Polonia in the USA

Welcome to the Sheep Festival oin Central Idaho!

Come in the middle of October to Central Idaho. There is a beautiful sheep festival every year in two beautful towns, Ketchum and Hailey, located in the mountains of Central Idaho. Below are the photographs from the last festival in October 2006. Three different ethnic groups are included in this photographs: Polish highlanders who live now in Chicago, state Alberta and Vancouver, the descendants of Basques from Boise region and also the group of shepherds from Peru. Here is the link to the official website of the festival: Trailing of the Sheep if you would like to check the details. The festival started in 1997. Since this time it is celebrated every year in October. The sheep parade is down Main Street Ketchum. We start with the photographs that show Polish mountaineers.

See Trailing of The Sheep Festival in Central Idaho - Basques and the Shepherds from Peru and Polish Highlanders in their Folk Costumes - 2007.

Read more: Trailing of The Sheep Festival in Central Idaho with Polish Highlanders

WASHINGTON, D.C. The more than 100 million people globally who perished at the brutal and bloody hands of their forcefully imposed communist governments can rest in peace easier now by knowing that they have not been entirely forgotten. Until now, their glaring omission from mankind's collective memory had not been formally addressed, resulting in an obvious moral blind spot upon humanity. No longer will they be just a sometimes quoted mind-boggling statistic at academic seminars, or merely just another extremely sad footnote in history tomes.

Read more: Victims of Communism: Memorial

Who would imagine that here in southeastern Idaho a small group of Poles and their American friends would encourage local residents to learn about Polish culture and Polish food? The first half of 2007 was filled with different activities related to Poland.

Idaho, with the size of 2/3 of Poland has only about two million residents compared to 40 million people living in Poland. Idaho Falls, where I live, a town of 54 thousand residents, is located in southeastern Idaho, not far from the border with Wyoming in a semi-arid high altitude region.

Read more: Polish Activities in Idaho

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Poland swore in its new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna Fotyga, on May 9, 2006. She recently visited Washington on official business and met here with Polonia at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland on June 18, 2006. Also in official attendance with her was Witold Waszczykowski, Undersecretary of State, and Andrzej Jaroszynski, Deputy Director of the Americas Department, United States/Canada Affairs.

Read more: Anna Fotyga, Poland's New Foreign Minister visits Washington DC