>> CATHY: A SOMALI TRADITION DATING BACK TO NOMADIC ANCESTORS IS GETTING A PERMANENT SITE UP IN AVON, MINNESOTA.

THE AQAL, OR HUT, WAS USED DURING THE SOMALI CIVIL WAR AS A MEANS OF SHELTER.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PERMANENT AQAL IS NEARING ITS COMPLETION, AND A PLANNED CELEBRATION IS SET FOR THIS WEEKEND.

THE MULTIMEDIA ARTIST COLLABORATING ON THIS PROJECT JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME, IFRAH MANSOUR.

IT'S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: CONGRATULATIONS.

THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS IS KIND OF ALMOST A LABOR OF LOVE FOR YOU.

WOULD THAT BE RIGHT?

>> IT REALLY IS.

FOR THIS PAST MONTH, I'VE BEEN AT THE AVENUEON -- WHAT IS IT, FOLK SCHOOL?

>> Cathy: YES, AVON FOLK SCHOOL.

>> YEAH, AND IT'S JUST THIS, LIKE, BEAUTIFUL WILDERNESS, GORGEOUS PLACE.

I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I'M JUST AT A SOLAR RETREAT.

AND I'M PRETENDING TO BE MY ANCESTORS WHO BUILT WITH THEIR BARE HANDS WITH EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED.

>> Cathy: EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF THE AQAL, AND THE LIGHTS IN THE STUDIO ARE SO BRIGHT HERE, YOU'RE KIND OF CRYING TEARS OF JOY.

THERE YOU GO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS HOW EXCITED I AM.

CRYING.

>> Cathy: I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.

EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF WHAT THE AQAL IS IN TERMS OF WHY IT'S CALLED A HEALING HUT.

>> YEAH, THIS IS SOMETHING I CREATED.

THE HEALING AQAL.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, I ACTUALLY CREATED A MOBILE ONE.

AND THIS AQAL WENT AROUND TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

AND I WANTED PEOPLE TO SORT OF MEDITATE ON WHAT HEALS US AS A COMMUNITY.

I LITERALLY WANTED TO CREATE A PLACE THAT HOLDS OUR COLLECTIVE HEALING.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I AM ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO EMBARK ON.

TO LITERALLY CREATE A HOME FOR YOUR HEALING.

>> Eric: WHAT MATERIALS ARE USED TO BUILD THE HUT?

>> THE RADITIONAL AQAL, NORMALLY, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY GATHER, YOU KNOW, FALLEN DOWN AND -- WHAT YOU CALL IT, FALLEN DOWN BRANCHES, AND THEN YOU WEAVE IT.

SO THAT IT BECOMES ARCHES.

AND THEN THOSE ARCHES ARE ACTUALLY -- THE WAY THAT I EXPLAIN THE AQAL TO LITTLE KIDS IS LIKE, IT'S LITERALLY A MODERN DAY TENT, BUT EVERYTHING OF THE TENT IS MADE FROM NATURE.

AND IT IS TAKEN IN AN EQUITABLE WAY FROM NATURE.

SO I LOVE THAT, THERE WAS ALSO THIS BEAUTIFUL HONOR AND COEXISTING WITH NATURE THAT MY ANCESTORS PRACTICED.

>> Cathy: SO WHEN YOUR ANCESTORS WERE BUILDING THE AQAL, THE HEALING HUTS, WHERE WERE THEY LOCATED IN SOMALIA?

>> SO ALL OVER.

SOMALIS WERE ORIGINALLY NOMADS.

THEY WERE PEOPLE THAT ROAMED THE COUNTRY FOLLOWING THE WET SEASON.

AND THEY HAD THESE MOBILE HUTS THAT WERE LITERALLY CARRIED ON THE BAKST OF CAMELS.

>> Cathy: I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL THAT THE AVON FOLK SCHOOL IS DOING THIS WITH YOU, HAVING THIS COLLABORATION.

I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME VIEWERS THINKING, NOW, WHY AVON, MINNESOTA?

WHAT ABOUT THAT PART OF THE STATE?

>> YEAH, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL IS DEEPLY INTERESTED IN BEING WELCOMING TO NEW IMMIGRANTS.

AND I'VE ONLY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CREATING THIS HUT AS A MOBILE VERSION, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST TIME WHERE SOMEONE ASKED ME TO CREATE A HUT IN THEIR LAND, IN THEIR SCHOOL.

SO I LOVE THAT IT IS A PERMANENT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A PERMANENT STRUCTURE.

AND I ALSO OVE THAT THERE'S THIS INTENTIONAL COMMUNAL INVITATION OF -- TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE THAT COMES TO THE SCHOOL CAN ACTUALLY GO AND CONTEMPLATE THEIR OWN HEALING.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT SUNDAY'S CELEBRATION.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

>> IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING.

IF YOU CAN BRAVE THE DRIVE FROM THE CITY.

WE'VE GOT -- WE'VE GOT TOURS.

WE'VE GOT LITTLE KIDS CAN CREATE THEIR OWN AQAL.

AND -- AND AT THE END, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HEALING.

AND THE ELDERS IN ST.

CLOUD ARE ACTUALLY MAKING US THE GOAT SUPPORT.

>> Eric: WONDERFUL.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

>> Cathy: YOUR DELIGHTFUL.

I AM SO GLAD YOU HAD A CHANCE TO CAN COME AND TALK TO US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AN