Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation
@heartmountain.bsky.social
We share the history of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II at the site where 14,000 people were unjustly imprisoned between August 1942 and November 1945. See more at www.heartmountain.org
Executive director Aura Newlin and JOI coordinator Haruka Takaku toured Laramie's High Iron rail car exhibit with the project's creator Aubrey Edwards and Aura's sister Lena, who developed the section about their grandfather George Sunada's firing from the Union Pacific railroad.
November 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Executive director Aura Newlin and JOI coordinator Haruka Takaku toured Laramie's High Iron rail car exhibit with the project's creator Aubrey Edwards and Aura's sister Lena, who developed the section about their grandfather George Sunada's firing from the Union Pacific railroad.
Congratulations to Heart Mountain Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi, the recipient of the Japanese Ambassador's Commendation for her leadership in the DC legal community. She's here with Minister Kyoichiro Kawakami, Counselor Kentaro Orita and First Secretary Ryoko Nakanishi.
November 21, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Congratulations to Heart Mountain Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi, the recipient of the Japanese Ambassador's Commendation for her leadership in the DC legal community. She's here with Minister Kyoichiro Kawakami, Counselor Kentaro Orita and First Secretary Ryoko Nakanishi.
Join Aura Sunada Newlin and Haruka Takaku at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18 at UW's Scarlett Auditorium for Joy at Heart Mountain, a panel about building connections and reclaiming culture. We're dedicated to bringing people from all parts of life.
November 13, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Join Aura Sunada Newlin and Haruka Takaku at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18 at UW's Scarlett Auditorium for Joy at Heart Mountain, a panel about building connections and reclaiming culture. We're dedicated to bringing people from all parts of life.
We need to keep telling our stories and working with others, regardless of their partisan affiliations, in order to fulfill our mission, Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi told the Public History in Authoritarian Times symposium at Yale University Saturday. Her panel was led by David Blight of Yale.
November 9, 2025 at 1:05 PM
We need to keep telling our stories and working with others, regardless of their partisan affiliations, in order to fulfill our mission, Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi told the Public History in Authoritarian Times symposium at Yale University Saturday. Her panel was led by David Blight of Yale.
Haruka Takaku, our Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator, does so well that she's the face of the entire program! We're so lucky to have her.
November 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Haruka Takaku, our Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator, does so well that she's the face of the entire program! We're so lucky to have her.
Congratulations to the Crystal City Pilgrimage Committee on a successful pilgrimage! Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin and her family attended to honor those who were imprisoned there and to learn more about Japanese Latin American incarceration.
November 7, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Congratulations to the Crystal City Pilgrimage Committee on a successful pilgrimage! Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin and her family attended to honor those who were imprisoned there and to learn more about Japanese Latin American incarceration.
Next year, we'll lead Educators in Exchange: Bridging US-Japan Education on Japanese American Incarceration with Japanese universities and museums thanks to a grant from The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and led by Sybil Kawano and Haruka Takaku.
November 5, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Next year, we'll lead Educators in Exchange: Bridging US-Japan Education on Japanese American Incarceration with Japanese universities and museums thanks to a grant from The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and led by Sybil Kawano and Haruka Takaku.
Congratulations to Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi for receiving the Japanese Ambassador’s Commendation for her work in the Washington legal community and for helping build U.S.-Japan relations.
November 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Congratulations to Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi for receiving the Japanese Ambassador’s Commendation for her work in the Washington legal community and for helping build U.S.-Japan relations.
We’re proud of Dr. Takashi Hoshizaki, the latest recipient of Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun for his work improving Japan-U.S. ties. Four other Heart Mountain incarcerees have received the honor.
November 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
We’re proud of Dr. Takashi Hoshizaki, the latest recipient of Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun for his work improving Japan-U.S. ties. Four other Heart Mountain incarcerees have received the honor.
Want to see Sam Mihara’s Memories of Injustice, his
National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecture presentation? Join him at 12:30 pm on Nov. 13 on Zoom, courtesy of the National Association of Japanese American Societies. See more information here:
National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecture presentation? Join him at 12:30 pm on Nov. 13 on Zoom, courtesy of the National Association of Japanese American Societies. See more information here:
October 31, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Want to see Sam Mihara’s Memories of Injustice, his
National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecture presentation? Join him at 12:30 pm on Nov. 13 on Zoom, courtesy of the National Association of Japanese American Societies. See more information here:
National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecture presentation? Join him at 12:30 pm on Nov. 13 on Zoom, courtesy of the National Association of Japanese American Societies. See more information here:
Museums that tell the history of the Japanese American incarceration face multiple challenges. That's why it was so important for Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin to meet with fellow museum leaders at the Western Museums Association recent gathering in Reno. We learned and shared a lot.
October 19, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Museums that tell the history of the Japanese American incarceration face multiple challenges. That's why it was so important for Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin to meet with fellow museum leaders at the Western Museums Association recent gathering in Reno. We learned and shared a lot.
For as long as the federal government shutdown continues, we're offering free admission for current federal employees, effective immediately. This extends to family members living in the same household as the federal employee. Come visit us!
October 16, 2025 at 8:05 PM
For as long as the federal government shutdown continues, we're offering free admission for current federal employees, effective immediately. This extends to family members living in the same household as the federal employee. Come visit us!
Last week was a landmark for us. Sam Mihara presented his NEH Jefferson Lecture at the Japanese Information and Cultural Center, spoke to the BADC and we celebrated the 100th birthday of board member Takashi Hoshizaki, the sole remaining Heart Mountain draft resister.
October 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Last week was a landmark for us. Sam Mihara presented his NEH Jefferson Lecture at the Japanese Information and Cultural Center, spoke to the BADC and we celebrated the 100th birthday of board member Takashi Hoshizaki, the sole remaining Heart Mountain draft resister.
Barbara Uriu’s father, Kazuo, was incarcerated at Heart Mountain and remained in Wyoming to become one of the state’s most influential farmers. Barbara was a founding HMWF board member. She caught up with Aura Sunada Newlin at the Western Museums Association conference in Reno.
October 9, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Barbara Uriu’s father, Kazuo, was incarcerated at Heart Mountain and remained in Wyoming to become one of the state’s most influential farmers. Barbara was a founding HMWF board member. She caught up with Aura Sunada Newlin at the Western Museums Association conference in Reno.
We had a great 100th birthday celebration for Takashi Hoshizaki, a courageous WWII draft resister, Korean War veteran, civil rights leader and Heart Mountain board member. Here he's blowing out his candles with Shirley Ann Higuchi, our board chair. Happy birthday, Takashi!
October 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
We had a great 100th birthday celebration for Takashi Hoshizaki, a courageous WWII draft resister, Korean War veteran, civil rights leader and Heart Mountain board member. Here he's blowing out his candles with Shirley Ann Higuchi, our board chair. Happy birthday, Takashi!
Sam Mihara is unstoppable. On Monday, he spoke to 600 students at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., about his experiences as a child incarceree at Heart Mountain. He's spoken in person to more than 110,000 people.
September 30, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Sam Mihara is unstoppable. On Monday, he spoke to 600 students at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., about his experiences as a child incarceree at Heart Mountain. He's spoken in person to more than 110,000 people.
It's been great to host Christine Ogura, the superintendent of the Honouliuli National Historic Site in Hawaii. We're sharing information and ideas about how to tell the story of the Japanese American incarceration in Hawaii and Wyoming.
September 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
It's been great to host Christine Ogura, the superintendent of the Honouliuli National Historic Site in Hawaii. We're sharing information and ideas about how to tell the story of the Japanese American incarceration in Hawaii and Wyoming.
We're wishing a very happy birthday to board member and dedicated volunteer Kathleen Saito Yuille, born on this day in Heart Mountain.
August 16, 2025 at 1:04 PM
We're wishing a very happy birthday to board member and dedicated volunteer Kathleen Saito Yuille, born on this day in Heart Mountain.
Glenn Potter-Takata is a Heart Mountain descendant and media designer and artist working in performance. He took a break from his Ucross Foundation fellowship to research draft resisters in our LaDonna Zall Research Room.
August 14, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Glenn Potter-Takata is a Heart Mountain descendant and media designer and artist working in performance. He took a break from his Ucross Foundation fellowship to research draft resisters in our LaDonna Zall Research Room.
Thanks to the hard work of former Heart Mountain incarceree Norman Mineta and thousands of Japanese American activists, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act on this day in 1988. Each surviving incarceree received $20,000 and a formal apology from the U.S. government.
August 11, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Thanks to the hard work of former Heart Mountain incarceree Norman Mineta and thousands of Japanese American activists, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act on this day in 1988. Each surviving incarceree received $20,000 and a formal apology from the U.S. government.
Thousands of Heart Mountain incarcerees traced their roots to Hiroshima, so the atomic bombing of that city 80 years ago today hit many still in camp especially hard.
August 7, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Thousands of Heart Mountain incarcerees traced their roots to Hiroshima, so the atomic bombing of that city 80 years ago today hit many still in camp especially hard.
Funding from the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program of the National Park Service is restoring our historic root cellar. That money supports workers from Wyoming and Montana and buys supplies from local companies. See the changes from 2022 to today.
August 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Funding from the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program of the National Park Service is restoring our historic root cellar. That money supports workers from Wyoming and Montana and buys supplies from local companies. See the changes from 2022 to today.
Thanks to support from the Mellon Foundation and other generous donors, we expanded our collections system. The LaDonna Zall collections wing holds records and artifacts, including Tokinobu Mihara's Braille board and Al Simpson's Wyoming hat. Come visit us and learn more.
August 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Thanks to support from the Mellon Foundation and other generous donors, we expanded our collections system. The LaDonna Zall collections wing holds records and artifacts, including Tokinobu Mihara's Braille board and Al Simpson's Wyoming hat. Come visit us and learn more.
We’re pushing ahead with the magic of the Mineta-Simpson Institute with two critical additions to our board — Sue Simpson Gallagher and David Mineta. Sue’s in black on the right, while Dave’s in plaid in the left of the back row. We’re so lucky to have them join us.
August 1, 2025 at 4:11 AM
We’re pushing ahead with the magic of the Mineta-Simpson Institute with two critical additions to our board — Sue Simpson Gallagher and David Mineta. Sue’s in black on the right, while Dave’s in plaid in the left of the back row. We’re so lucky to have them join us.
Along with running a world-class museum, Heart Mountain publishes a variety of excellent books about the Japanese American incarceration. Visitors to our pilgrimage last week lined up to buy more. See them here: shopheartmountain.org
July 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Along with running a world-class museum, Heart Mountain publishes a variety of excellent books about the Japanese American incarceration. Visitors to our pilgrimage last week lined up to buy more. See them here: shopheartmountain.org