As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, genealogy conferences around the world were canceled the past two years. Some genealogy groups coped with the pandemic by arranging virtual conferences in which online users had free access to genealogy programs.

This year, a few societies are again sponsoring in-person conferences. One example is the Indiana Historical Society, which is sponsoring the Midwestern Roots Conference on July 15-16. To learn about the conference, check the website at https://Indianahistory.org. Lunches, a banquet and parking are included in the registration fee. Hotel accommodations are at Marriott East in Indianapolis. This year, the society’s approach is different than in previous years. The 2022 conference will feature three storytellers who discuss how migration and immigration affected our ancestors.

Katrina Mitten, citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, is one of the storytellers. Mitten is an award-winning artist who is known for her embroidery style of beadwork. Examples of her beadwork are displayed in major metropolitan museums, such as the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis; the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.; Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; and George Gustav Heye Center (National Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan, New York City).

Another featured storyteller is Tim Pinnick, an author, speaker and instructor who emphasizes African American genealogy. The third storyteller is Curt B. Witcher, senior manager for Special Collections at Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library.

These are some of the…