Exploring Community: Land, People, Water

July 26 – 29, 2021

Luther College – Decorah, Iowa

Luther College will be the host for the conference!

As a residential college, Luther is a place of intersection. Founded where river, woodland, and prairie meet, we practice joyful stewardship of the resources that surround us, and we strive to be a community where students, faculty, and staff are enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another, by the exchange of ideas, and by the life of faith and learning.

Located in the vibrant town of Decorah in northeastern Iowa, Luther is an undergraduate liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church (ELCA).

Find Luther College on the map.

Luther Land Acknowledgement

The land on which Luther College stands has been home to the Ioway, Sac, Fox, and Dakota people and their ancestors. As part of the Neutral Ground, created by the U.S. government to control the movement, lives, and livelihood of Native peoples, this land was home to the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk during their forced displacement from Wisconsin. The dispossession of the Ioway, Sac, Fox, and Dakota and the forced migration of the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk people was motivated by the interests of settlers such as those who founded this town and this college.

The Winnebago, during their residence here, addressed the land as “Grandmother.” The tribe’s orator, Waukon Decorah, believed his people were extended the blessing of this place by the Great Spirit, saying, “We did not make it nor could we make it so pretty and fair a land.” Please honor this history, and the ongoing connection of the descendants of these early residents to this place. Please also honor and care for the land, water, and resources as these residents did: like a loved and loving elder to whom we owe our life.

Learn about Decorah and Northeast Iowa:

Lodging

A variety of lodging options are available, including standard hotel rooms, on-campus dorms, Airbnbs, and camping.