SOUTH BEND, IN.-- When telling Michiana’s freedom story, you cannot tell it without remembering the sounds and comfort food that root the community.
Kolasa's Polish Peasant: preserving Michiana's Polish Heritage
Mark Kolasa, owner of Kolasa's Polish Peasant in Michigan City, says Polish traditions are displayed vibrantly on their restaurant's walls!
"We have our Polish festival every day that we're open, so people can come in and experience a little something of what we have to offer," says Kolasa.
Mark and his wife and co-owner, Amanda, have been in the food industry for 23 years. Running their own spot off Franklin Street since 2017.
The couple boasts serving up comfort food classics, including the traditional Polish dumpling pirogue.
Amanda describes the doughy treat as, "traditional pockets of Polish food.”
They are savory or sweet bite sized memories that the Kolasa's say, bring them back to family holidays.
“This is what I remember growing up when we say colossus. It was at the Colossus Christmas party, Christmas Eve party, and the pierogis would be made, and the family would be gathering around, frying them up, and it was just a great experience."
Paying homage to their heritage is an everyday task.
As president of Michigan City's Polish American Heritage Society and hiring on his nephew, Mason, to work at the family restaurant, Kolasa says it is conversations and camaraderie keeping the traditions alive.
Mark looks to make an impact on family and guests alike, saying, "Once they get out of our doors and we push them into the community, that they're going to make some difference and pass it on to the next person and take what they know and to the greater good of the area."
St. Joseph County is STILL a Polish hot spot
When Polish immigrants chose to leave their homeland for the opportunities in America, they brought with them traditions and recipes that are still utilized locally.
St. Joseph County Historian, Travis Childs says, “Some [immigrants] started restaurants and some of the restaurants are still in business. We have a lot of different foods that a lot of states outside Indiana don't have access to. We're just about the only place that has Dingus Day, a political rally, grab, shake hands, that is Polish surrounded around Polish food.”
Childs credits immigrants for putting Michiana on the map.
It's shared spaces, like restaurants, events and social clubs helping maintain tradition.
"You had fraternal groups open up, like ZB Falcons for the Polish. All kinds of things to try to keep in touch with the homeland," says Childs.
Meet the Futa Family: Polka Playing Poles
Social Clubs like the St. Joseph Club provides a space for modern Polish neighbors to converge.
Club members and 5th and 6th generation Polish residents, Paul and Steven Futa, are living examples of forging and preserving their family legacy.
Paul Futa has played in family and local polka bands since he can remember.
Currently you can find him playing with Gerry Kaminski’s Polka Network and the EZ-Tones.
Futa then instilled a love for their Polish roots and polka music in his son, Steven.
Both father and son, St. Joseph Club members, thankful for a place to remember their heritage.
Steven said, “Places like this are still doing what they can to make sure people have a place to gather where they don't forget."
The Futa's have been a part of the club since its start in the early 1900's, about when their ancestors settled locally. “It would be on my father's side, the original ancestors that settled on a farm where we both still live now," says Paul. “We still have five six generations of Futa's living out on the family farm near North Liberty.”
All generations taking part in the family's polka playing legacy.
“We probably didn't have the best situation, so we came to America, our ancestors, our heritage, but we never dropped the Polish culture. We've always embraced it. It's a hard-working, proud culture," says Steven. "Passing that down to my kids has been pretty important. We try to teach them as much. I don't know very much Polish, but the little we do, we try to teach them as well, to keep that heritage and background alive.”
It's this Polish pride that makes Michiana feel, sound and taste like home.
“I think you had a large Polish community, and over the years it's just people have embraced that, " continues Steven. "Paczki Day started, and everybody's like, "Well, donut day, let's do that." So that's continued on. Dyngus Day is a huge thing around here, and once those traditions start, it's hard to break them. I would say 50% of the weddings I go to have a Polish dinner. I think those traditions were started and then stuck because of the Polish community."
While neighborhood landscapes have changed over the years, continued interest in Michiana's past is what families like the Kolasa's and Futa's hope fuel the area's future.