Pangea House aims to help flood victims in Minot

By Justin Bohmer
Contributing Writer

As we all know, Minot was hit hard by the recent decision of the Souris River to overcome the restraints of its normal path. As usual for our region, though, citizens have banded together to support their neighbors. This is especially true for the good folks at the Pangea House, an all-ages DIY community space in Minot, who’ve been going out and doing whatever they could to help since the onset of the flood. There will be a benefit show at the Aquarium on Saturday, Aug. 6 to help Minot in rebuilding their community. Here is an email interview with Billy Luetzen, a key member of the collective:

HIGH PLAINS READER: What’s the Pangea House, how long has it been around, and what is its place in the Minot community?

BILLY LUETZEN: Well, we’re a community center before we’re anything else. We focus a lot on independent music and music culture but have hosted nearly every other kind of community event that can be hosted. As a collective, we pay out of pocket each month so that the space can exist … about $450 dollars … about $300 more is raised through holding shows. It’s a storefront, not a house, that breaks even monthly using this model - and has been for nearly three years.

Pangea House was open daily from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. before the flood. Since then, we’ve eliminated open hours; we’re more useful to our community being out there, working to rebuild.  Also, nearly every collective member (five at least) were directly impacted by the flood. When we do have open hours, we’ve got free coffee, tea, a lending library, zine library, sewing machine, arts, crafts etc., wireless internet, a desktop computer, and - of course - video games. We exist to nurture community, arts, and education.

HPR: Was the house directly affected/damaged by the flooding?

BL: No, the space wasn’t directly affected. We’ve been hosting events semi-regularly again since about mid-July.

HPR: What are the Pangea House folks doing to help out around the community?

BL: Well, I’ll just copy and paste what Chris Brown wrote on the fancy website he set up:

“We all banded together to evacuate homes prior to the flooding and now we’re doing all we can to help with the aftermath. All money raised is going directly into the supplies necessary to get rehabilitation work done and all labor is 100% volunteered. Most of the money in question is being raised by a series of concerts all around the country put together by musicians who have been through Minot, love it, and want to do all they can to help.”

The website is flood.pangeahouse.org, if you’re interested.

HPR: What will this benefit be benefiting?

BL: We set up the website so that people can see exactly where their money is going. Instead of sending your money off into the cogs of a big, bureaucratic machine, you can see exactly where it’s going. It’s going towards masks, gloves, sump pumps, and hammers - all of the tools necessary for gutting and repairing homes. We’re all donating time, and we’re all broke. Your money is just stopping by for a minute, and if we have any of it left when this is all over, we will donate it to a worthwhile cause - all of this money-movement will be transparent. Check out the website; it rules! Chris Brown is a wizard.

HPR: What is the Pangea House’s spirit animal?

BL: It would probably be a Hydra; there are so many of us! But we’d be a good Hydra. Make your pancakes in the morning and all that. But seriously, thank you so much for [having this benefit]!  We’re all so happy to have such great friends and such a supportive community; we’ll get through this … thanks so much! For real, Fargo, you’re awesome!

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