Marian Hassan, a Minnesota educator and author, is harnessing the power of storytelling to preserve Somali culture and language through a new children’s book project, thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Humanities Center. Hassan’s initiative, called the Sing-Again Lullaby and Oral History Project, received $121,394 through the Minnesota Legacy Cultural Heritage Grant, which will primarily fund the book’s publishing. The project is dedicated to capturing Somali oral traditions—songs, poems, and stories handed down for generations—and transforming them into a written collection, thus safeguarding these cultural narratives for the future.
By interviewing Somali elders, Hassan aims to record the vibrant oral heritage that traditionally thrived without a written script until Somali gained a formal alphabet in the 1970s. “If the Somali language is lost, the culture and all of the depth of this rich oral history will go away,” Hassan emphasized. “This story is not grim displacement and becoming a refugee. That’s not the story that we want to constantly be surrounded with.” Instead, the project offers an opportunity to celebrate the resilience and beauty of Somali culture.
While much of the funding will go toward producing the book, a portion will cover videography for recording traditional songs to create an audio companion, enhancing the project’s reach. This additional component aims to give voice to lullabies and other oral traditions, creating an immersive experience for families and young readers. Hassan envisions expanding Sing-Again beyond the Twin Cities, potentially reaching other regions in Minnesota with Somali populations, such as St. Cloud.
Preserving the Somali language remains challenging, especially for displaced communities where survival often takes precedence over cultural conservation. In Minnesota, where Somali is the second most commonly spoken non-English language, generational language barriers are increasingly evident. Hassan’s project seeks to bridge this gap, fostering communication and connection among families by creating a shared cultural touchstone in schools and homes alike.
“It’s important to expose (children) to the stories of others,” Hassan explained, noting that such exposure helps foster empathy and connection. “This project is an opportunity for the larger community to experience Somali culture and our efforts to belong but also not lose who we are in that process.”
Expected to conclude in May 2025, Sing-Again will feature a bilingual, illustrated volume of lullabies and stories. Additionally, a website will house further resources and recordings, making the project accessible for generations to come and providing an invaluable archive of Somali cultural heritage.
