Hoosiers Respond to IndyTalks Questions at the Indiana State Fair

Indiana Humanities hosted an IndyTalks event on Aug. 11 at the Indiana State Fair to encourage Hoosiers to explore the relationship between city and state where the city, Indianapolis, is not only the capital, but also the political, economic and urban center for the state. (Check out our Flickr page to view photos of the special guests that stopped by!)

During Hoosier Heritage Day, Indiana Humanities asked: Why does Indianapolis need Indiana? Why does Indiana need Indianapolis? Prior to that, we asked community, business and political leaders to comment. Read their thoughts, here.

More into video? See a recap of the day, here.

We asked these questions because we wanted to see how the relationship between the two entities affects Hoosiers in the city and those that live outside it. The answers were stored and logged via iPad and the new Indiana Humanities app.

Fairgoers found the question both stimulating and challenging, but in typical Hoosier fashion they supplied some thoughtful and intriguing answers! We will take their answers and send them to key stakeholders across the state. Read more about the event and its results from Keira Amsutz, through a Perspectives column on Inside INdiana Business.

Why Indiana Needs Indianapolis

Here are some answers we received from Hoosiers at the Indiana State Fair on “Why Indianapolis Needs Indiana.”

-It needs it because all of the rural communities and people provide resources and labor that contribute to the success of the state as a whole.

-The state provides a good grounding to rural life for the city.

-The other industries and agriculture resources of the rest of the state are important to make a strong state.

-Indiana is a rural state that reflects the agricultural heritage of our country.  While Indianapolis is a thriving metropolis it is important that it has the rest of  Indiana to remind it of its humble beginnings.

-We need Indiana to continue the world’s rapid need for agriculture. Indiana also has a great deal of history. Hoosiers played an integral part in winning the Civil War.

-To experience small towns, growing crops, fields, woods and streams in wide open spaces. It’s good to share words with people who do not live in the big city.

-Indianapolis needs Indiana to support the city to teach by example.

-For connections to the farming community and the opinions of others.  It also needs it for creative ideas on how to move our state and communities forward.

-Commerce and cultural diversity. 

Why Indiana Needs Indianapolis

After answering “Why does Indianapolis need Indiana?” participants were asked the reverse: “Why does Indiana need Indianapolis?” Many Hoosiers took the opportunity to observe and appreciate the cultural center that Indianapolis has become and the key role it plays in being the glue that holds the state together. Below are some answers to “Why Indiana needs Indianapolis.”

-Indianapolis is a thriving city with lots of people and jobs in different industries.  All of the resources that Indianapolis provides allow people living in rural Indiana to have a higher standard of living.

-Indianapolis is the cultural center of Indiana.

-Indiana needs the urban core amenities, industries and markets for goods and to be produced.

-Indianapolis is the central tie that holds Indiana together.

-It’s a great central location for the population to take advantage of everything that the smaller communities can not offer.

-Because there are many different cultures and different Indiana specialties that are shown in Indianapolis.

-Cultural opportunities, sports museums and the arts that are not available in the small towns.  Professional contacts for all kinds of services that are scarce in rural counties.

-For innovative ideas and progressive thoughts about how to invest in the future.

Help us continue the conversation! What do you think? Why does Indianapolis need Indiana? Why does Indiana need Indianapolis? Add your thoughts below by commenting!