Iowa’s Ethnic Heritage, or “Who Do You Think We Are?”

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 2:00pm in the Betty Strong Encounter Center auditorium, John Liepa Iowa’s Ethnic Heritage, or “Who Do You Think We Are?” Admission is free, but freewill donations encouraged. Enjoy the unfolding and changing adventure of Iowa’s immigration history. Beginning with the Ioway, one of 17 distinctive indigenous tribal groups, he will trace chronologically who we are as Iowans. From Spanish explorers and French trappers, traders and priests; to the dominant English, Germans and Irish; to Scandinavians, Dutch and Czechs, we will explore why these groups chose to leave their homelands and how they eventually ended up in Iowa. African Americans, Eastern Europeans and Hispanics have different stories to share along with other “newer” Iowans. This interactive talk will let us work together to discover who we are, and who we are becoming as Iowans. Liepa is Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC.) He taught courses in Political Science, U.S., and Iowa History from 1972-2010. He has a B.S in History and an M.A. in Political Science from Iowa State University. He received an “Excellence in Education” award in 2001 and was honored as DMACC’s “Educator of the Year” in 2004. He served five terms on the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Board of Trustees from 1998 – 2113, having served both as Chair and Vice-Chair; and, on the Iowa Historical Foundation, the fundraising arm of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Since retiring, he has taught courses for the Senior College of Greater Des Moines, OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at Drake University and as an independent presenter on “Iowa’s Role in the Civil War,” Iowa’s Ethnic Heritage, or “Who Do You Think You Are?,” and the “Early History of Baseball in Iowa.” John has been a 24-year member and Program Chair of the Des Moines Civil War Roundtable. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center has received a grant award from Humanities Iowa, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of the Humanities Series programs. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center/Betty Strong Encounter Center was built and is sustained by the Missouri River Historic Development Organization as a gift of history to the community. For more information call 712-224-5242. Find the Center at www.siouxcitylcic.com or www.facebook.com/sclandc