota (RTYC) hosts a Free Tibet Festival and a concert celebrating 55 years of the organization.

“We really wanted to make an event that goes beyond our own community,” said Tenzin Palsang, president of RTYC Minnesota. “Most Tibetan events are very insular, so there is a growing need to do more outreach and raise awareness.”

The Free Tibet Festival will feature informational booths and Tibetan food, including momo dumplings, butter tea, sweet tea and spicy laphing, a cold noodle dish made from mung bean jelly. 

The evening concert will feature rapper Tnammy, singer-songwriter Rytha, Minnesota rock band Melong, Tenzin Woebhum, and Tenzin Lekshey. 

“It’s kind of no surprise that rock and rap are the biggest fusion genres that Tibetan music has leaned into,” Palsang said. “Rock being a rebellious form of music, and rap being more about empowerment and social awareness. Tibetans have really flourished in exploring and raising Tibetan issues within those genres.”

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