IFMidwest holds annual events Initiatives in French Midwest (IFMidwest) holds annual events at UND and at Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, N.D., on May 1-3. Conviviality, entertainment and education characterize initiatives in French Midwest's (IFMidwest) annual gatherings from May 1-3. The public may choose to attend one or all of the following events. See www.ifmidwest.org and click on “News” to see details. * May 1, 4 to 6 p.m., Chester Fritz Library, fourth floor. The reception is open to the public. Writers, researchers, professors, students and Midwest community members interested in French-Canadian, Michif, Acadian, French and other French language heritages in the Midwest will gather to see and hear about the work of IFMidwest. The reception will be hosted by The Quebec Government Office of Chicago in cooperation with IFMidwest and the Chester Fritz Library. Professor Jean Lamarre will speak on his work on French-Canadian participation in the U.S. Civil War. * May 2, A French heritage tour (by coach bus) of Northeast North Dakota with seven stops at historic North Dakota sites with a historical presentation at each site and a concluding reception at Belcourt. A $50 heritage tour fee covers admission to the annual meeting and round trip Grand Forks-Belcourt, N.D., from May 2-3. Check the Web site at http://www.ifmidwest.org/en/places_Belcourt.html for places to stay while at the convention. * May 3, The annual gathering with ceremony, numerous interactive sessions on topics such as writing family history, Michif music, Michif language, intercultural dialogue between Chippewa, Michifs and French Canadians, heritage travel in the Midwest, western Canada and Quebec, art and artists of the Turtle Mountains, a forum on the importance of community development and heritage, Chippewa stories, early teachers and missionaries in North Dakota, local history and settlement patterns among French Canadians in North Dakota. Major entertainment with the Turtle Mountain Metis Dancers begins at 3 p.m. Coffee and rolls from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. with traditional French-Canadian and Michif lunch at noon. All provided for $20 donation to IFMidwest. Note: The fee for the French heritage tour is a $50 donation to IFM-UND which includes one copy of IFMidwest magazine and gives free admission to annual meeting on May 3. Admission to the annual meeting is only a $20 donation in form of cash or check payable to: IFM – UND. Mail to: IFM Stop 8198, UND, Grand Forks ND 58202. For each $20 donation, a copy of IFMidwest magazine will be sent to donors. It is a collector’s heritage item, a first in North Dakota, a first in the Midwest. Give a personal gift or a gift to a friend or relative. One free adult admission to the annual meeting with each copy of the IFMidwest magazine 2008. Student admission for entire day is $8; after 3 p.m. is $2. Adult admission is $10 after 3 p.m. IFMidwest (Initiatives in French Midwest) is a Community-Research Partnership in the Humanities. Persons who collaborate with IFMidwest are interested in history, with a special focus in North Dakota on French-Canadian, Michif and French heritages, from early immigrant histories to present-day pursuits. IFMidwest is a motor for interaction in communities, for appreciation of collective and individual experiences, for artistic expression, for economics with dignity and carefully shared resources. We believe that the best ideals are the result of a combination of traditions and new initiatives well thought out among partners who work together on projects. After all the day’s activities on May 1, the real story will be in the wrap-up session where projects are proposed for 2008-2009.