History Break: Rob Thomas

One Family’s Journey on Minnesota’s Trail of Tears

Join Dakota Theatre Artist and White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Board President Rob Thomas as he takes you from 1862 to today through the eyes of his own family. Hear how his research was conducted into his ancestry and what tools and resources were accessed to gain the information, as well as personal stories from his family throughout the last 160 years. Rob’s family went from a village near Faribault, Minnesota to Morton, Mankato, Ft Snelling, Davenport, Iowa, Santee, Nebraska, and finally back to Minnesota once again.

About the Speaker: Rob Thomas (Wokiksuye Yuha Mani) currently serves as Development Director at History Theatre in St. Paul, MN. Rob served in various fundraising and executive leadership roles for theatres across the country. As a descendant of the Wahpekute Dakota, he’s also very active in the urban Native American community and conducts Sacred Sites tours for the MN Humanities Center. He currently serves on the boards of directors for the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society (Board President), Saint Paul Rotary, Quatrefoil Library, and Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (Membership Committee Chair).