Minnesota Native News: Recent Episodes
Minnesota Native News
Minnesota Native News is a weekly radio segment covering ideas and events relevant to Minnesota’s Native American communities. Made possible by the Minnesota Art's and Cultural Heritage fund
This week unhoused relatives have returned to the “Wall of Forgotten Natives” in Minneapolis, wildfire smoke continues to suffocate Northern Minnesota, and there are some great community events to check out. MN Native News reporter Emma Needham has more.
Hosts Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Dr. Antony Stately Ph.D. (Ojibwe/Oneida) lead insightful discussions about the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare in Indian Country. They discuss the valuable lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore how Native communities are responding and adapting beyond COVID-19.
Today we celebrate the success of Charmaine Branchaud, a Nurse for the Red Lake school district, whose work raised the vaccination rate of her students. She was recently honored as a 2023 Immunization Champion by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
We talk to her about what went into the success and reflect on her experiences as a healthcare worker during the pandemic. We also catch up on where we are in the covid pandemic as we head toward back to school and the end of summer.
There’s also news of an updated COVID booster on the horizon.
The CDC and FDA are expected to release updated boosters in late September or early October. The new booster will target that XBB strain of COVID. Back in June the FDA vaccine advisory committee recommended that the upcoming update focus on that XBB strain. They recommend that the new booster ought to be “Mono valent” meaning that it will only be composed of medicine to combat that most recent strain. As opposed to the bivalent booster we had last year which was Omicron and the original strain. They say it should be as effective as a bivalent and a bivalent booster is not applicable right now.
In the Duluth Area, the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) is hosting a COVID vaccine clinic on Wednesday August 30th from 3:30 to 6pm.
Dr. Stately would also like to remind listeners that Medicaid certifications were not required to be renewed during the pandemic; this changed with the ending of the public health emergency. Folks with Medicaid coverage are now required to be recertified within the next month. Watch your mail for a notice from your Medicaid provider or visit NACC or another community health center and talk with a patient advocate or a MNSure navigator to complete recertification to keep your coverage.
Community Health Conversations is made possible with the support of the Minnesota Department of Health. To find information about COVID vaccines and boosters, please visit MN.gov/COVID19.
The Native American Community Clinic - or NACC - has announced plans for a new clinic and housing along the Native American cultural corridor in South Minneapolis. The new clinic aims to provide more than just medical, and housing needs but a place for the community to gather, grow and have a sense of belonging. MN Native News reporter Darek DeLille sat down with Executive Director Dr. Antony Stately to learn more.
Aaniin, Zhaawanang Binesii indigo, Southern Spirit Bird is what they call me. I'm Darek de Lille and I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Staley.
“My name is Antony Stately, I am an enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and descendent of the Great Red Lake and White Earth Nations of Minnesota. I'm the Executive Officer and the president of Native American Community Clinic, which is a federally qualified health care center that serves Native people in South Minneapolis.”
The discussion led to what our work offers us when we offer our work within our own communities,
“More than just work for a paycheck. I mean, anybody can do that, right? But there's a there's, there's tremendous value and satisfaction in working for your home and working for your people. And that's invaluable. That's something not everybody gets to have,” said Dr. Stately. "Minneapolis is the birthplace to a lot of things that have had not just profound impact here locally. But nationally."
We also talked about how our American Indian cultural corridor has changed and continues to change.
“There's so much about it that's different. And in some ways, there's things that are the substructure, the stuff you can see is still there, that dichotomy between like, what it was like before and how it should be now and how we've made lots of progress in some areas and backslid. In other areas because of social conditions and economic conditions.”
The Native American Community Clinic has been okayed to develop and build its brand new six-story building with the first two floors, offering new clinic facilities and floors three to six offering new residential and transitional housing for the Native community. I asked Dr. Statley, what do you do with such big plans on the horizon?
“I did what I always do, when I don't know what I'm going to do next, or how I'm going to accomplish it is a smudge and I said a prayer. And I just asked Creator, to like, cut my path. That's really how I got here. And it's actually how I got to where I'm at today, we're in the process of building a brand new building. And we're doing all this it's staggering to me a $53 million project, right? I was like, I'm just a kid from the south side, like, how did I get here,” he said.
One of the first steps was to purchase the land that the clinic is currently on,
“We were able to secure the purchase of the building through a gift from the state government, they gave us a $3.8 million award to purchase this building; we worked with another one of our partners to raise the other 400,000 to buy it. We need a new building to bring everything under one roof. That's what we're trying to do as an integrative clinic, along with traditional healing and a few other things. And so we decided to build a new building. And you can make that decision when you're a landowner. And that wasn't a decision that was on the table when it was just the lease, we're trying to create a place where every person who lives in the Twin Cities that's native knows that this is a place where they belong," said Dr. Stately.
I found out further into our chat that this plot of land now has a name.
“We went with the name Owáŋka Okáwitaya which means 'a place for the people to gather'. Because as far as I'm concerned, there's a dot-dot-dot at the end of that name, which is a place for people to gather, to celebrate, to heal, to grieve, just a place for people to gather and a place where people belong.”
And so to explain why this community clinic, and this housing development will coincide and coexist. Dr. Staley simply offered this
“Since the wall of forgotten natives, and all of the challenges that we've had with houselessness relatives in this community. Native people are 1% of the population between 1% and 2%, depending on who you talk to you. But we're about 30% of the houseless population... that is unconscionable to me, also happens to be the largest social determinant of poor health outcomes for Native people. So it was a really easy pivot for me to go from like we're going to build a brand new clinic to be we're going to build a brand new clinic, and we're going to put four floors of housing above it, because it's our responsibility spiritually and morally, to help our relatives who are in the worst conditions in the worst shape." said Dr. Stately.
Darek DeLille reporting for Minnesota Native News
Dr. Stately is also the host of Minnesota Native News' Community Health Conversations
This week MN Native News reporter Emma Needham brings us some of the latest from Minnesota's native communities including a new novel from the author of Good Berry Cookbook, a doctoral study about the effects of tribal membership on Native American identity, and how Red Lake, White Earth, and Lower Sioux communities are leading the state in recreational marijuana and hemp industries
By now you've probably heard of Chef Sean Sherman. Maybe you've eaten at his award-winning restaurant Owanmni, overlooking the river in downtown Minneapolis. Owamni is the Sioux-Chef’s for-profit business. The nonprofit he started is flourishing too. It’s called Natifs. And you can find it at the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis
Welcome back to Community Health Conversations, a special program from Minnesota Native News! Hosts Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Dr. Antony Stately Ph.D. (Ojibwe/Oneida) lead insightful discussions about the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare in Indian Country. They discuss the valuable lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore how Native communities are responding and adapting beyond COVID-19.
On today’s conversation, Dr. Charity Reynolds, Medical Director at Fond Du Lac Human Services, joins the conversation to reflect and discuss the significant changes in healthcare since the end of the federal public health emergency. Dr. Reynolds shares her insights on sustaining positive change in healthcare, addressing mental health, the importance of cultural competence and inclusivity in healthcare systems and promoting long-term community well-being.
Dr. Stately would also like to remind listeners that Medicaid certifications were not required to be renewed during the pandemic; this changed with the ending of the public health emergency. Folks with Medicaid coverage are now required to be recertified within the next month. Watch your mail for a notice from your Medicaid provider or visit NACC or another community health center and talk with a patient advocate or a MNSure navigator to complete recertification to keep your coverage!
For more valuable insights and conversations on community health, visit MinnesotaNativeNews.org/CommunityConversations.
Community Health Conversations is made possible with the support of the Minnesota Department of Health. To find information about COVID vaccines and boosters, please visit MN.gov/COVID19.
This week on Minnesota Native News, reporter Emma Needham provides an update about ongoing work by Native organizations and activists to protect water and land throughout Minnesota.
Across Minnesota, Indigenous peoples and their allies work to uphold their traditional obligations and duties to protect the land, air, and water for the next seven generations. Mid-July was busy for many, with events in the metro and the northland.
"What's the longest you've ever gone without water? Anybody go on a fast a four-day fast? Do I hear three days anybody go on a three-day fast? Today days. Has anybody gone two days? Oh, I see Heidi over there has gone two days…. Ah, anybody else? No. Why is that? Ay, you need to have water to survive. How simple is that?" said Debra Topping, closing the Spirit of the Water Celebration with a reminder to attendees about the importance of water.
Spirit of the Water Celebration was held at Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul on July 15th. The event was a gathering of Indigenous and non-indigenous relatives celebrating and giving thanks to water, and Gitchi Zibi, the Mississippi River. Tents with trivia, kids' games, and involvement for the community lined the hill- with a free concert and meal provided for all in attendance.
Elder Carrie Huff Cheznik of the Oneida Nation expressed her deep concerns for the water in Minnesota amid an unprecedented drought and reported damage to underground aquifers from the construction of the Line 3/93 Pipeline in 2021. She urges people to take action.
"Because the people are the ones who can really make the changes if they want to. The people have the power to do it. They just don't remember that they do. And what I would like to say is, gather yourselves up my friends, it's time it's time to stand, it's time to speak, it's time to keep pressuring the elected officials until they do right by all of life," said Carrie.
Supporting organizations for this event include Friends of the Mississippi River, The Leadership Center for Social Justice, RISE Coalition, and the Indigenous Environmental Network, or IEN.
On the same day, at the Rail River Folk School in Bemidji, IEN, in partnership with the Earth Law Center (ELC) hosted a 2-day work session on Inherent Relationships Jurisprudence - Inherent Relationships with Nature/Rights of Mother Earth.
The session focused on finding ways to exercise the legal rights of nature, including plants, water, land, and animals in Western court systems that view the natural world differently than Indigenous people.
I spoke with Micheal Lane of the Menominee Nation, an indigenous sovereignty advocate for IEN.
Micheal quotes Dwayne “Chili” Yazzie of the Dine or Navajo Nation, and a member of the International Treaty Council Board: "So in terms of the key, one of the key statements that came out, I was allowed to say this publicly by the person who said, Chili Yazzie…he said something that was really important. And I'll say this, as a quote, we need to be who we are. Now, it sounds very simple, of course, we need to be who we are. But that's how he's talking about collectively when we go to the court and things of that nature. Oftentimes, we count things in that non-Indigenous framework. And what he was talking about was, when we go to these places, we shouldn't have to go and justify ourselves and be hiding behind other veneers in the non-indigenous legal system. We need to be who we are, it means asserting our advocacy …from our own place of existence as Indigenous peoples of the land," said Michael.
Micheal says the Bemijdji event was the second of 4 events planned with various tribes across Turtle Island. A summary of the Inherent Rights Working Group events will be available on IEN's website (a similar summary from 2017 is available now).
Emma Needham reporting for MN Native News
This week Lieutenant Commander John Naegeli, a Pharmacist at the Cass Lake Indian Health Services discusses the Walking Shield program. The program brings army doctors, dentists, and other soldiers to offer medical, psychological, and dental services to the Cass Lake community.
The Walking Shield mission began in Cass Lake on July 18 and goes to July 26, with appointments available on weekends as well. They set up a large tent on the grounds of the Cass Lake Middle School and High School for medical services.
The program addresses the demand for healthcare services, especially due to the impact of COVID-19. It offers mental health counseling, general and sports physicals, and dental treatments like cleanings, fillings, and extractions—all at no cost to the Cass Lake community.
This year, they introduced an online access spot for appointment requests through their Facebook page or email address (casslakeirt2023@gmail.com).
This week we take a visit to the Four Sisters Farmers Market in Minneapolis for a taste of community well-being that happens each Thursday during the Summer. Native Lights host and MN Native News reporter Cole Premo has the story.
The government that tried to destroy Indigenous culture used it as a weapon on the battlefield. Listen to Decoded: Untold stories of Native Veterans in Minnesota whose tribal languages helped win World War Two. Special thanks: Gary Robinson at Tribal Eye Productions, Travis Zimmerman, Freedom Porter, Darlene St. Clair, Moira Villiard, Laurie Stern, and Allison Waukau
DeCoded is produced by Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we preview a new documentary. DeCoded is about Native veterans from Minnesota who used tribal languages to help win World War Two.
The US Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of ICWA or the Indian Child Welfare Act in early November. Reporter Emma Needham sheds light on this case and its implications as Indian country awaits a decision.
44 years after its enactment in 1978, oral arguments on the Indian Child Welfare Act in Brackeen V. Haaland, were heard at the US Supreme Court on November 9th, 2022.
The Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted in response to the long history and high numbers of native children that were being removed from their families by both public and private agencies and placed into non-Indian families, often for adoption.
Laura Newton is the Family Services Program Director at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. She’s been working in the field of Indian Child Welfare for 20 years. She explains why ICWA is important to all children, not just native children.
"ICWA really is the gold standard, as far as looking at what is in the best interest of children...that is really what the law is about; protecting the children and making sure that they're able to stay amongst their family and the tribe and maintain cultural connections. I think that those things are equally as important in other communities and cultures," Newton said.
ICWA created minimum standards for removing Native American children from their families and established a preference so that when Native American children are taken from their homes, they are placed with extended family members or with other Native families, even if the families are not relatives. Opponents argue that ICWA exceeds Congress’ power over Native peoples, violates states’ rights, and imposes unconstitutional race-based classifications.
"The big piece of this is, from the tribe standpoint, is that it isn't a race-based law, it is specifically put in place to protect the tribe and the tribes' children and to ensure that…they have a future to continue, and that is based on tribal sovereignty and more of a political status and not a not a race status," said Newton.
Seven individual plaintiffs are challenging ICWA, including three non-Native couples who tried to adopt children with Native American ancestry.
One of those couples is from Minnesota. In their case, the grandmother of the child they had in their care and intended to adopt had been advocating for ICWA procedures to be followed since the child was removed from the care of her parents. A Minnesota court ruled that the child be placed with her grandmother. Laura Newton says if ICWA is followed, those types of cases are unlikely.
“When the law isn't followed, that's when some of those placements end up happening. And then it becomes difficult because you've got two different family members basically fighting over a child. But I think by and large, those things wouldn't happen if the law was followed in the first place. And children were placed, not in a shelter foster home with a non-Native family, but placed with a relative, like they're supposed to be under by law," said Newton.
Another concern is that if the Supreme Court strikes down ICWA it will a set legal precedence for other laws intended to benefit Native Americans to be overturned. That could affect health care, environmental rights, and even the religious liberties of indigenous tribes throughout the nation.
"These cases are really attacking that piece, which is tribal sovereignty. If that is to be changed, or limited or goes away...for some individuals or corporations that would be beneficial because it would allow those people to have access to tribal resources that they don't have right now," said Newton.
Despite the advances achieved since 1978, ICWA’s protections are still needed. According to National Indian Child Welfare Association, Native families are four times more likely to have their children removed and placed in foster care than their White counterparts.
Some states have state-level protections for native children. Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA) strengthens and expands the Indian Child Welfare Act. Laura Newton says she sees how important ICWA is in her role at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.
"The children that are in placements that are not with Native American families, just by and large, they are the ones that are coming to all of us asking for information on their culture, wanting to reconnect, feeling kind of lost...adoptive parents are really having a hard time with them, because they are missing part of their identity...I've never seen a native child not search out that cultural connection, I just think that's so important. And that's why it was needed," said Newton.
This is a developing case. At this time, there is no known time frame for when the Supreme Court will make a decision on ICWA.
For more information on ICWA, and the supreme court case, please visit the National Indian Child Welfare Association online at NICWA.org.
Emma Needham reporting for Minnesota Native News
A new round of free at home covid tests are available through the state of Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz and Lt Governor Peggy Flanagan say the new round of tests are available ahead of the holiday season, so Minnesotans can test ahead of gatherings and avoid spreading COVID to their loved ones.
Health officials are continuing to remind Minnesotans that the best way to protect themselves and their community against covid 19 is to get the updated booster after receiving their primary doses of the vaccine. The latest vaccine, known as the bivalent booster, is available for people 5 years of age and older.
This new booster helps protect against the covid variants currently circulating, the BA.4 and BA.5 variants. According to a CDC estimate, this accounts for about 60 percent of reported COVID cases in the US during the last week of October. Laz Carreon is a registered nurse and COVID Project Manager for the Indian Health Board in Minneapolis. He says that the bivalent booster is going to offer you the best protection against covid variants circulating right now
“This is what’s going to be offering that extra heightened level of protection against what is currently circulating,” said Carreon. “We all need to do our part to make sure that we’re not continuing to spread this, and especially to our vulnerable, vulnerable population, our family, our friends, our loved ones, that’s we want to protect.”
Native community members can check with their local IHS clinic, the Native American Community Clinic, The Indian Health Board, the Division of Indian work, and the American Indian Community Housing Organization to find out how to schedule an appointment or visit a vaccination event. All Minnesotans can check with their regular healthcare provider, local pharmacy, or visit a state-run vaccination site.
The bivalent booster was also recently approved for children 5-12 years of age. The Minnesota Department of Health says parents should get their children boosted at least two months after they’ve completed their primary series of the COVID vaccine. MDH is also encouraging parents with children that have not completed their primary series to schedule their next dose so they can become eligible for the bivalent booster. The primary series is important to build up the base protection against the virus.
So far this month –Division of Indian Work is hosting a vaccine clinic at Humboldt High School in St Paul on November 11th from 5 to 8pm – and November 17th at Little Earth in Minneapolis from 4 to 7pm.
In related news…
Virus levels in the Twin Cities wastewater suggest a fall time surge is on the way. According to the University of Minnesota’s Genomics Center, who measures covid virus levels in wastewater, the amount increased by about 20 percent from October 17th to October 24th. They noted that much of the increase was due to a spike in levels on Monday, October 24. The Genomics Center says that virus levels in wastewater can serve as an early warning that the virus is spreading in the community. Dr. Kenneth Beckman, executive director of the Genomics Center explains:
“The benefit of having information waster water is that it serves as a canary in coal mine, in a fashion. It allows you to see an outbreak before people have shown up at a doctor’s office or the ER,” said Beckman.
As cold weather approaches ….our indoor close contact with others increases making it easier for viruses to circulate. MDH still recommends wearing a mask in indoor public places and testing when you have covid symptoms. They also say it’s a good idea to test before and attending large gatherings, and stay home if you feel sick.
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In other news, national Native American Heritage Month began on November 1st and the St. Paul-based artist Marlena Myles’ artwork was featured on the google homepage as the Google “Doodle” – Marlena, who is a member of the Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscogee tribe, illustrated the google letters with images of The Creators’ game and shared some history and her inspiration with Google:
This week on Minnesota Native News, Emma Needham talks with new and returning Native Candidates from Mid Term races across the state.
In the 2020 election, native voters came out to the polls nationwide at rates never seen before. According to the Associated Press, Native voters swung the elections in both Arizona and next door in Wisconsin. Now, the 2022 Midterm elections are in just under 2 weeks, and it’s apparent that this time, Native people have turned out to the polls in a different way: On the ballot.
ICT, formerly Indian Country Today, tracks the number of native candidates running for offices at the state level. Right now, Oklahoma has the most, with a stunning 18 candidates for house or senate seats and one in the governor’s race. Montana comes in second in the nation with 12 Native candidates, while Hawaii and Alaska both boast 10. Here in Minnesota, there are 7 candidates for house or senate seats in six districts, plus the incumbent lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan. Of those 8 Candidates in Minnesota, seven different Native Nations are represented.
Alicia Kozlowski is running for State Representative in MN House District 8B in Duluth. Kozlowski is Ojibwe from Grand Portage and Fond Du Lac and is also a third-generation Mexican American. They said that their decision to run for office came not only from values in their upbringing among strong Ojibwe and Mexican women, but also from a sense of deep responsibility to their community.
“When I was making the decision to run or not it, it actually was in response to my community members, both within the tribal nations. But here in Duluth, across neighborhoods, across race, and gender and age, and ability of people saying 'please run for office.' Like, we need you to meet this moment so that we can all meet this movement,” said Alicia.
Alicia Kozlowski is a unique candidate to northern Minnesota. They said that they are running for office to amplify Minnesota voices.
“We have never had anybody like me represent this district, as a Native, as a Latino, as a non-binary, as a member of the LGBTQ community, but then even more, so to be able to bring that to the capitol where we haven't had non-binary representation.” They said, “I'm running for office, not just for myself. In fact, I'm a very reluctant candidate to run for office, I'm running because I want to what I say is CO govern with our people…
I'm not here to be anybody's voice or anybody's power, because you already have a voice and you have power. I'm here to help create that space and to amplify and to uplift all of our people.”
In Minnesota, we have Native candidates running for office at the state level, but we also have Native candidates in local races, including the city council race in Bemidji and candidates for school board both in Minneapolis and in Brainerd.
Charles Black Lance is White Earth Anishinaabe and Lakota from Rosebud Nation. He’s currently the vice chair of the Brainerd School Board for ISD 181 where he’s running for another four-year term. Black Lance says that the teachings he received from his father helped guide him in his position.
“My dad always told me, my brother and my sister are very young age was that leadership wasn't necessarily something that you aspire for, but more of a burden or something that is, was placed upon you as a responsibility. And, and I took that to heart,” He said, “fought hard and worked hard and diligently to not have power. but to have or wield influence, to be heard, and to have that voice. And I think it's really important for all indigenous people to move in that direction.”
In addition to Peggy Flanagan, other Native candidates in the Minnesota race are running for reelection in the house and senate. Senator Mary Kunesh served two, two-year terms in the MN House and one two-year term in the Senate. Senator Kunesh is now up for re-election for a four-year term in Senate District 39 following redistricting. She told me why she ran for office all those years ago.
"I knew that if we wanted to make good change in Indian country in Minnesota, we needed natives there to move the ball to start talking about the issue to start, you know, really championing the issues.” said Mary
Senator Kunesh is the first woman of native descent elected into the Minnesota Senate and currently the only Native person serving there. She says that there’s much work to be done to build diversity in the Minnesota legislature, but she is glad to see more Indigenous candidates running for office.
“We just don't have that kind of diversity in our state Senate. And that means we are not representing the growing diversity of our communities. We do want to see legislators that look like us, that sound like us, that understand the unique circumstances. And I'm really thrilled by the number of candidates and the caliber of these candidates, because it can only bode well for Minnesota when they are elected,” she said.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham
This week on the Health Report, we’ll hear from Kelly Miller, the executive director of the Division of Indian work in St. Paul about they work they do as a Covid-19 Community Coordinator
But first. Children ages 5 to 11 years old can now get the updated COVID-19 booster shot, known as the bi-valent vaccine, meaning that it draws immunity from the currently circulating variants in addition to the original COVID strain. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says parents should get their children boosted at least two months after they’ve completed their primary series of the COVID vaccine. This new booster helps protect against the covid variants currently circulating, the BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Which, according to the CDC, accounted for about 82 percent of reported COVID cases in the US during the second week of October.
MDH is also encouraging parents with children that have not completed their primary series to schedule their next dose so they can become eligible for the bivalent booster. The primary series is important to build up the base protection against the virus.
Booster approval for the younger age group now means that the bivalent booster is available for people 5 years of age and older. Native community members can check with their local IHS clinic, the Native American Community Clinic, The Indian Health Board, the Division of Indian work, and the American Indian Community Housing Organization to find out how to schedule an appointment or visit a vaccination event. All Minnesotans can check with their regular healthcare provider, local pharmacy, or visit a state-run vaccination site. Those sites include Moorhead, Rochester, Mall of America, and St Paul Midway.
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself and your community. For more information about the booster and where to find one visit our website Minnesota native news dot org slash health
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It’s been two and half years since the pandemic began and through that time, Kelly Miller and the Division of Indian Work have been working tirelessly to continue meeting community needs and to help community members navigate the pandemic as a Covid-19 Community Coordinator. In a recent interview on our program Covid-19 Community Conversations, Kelly explained what DIW’s work has been like through the pandemic.
“Our primary focus is usually our food shelf, youth programs, and more crisis-based services; providing those most basic needs. When COVID first happened it was a huge need for food. Our families didn’t have the two-week fund to stock up on two weeks of food, because there were so many unknowns. So our first response was making sure our families had the items they need to stay home. Then we were asked to open a COVID resource hotline, and it kind of just fit in with the work we’re doing to provide this information. ,” Kelly said.
As Covid Community coordinators, DIW ran a hotline for community members to call in and get connected to resources. They answered calls from across the state and even nationally. DIW also began new collaborations with other community organizations to help give vaccines and other resources. Kelly says that those collaborations are one of the positive things to come about because of the pandemic.
“The strength we have as a community, I think, to make sure we take care of each other. So, when we heard a family is sick and then they have to quarantine; okay well what can we do to help them? Can we bring food? Can we bring them medicines? Can we bring cleaning supplies, or give them masks? Can we be there for them to help them make sure what they need for school, or just to keep the kids busy?” Kelly said.
Kelly says that as we continue through the pandemic that it’s important to continue to take precautions and to reach out if you need of help.
“First I’m going to encourage families to continue their precautions on vaccines, hand washing, masks and stay home if you’re sick. Also, to lean on one another; have your support group and lean on them when you need it,” she said.
October 10th marked Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Minnesota and in cities and states across the United States. The day was included official celebrations and community gatherings, including in Grand Rapids where a new sculpture was unveiled at River Side Park by Leech Lake Ojibwe artist Duane Goodwin. MN Native News reporter Leah Lemm was on the scene for the celebration
As we enter another season of COVID 19, health care providers are bracing for another possible fall surge in COVID 19 cases. Similar to the Flu Season, COVID and its variants seem to show up each fall. IHB's Laz Carreon explains more about the similarities between the COVID and Flu vaccines.
In Minneapolis, internal medicine physician Tanya Melnik is fighting the illness with many faces: long COVID.
It’s also known as post-COVID…and long haul, chronic, or post-acute COVID. The one thing about it, is that it’s hard to define.
“There is really no one discrete picture that would describe what long COVID is. It looks different for each person who unfortunately ends up suffering from it. Some symptoms are fairly common and they tend to be fatigue, cognitive difficulties that many people describe as brain fog, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, issues tolerating physical activity. Many other symptoms tend to be fortunately less common, and the diagnosis is really based on fairly extensive history when we evaluate patients that has to be collected,” said Dr. Melnik.
Dr. Melnik is co-director of the M Health Fairview Post COVID clinic, one of many formed in 2020. Physicians across the country had noticed patients were not completely recovering from COVID or they were developing new symptoms.
Long covid symptoms have a lot of overlap with conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, so Dr. Melnik says diagnosing it is a process of elimination.
“We take into account what kind of problems patients had before having COVID, what their COVID looked like because unfortunately, post-COVID is more common in people who had moderate and severe disease who ended up being hospitalized or ended up on a ventilator in the ICU. And how those symptoms evolved over time, what got better, what didn’t get better, and what potentially got worse and started anew.,” said Dr. Melnik.
It depends on how you define it, but studies estimate between 10 to 30% of people develop lingering symptoms within three months of having the COVID virus. Current data shows women are significantly more likely to develop long COVID than men.
If you suspect you have long covid, Dr. Melnik says you should talk to your primary care provider. She also recommends connecting with a post-COVID clinic for specialized care, though she recognizes it’s not always the most accessible.
“One of the things we know works for post-COVID is actually rehab, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy. Sometimes people do need evaluation with pulmonary function testing, they need to see cardiology; they need to have some studies done to evaluate the heart and lungs. And that’s not necessarily easy for somebody who lives in a rural community and doesn’t have substantial means to even to pay their co-pays for all those visits. So it’s difficult. And we know that post covid, it can be disabling, so if a person cannot work and cannot get the help that they need for a variety of reasons, they’re stuck,” said Dr. Melnik.
Dr. Melnik acknowledges the progress since 2020. Long covid is now recognized as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Research studies are underway on how to better treat the condition…But she says one sure way to prevent long covid, is to not get covid in the first place.
“One thing that we have seen is vaccination definitely reduces the risk of a person developing post-COVID condition. It hasn’t been 100% and vaccines at this point do not reduce the risk of COVID to 100%, but there is a significant reduction in terms of the risk of severe illness with vaccination, and we have seen with some relief that people who are vaccinated and boosted actually are less likely to develop post-COVID. So that’s another good reason to be vaccinated and be up-to-date on boosters,” said Dr. Melnik.
Find a more extensive list of long-covid symptoms, as well as information on where to get your COVID-19 vaccines, on our website MinnesotaNativeNews.org/Health
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
President Biden stirred controversy recently when he declared “the pandemic is over” during a 60 Minutes interview. This amid the White House’s ongoing push to secure $22 billion to continue the fight against COVID-19.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows an average of 481 people died of COVID every day in August.
With kids back in school and people spending more time indoors, health experts predict an increase in COVID infection rates in upcoming months. They encourage getting the new bivalent booster and to continue testing for prevention.
John Naegli is a pharmacist at Cass Lake Hospital and a vaccine coordinator for about 30 sites serving Indigenous communities across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
“I think the most important time to test yourself is if you've had close contact with a friend or family that tested positive,” Naegli said. “There are a lot of cold viruses going around right now with our kids going back to school, so you are gonna see a lot of negative tests, but it is important especially if you're going to be around elders or be around big crowds.”
Naegli said calling local health departments or walk-in clinics is one way to find testing. Cass Lake offers in-person testing 24 hours a day and has a supply of tests that patients can take home.
Minnesotans can also get at-home rapid tests through the mail, the state extended its program last week and is now offering four additional rapid tests per household. Order those free, at-home rapid tests online at mn.gov/covid19.
State officials additionally advise that costs for over-the-counter, at-home COVID tests are required to be covered by all health plans. They would be free either through reimbursement or at the store with an insurance card. People should verify how to get costs covered with their health plan.
But testing is just one tool in the toolkit, according to Naegli. He explained the new booster is believed to be more effective than the original COVID vaccine.
“It is a combination vaccine. It's a bivalent vaccine, so it covers more than one strain of COVID. It contains the original strain plus the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of COVID. The BA.4 and BA.5 are variants that have been causing most of the positives throughout the country within the last couple of months,” he said.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines have been approved. Naegli said they are interchangeable, so people can get either booster regardless of their original vaccine series. The vaccine just has to be separated from your last booster by two months.
With studies showing that it is safe and effective, Naegli hopes more people will get the flu shot alongside the new booster.
“One of the points that we've been trying to push over the last six months to a year is that this pandemic has decreased access to our yearly and required vaccines, especially in our children. Throughout the country, we've seen vaccine-preventable diseases pop up, such as polio was found in New York. So we're seeing that be a problem right now. It's kind of an after effect of the pandemic is we just didn't have the access to care for those kids, so we're trying to catch them up on their vaccines.”
Find appointments across Minnesota for the new bivalent vaccines on the state website mn.gov/covid19.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
Welcome to Minnesota Native News..This Week on the Health Report. An updated COVID booster has been approved by the FDA and CDC. Reporter Cole Premo has more…
The CDC and FDA has approved an updated COVID booster vaccine for people 12 years and older. The new boosters include spike proteins that more closely match the ones found in the Omicron BA 4 and BA 5 variants. The CDC says the new booster will help restore protection that has waned since the original COVID shot or previous booster. According to the Yale Medicine, the BA 4 and BA 5 variants account for more than 88 percent of COVID cases in the US right now.
The updated booster is also known as a “Bi valent” booster, meaning that it draws immunity from the new variants in addition to the original COVID strain. The updated boosters are both MRNA vaccines and do not contain a “live” virus.
In a press statement, Minnesota Department of Health commissioner Jan Malcolm said updated boosters are important to protect against the variants currently spreading and that it’s important to encourage your whole family to get boosted as school starts and we head toward the year in end holidays. She also said quote “Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines is a crucial part of protecting our state in the months ahead,”
Two updated boosters are available; The Pfizer-biontech booster is available for people ages 12 and older and the Moderna for people 18 and over. Both of the updated boosters are a single dose series, and are for people who have already had their initial series of COVID vaccines or have been boosted in the past.
Vaccination sites run by the state of Minnesota, including Mall of America vaccination site, sites in Duluth, St Paul, Rochester and Moorhead has begun administering doses of the updated booster. In addition, pharmacies and community health clinics in the Twin Cities area have begun offering appointments for the updated booster. To search for a place to get your updated booster, visit vaccines dot gov
The CDC and FDA also expects to authorize the new boosters for those 12 years and younger in the near future.
The new booster comes ahead of the expected fall time surge of COVID cases, right now the CDC reports that most counties in Minnesota have low virus transmission rates. But that could change as more people head indoors for the fall and winter time.
In other news…
Free COVID testing is still available for free through the state of Minnesota. People in Minnesota can test for free at community testing sites in Moorhead, Duluth, St. Cloud and Mankato. At home tests are available for free as well and many healthcare clinics provide free testing. For links to the complete details visit Minnesota native news dot org slash health
This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock.
A walk to justice. The American Indian Movement is leading a group from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness for Leonard Peltier, one of the nation’s longest held political prisoners.
Feven Gerezgiher reports.
1,100 miles. 11 weeks. Eight states. That’s how long advocates plan to walk in prayer for elder Leonard Peltier’s release from prison.
There were dreams that were coming to us….
Rachel Thunder led a rally kicking off the spiritual walk last week with the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council.
I would be in Leonard’s prison cell with him. And he’d be sitting there in bed with his face in his hands and he wouldn’t say anything. But in each of these dreams, I would say, your people are coming to get you. AIM is coming to get you. [20s] (Your people haven’t forgotten about you. Don’t worry, we’re coming.
Peltier, now 77 years old, has spent 46 years in prison.
Since 1977, he has been incarcerated for his alleged role in the killing of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Activists, human rights organizations, as well as U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to grant Peltier clemency on the basis of his failing health… and issues with Peltier’s trial which was riddled with misconduct including tampered evidence and witness intimidation.
Frankie Orona is of Chumash and Tongva heritage and is executive director of AIM in Central Texas. He was one of many in attendance at the sunrise ceremony the day after the rally.
We came all the way from Texas. Some came from Southern California, you know, Canada, Arizona, from all many different states and farther distances than that even….I think we're in a crucial point where our voices are being heard, our youth are standing up, and our elders are supporting the younger generations. And there was many that did not know of Leonard and the situation before as much as there is now.
Nick Estes, a University of Minnesota professor from the Lower Brule Sioux tribe, said Peltier’s incarceration resonates differently as a boarding school survivor.
In some ways, Leonard Peltier has never left the prison, he was taken as a young child, you know, stripped from his family and his community, stripped of his language, his culture. And that's why he joined the American Indian Movement. That's why he fought for rights. That's why he fought for dignity. And now he's back in jail.
…
(So this isn’t just about a political prisoner. It's about the whole history and for this country to actually confront its past because we're trying to move forward and they want to live in the past. They want to hold an elder hostage.)
Nick didn’t learn about Leonard Peltier until college, later joining the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. He noted that an Indigenous man, Joseph Stuntz, was killed during the 1975 shootout between AIM and the FBI, yet Stuntz’s death was never investigated.
With growing awareness of historic harms…and more Native people in office.. Nick hopes there is more support for change.
There's a lot of young people like myself, who are very interested in this case, because we see it as a continuation not only of centuries of colonization, but also what they did to water protectors at Standing Rock and at Line Three. In this state, there are many Leonard Peltiers. And you know, and this, this city, Minneapolis was founded on creating Leonard Peltiers. Fort Snelling was a concentration camp where my Dakota ancestors were imprisoned because they did the exact same thing Leonard Peltier did, which is defend land, territory, life and dignity. And in this country, the continued incarceration of Leonard Peltier is the continued incarceration and stamping down of indigenous life and dignity.
The AIM-led group is expected to arrive in D.C. on November 14th. Find updates and more information on their Facebook page “Leonard Peltier’s Walk to Justice.”
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. This week…A new program at Saint Cloud State University aims to put more Indigenous teachers in front of Minnesota students. Emma Needham has more on two scholarship programs for Native teachers plus
a new curriculum plan to help teach Native issues to students throughout Minnesota.
Minnesota’s students are much more diverse than their teachers. According to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, 34 percent of students in Minnesota identify as students of color or Native American while only five percent of their teachers identify the same way. Saint Cloud State University professor Darlene St. Claire is working to change that.
Another vaccine booster is likely in our future as we navigate the pandemic and live our life with COVID as a part of it. Right now, the CDC recommends everyone 5 years and older should get one booster shot and adults 50 years and older 2 boosters. Some people 12 and older who are moderately or severely immuno-compromised should also get 2 boosters.
This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe vote on blood quantum requirements. Also, we hear from Juliet Rudie, who now heads the state’s new Office of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.
In a historic move, members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe in July voted to remove a decades-old requirement that members have a minimum of 25% Ojibwe blood.
About 64% of voters on an advisory referendum say the blood quantum requirement, which began in the 1960s, should be removed from membership in the six-reservation tribe.
Also, 57% of voters said each reservation should be allowed to determine its own enrollment requirements. Those reservations include Fond du Lac, Mille Lacs, Bois Forte, Grand Portage, White Earth and Leech Lake.
Blood quantum requirements have been a source of debate and contention for years.
Those in favor of ending the requirement say the blood quantum requirement has caused enrollment in the tribe to shrink, with many children not considered members despite having a parent who is. About 15% of the tribe's roughly 39,000 citizens are under age 18.
Those opposed to ending the requirement are concerned that accepting more members will use limited federal or casino-generated funds, and that more people taking advantage of treaty rights will make resources scarce.
The vote does not change the requirement just yet… The referendum is a guide for tribal leaders who will now decide whether to ask voters to amend the tribe's constitution.
Minnesota Native News will have updates as they come in.
In other news…
Juliet Rudie – a Lower Souix Indian Community citizen – now leads Minnesota’s new office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives in St. Paul. It’s the first state office of its kind in the nation.
The office was created based on the findings of the Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives Task Force.
The office will work with the 11 sovereign tribal nations in Minnesota; federal, state, and local law enforcement; federal and state agencies; and community-based organizations and advocates.
Rudie has nearly 30 years of experience in public safety, starting as a patrol officer for St. Paul police in 1990. She later joined the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office in 2011, serving as an Inspector, Undersheriff of the Administration Division and Chief Deputy.
Rudie retired in 2017, but she says she felt she needed to do more, something focused on helping native women and children.
Juliet Rudie recently spoke with my sister Leah Lemm and I on Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine. Here she is talking about the new position.
“I got a call that said, Hey, this job is going to be posted…. so I read the task force report, which is 163 pages. And I'm like, this document is amazing. They did research on why this was happening and they, and they managed to piece together some data, the data's in silos. So I give kudos to the research company, which is Wilder, where they were able to pull this information and then give it to, um, the task force. And then they were tasked with, um, there were five, uh, areas they were to look at, and then they were, and then from those five areas that came up with these 20 mandates.
so whenever I get like overwhelmed in a, oh, by the scope of the work, I go back and I look at the report and I go, okay, you're on track, Julie, you're doing these things. Um, and, and then, so when I have to report to the legislature in January, I can say, these are the mandates that I touched.
At this time, Juliet Rudie says she’s narrowing the focus of the office in an effort to tackle as many mandates as possible…
“it's prevention, um, reporting response, and making sure we have enough for victim resources and those. So that's, those are the four areas that I'm gonna focus on. Um, and then, and it's, it's bigger than that.”
Juliet Rudie is now in the process of hiring more people for the new office.
“I'm determined to make some type of difference, um, for the victims and the victims' families and survivors, because it's just sad … I have a friend who lost his daughter to gun violence. He was a native officer that I worked with… he said to me, he said that we need to do more. We need to do more in our community and we need to be better. We need to make things better.
You can listen to more of the conversation with Juliet Rudie on Native Lights Where Indigenous Voices Shine. I’m Cole Premo.
State Representative and Leech Lake Band’s Jamie Becker Finn is expanding her community building focus as a coffee shop owner and entrepreneur. She speaks with Reporter Leah Lemm
This week on Minnesota Native News Health Report, reporter Emma Needham talks with an M.D. about recommendations for COVID vaccines for our littlest relatives, and provides additional information on vaccine availability.
Vaccines against COVID were approved for children ages 6 months and older in June. However, we’re seeing significantly lower rates of vaccination in our youngest eligible age group, those ages 6 months and older.
According to MN.Gov, 58% of the total Native Population in MN has already been vaccinated and 63% of the state’s native children, ages 5 and up, have also received a vaccine. But only 1.2% of native children ages 1-4 in Minnesota are immunized against COVID 19.
I caught up with one doctor practicing in the metro area to talk about vaccines for our youngest relatives. Dr. April Coming Hay is a board-certified physician and an enrolled member in the 3 Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota.
EN: “How is it possible that they’re coming out so quickly, but are yet the most studied? I know we’re watching Science in real-time. But what would you say to a parent who had that question for you?”
“Well, I would say that a lot of the basics for vaccines are not new, per se. We have had mRNA vaccines for several years. And then also we are having the entire world collectively working on these vaccines. So they’re they’re not skipping any steps in the scientific process or in verification, certification, anything like that. they are following all these steps,” said Dr. Coming Hay.
Children get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults. Also, Overall COVID-19 Vaccine Dosage is based on a person’s Age on the Day of Vaccination, Not their Size or Weight.
Dr. Coming Hay says just like anyone else, babies could get a fever or feel discomfort after the vaccine
“You know, with infants, it’s a little bit harder to tell if they’re feeling pain or if they’re having a headache, but common side effects for infants, if they’re going to have them, are going to be similar to any other vaccination that they receive. Sometimes they might have a fever, it can be a high fever, typically up to 102 or 103 is considered a normal response. They might just see more fussy. So babies are going to show them a little bit differently. But some may not have any symptoms at all,” said Dr. Coming Hay.
Vaccine availability is an ongoing question for many parents. Dr. Coming Hay gives advice to parents looking for infant vaccines.
“Other options, besides clinics, are going to be your local pharmacies. Your local health department is a great resource. There also is a website, it’s called vaccines.gov, you can type in your zip code, and it will give you the different locations that you can get an immunization. And you want to make sure to double-check with some of these places that they are going down to the six-month age, some of them are only going five and above, as well,” Dr. Coming Hay
The vaccines.gov website reminds users that vaccines for ages 6 months are being shipped daily and to frequently check back if you did not see any options in their area.
As of right now, only Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been approved for ages 6 months and older. Johnson & Johnson and the Novavax are only for those 18 and older. A primary series for anyone younger than age 50 is two vaccinations, plus one booster, with exceptions made for those with compromised immune systems and chronic health conditions.
As for future vaccines, Dr. Coming Hay says they’re expected, but it’s hard to know when.
“There’s talk about coming out with a new vaccine that’s more directed to the omicron variant but right now it’s sort of just talk. We don’t have a timeline on when new vaccines are coming out. The vaccination that we have right now is targeted toward the alpha variant and so you may know that there’s people out there who are getting vaccinations and then they are still getting infections. The good news is that they’re typically less severe and right now the goal is to decrease hospitalizations.” said. Dr. Coming Hay.
Dr. Coming Hay leaves with a note on why the vaccines remain important for many Native people’s health and values
“Native Americans are at an increased risk for severe illness and complications. Especially, unfortunately, there’s a lot of other conditions such as diabetes that do run rampant in our Native American populations, which puts people at even further risk. So I would just say, you know, to try to talk to your loved ones from a perspective of wanting to be helpful, wanting to protect our elders or people who may not be able to get their immunizations by themselves. We’re trying to protect a community.
Emma Needham reporting for the MN Native News Health Report
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This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report. I’m Marie Rock.
This week….we share from an earlier recording on the outlook of the COVID-19 pandemic as understood by one healthcare professional. Here’s reporter Feven Gerezgiher with that interview and the latest on COVID-19 vaccines.
[Music]
STORY A
U.S. health officials recently approved a new COVID-19 vaccine option for adults, hoping it will appeal to people that have yet to receive a single dose.
This vaccine is called Novavax and it’s used across Europe, as well as in Canada, Australia, South Korea and other countries.
Novavax is deemed a traditional option because it’s a protein vaccine. Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent other diseases, like hepatitis B and shingles.
Novavax vaccines are expected to be available in the next few weeks.
[Music]
The Minnesota Department of Health still recommends getting tested if you have COVID symptoms or have had close contact with someone with COVID. It also recommends testing proactively – before attending large events or traveling.
Appointments and walk-ins are available at community testing sites. Those include sites in Duluth, Moorhead, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul, and the MSP Airport –- where people testing positive can receive a prescription for treatment at the same time.
Free at-home rapid test kits are available through both the state and federal government.
Find links to order those kits and other resources on COVID-19….on our website: Minnesota Native News dot org slash health
[Music]
STORY B
Previously on the Minnesota Native News Health Report, we connected with Antony Stately, CEO and President of the Native American Community Clinic, to hear how providers - and his family - have been faring throughout the pandemic.
Our conversation was in March…not long after the winter holidays when the Omicron variant of COVID-19 first spread like wildfire.
What we've learned from this process is that, you know, just when we think we're in a safe place and we make the decision to go maskless and go back to Fourth of July parties, and get close and have motorcycle rallies that crisscross the country and those kinds of things. Just as we're doing that and thinking that it’s safe to go back to the way life, quote unquote, used to be? That's exactly when we ended up getting hit by another wave of some type of variant.
Antony said we’re still a ways out from getting ahead of coronaviruses, as they develop easily and rapidly into new strains and variants. He expects his clinic will continue to take precautions.
We have lots of elders who are sort of the bedrock of our cultural knowledge in our community and so wanting to make sure we don't do things that will get them ill is important. We have a lot of people who are very sick with chronic diseases that make them very vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. So being a responsible relative in that space, as a provider and somebody who is important to that community, we have to operate professionally and also personally in ways that would make sure that we're not acquiring COVID-19 and then inadvertently passing it on. So we're taking strong steps to ensure that some of the COVID-19 policies that other spaces and places and jurisdictions, they're sort of kind of relaxing, we're not. [45s]
Outside of the clinic, Antony takes a “calculated risk approach” to decisions about masking and social distancing, taking stock of infection rates — and choosing to be more precautious in places like a crowded grocery store.
I just try to walk through the world personally as a family member and a member of the community kind of trying to just observe my surroundings and make good calculated risks based on history and intelligence and intuition. You know, use that intuitive mind that Creator gave you to make decisions. And I'm trying to also help my children to understand that process and why that's important to sort of kind of walk through the world right now that way. So you can relax, but not let your guard down necessarily.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
[Marie recorded funder credit]
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This week on the Minnesota Native News health report, public health agencies continue to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for youth. One PSA even has a popular TV icon for children receiving the vaccine. Reporter Dalton Walker explains in this week’s story.
For the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines, contact your local health professional, check the state and federal health websites.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
A Food and Art Market in Duluth uplifts Indigenous and BIPOC entrepreneurs while providing goods to the local community.
And a new children’s book celebrating Ojibwe teachings is celebrating its debut. [[accentuate that “celebration” is used twice]]
Here’s Reporter Leah Lemm with more.
STORY #1: AICHO MARKET
Reporter: The American Indian Community Housing Organization dreams big. And its Food and Art Market is no different - offering so much more than buying and selling.
Khayman Goodsky: (00:34) Bojo my name is Cayman de good sky. My I'm a Bo Fort tribal band member. Um, I live in Duluth and I work at ACO. That's the American Indian community housing organization.
Reporter: Khayman is the Indigenous First Co-Coordinator at AICHO. Indigenous First showcases and sells art from majority Native artists. And the upcoming Food and Art Market is helping inform future plans to expand AICHO’s food and retail operations, to provide goods to the HIllside area.
Khayman Goodsky: (04:43) our hopes is to have it be an indigenous food market, especially in hillside where it's kind of a food desert.
Khayman Goodsky: (04:09) this is kind of gearing us up to when we're ready to open the knee ne one market and to see how well that's going and to, you know, keep finding more and more producers who need that retail space that we're able to provide.
Khayman Goodsky: (03:20) Duluth has a lot of food deserts and so it's really hard to get out, to travel where healthy food is and that's something that we're addressing.
Reporter: This focus on providing for the community is mirrored in the market’s goal of providing opportunity to vendors.
Khayman Goodsky: (03:31) there is a lot of indigenous food producers, a lot of artists who don't necessarily have the means to find retail space, to start promoting their businesses and to have these markets where they're being highlighted is really important because then they can see there's a community who, um, is willing to like help them and support them.
Reporter: Providing for the community and Economic opportunity is a great example of AICHO’s role in the area. It’s also… fun and delicious.
Khayman Goodsky: (07:21) We bought prints from Kelly Martinson who does really beautiful paintings. So I just wanna give 'em a shout out, but there's so many great vendors there. There was Kambucha the best Kambucha I've ever had… Baby Cakes was there.
Reporter: That’s Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery… with items like wild rice cupcakes and cakes…
Spirit lake will be there selling their maple syrup. Like there's so many great people to meet and talk with about art and food and just, um, everything.
Reporter: Two markets are happening in July and they are open to everyone.
Khayman Goodsky: (08:19) it's not just Indigenous people. Everyone is welcome. And uh, hopefully see the market grow and grow because I know there will be people who get that spark from coming to meet these people and wanna start their own stuff and we wanna support you too.
Reporter: If there’s inclement weather, the market will move inside of the AICHO building. More info at A-I-C-H-O DOT ORG
TRANSITION MUSIC
STORY #2: MASHKIKI ROAD
Reporter: Next, join Lily, Ogimaa, and Ellie on a journey to find medicines for Grandma Mindy.
Author Elizabeth Barrett and illustrator Jonathan Thunder bring young readers along Mashkiki Road, where they meet animals who introduce the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
The colors are vibrant, as is the story. My son recently read the book to his younger cousin, and they remembered all the Ojibwe names of the wise beings the story introduced.
Multiple book launch events are planned including at the Red Lake Boys and Girls Club on July 14th. More information at https://www.mnhs.org/
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
The Twin Cities Pride Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend. Just a few miles away, local organizers held a different type of pride celebration. Feven Gerezgiher reports.
Around two hundred people gathered on June 24th for the inaugural Two Spirit Pow Wow in South Minneapolis.
This is head dancer Nina Berglund, a descendant of the Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne nations.
"I hope for all the young people, to see them all dancing and to really be included, to understand that you have a place, you have a place in the circle, you have a place in our communities, and you have a place in our ceremonies," said Nina, addressing the community.
New Native Theatre partnered with the Minnesota Two Spirit Society to put together an evening centered on “reclaiming identities.”
Em Matson - from the Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe of the upper peninsula of Michigan - was one of the pow wow coordinators.
"The label Two Spirit has come about because people have felt the need to walk between two worlds or choose between two worlds: either be LGBT or be Indigenous, and the Two Spirit label and Two Spirit spaces bring people to be able to be both. And to be able to have their gender identity, which is often tied to their cultural identity, celebrated. Because a lot of times in mainstream LGBTQ spaces, people just don't understand an Indigenous gender identity. They don't understand the cultural roles that come with it or the responsibilities." said Em.
Em said Two Spirit pow wows have become more prevalent in the past ten years.
"A lot of times not everyone feels safe or properly gendered at traditional powwows. There's a lot of gendered categories there. And sometimes in spaces, people encounter transphobia and homophobia that was kind of imprinted on us because of colonization, and so this pow wow is sort of a re-assertion that this - It's a reclaiming of our genders that existed before colonization. It's creating safe community spaces for us to celebrate being together and be able to you know, go out there and dance and be in ceremony with one another," said Em.
The Minnesota Two Spirit Society aims to support Two Spirit community with issues they often face - things like homelessness or even missing cultural clothing.
"So one problem a lot of Two Spirit people face is they don't have regalia a lot of times because regalia is often passed down in families or made by family members, and those who have been disconnected from their families due to homophobia and transphobia just don't have access to the same regalia. So we had ribbon skirt making ribbon shirt making. We're hoping to do more things like shawl making, just to get people clothing where they can feel like they can enter the ceremony circle," said Em.
Many participants had never been to an event specifically for Two Spirit people.
"My name is Connor Big Eagle. I'm 13 years old and I'm Dakota Lakota Sioux."
Connor said he wanted more events like the pow wow because it was great to meet other Two Spirit people.
"It feels great and I really I think that they picked a perfect day because the weather's amazing…I really enjoyed the drum songs and the ice cream truck," said Connor.
Alex Golden-Wolf from the White Earth Nation was both shocked and honored to see queerness celebrated.
"I think it's very important because, like, it seems like not a lot of pow wows that I've been to have honored the Two Spirit indigeneity. And so like, it's probably like, for me, it's the first that is there's been and I wish that in the future that there's gonna be more to come like this specifically for Two Spirits and like non-binary people alike, and I wish like, I want there to be more people here to experience the love and joy that comes around, like being in pow wows and stuff," said Alex.
With the event running smoothly, organizers said they plan to make the pow wow an annual event.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
The State of Minnesota is offering the Pfizer vaccine at its Mall of America community vaccination site, where appointments are now open. It plans to host more vaccination clinics across Minnesota in the upcoming weeks. Plus multidisciplinary artist Sequoia Hauck reflects on their pandemic experiences. Feven Gerezgiher reports
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This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report. I’m Marie Rock.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available for infants and young children. This week, learn where to find appointments…and hear from a Twin Cities based artist on staying safe during a pandemic.
Feven Gerezgiher reports.
[Music]
STORY A
Last weekend, federal health officials approved COVID-19 vaccines for children between 6 months and 5 years.
These vaccines are smaller doses than ones for adults, [and require two or three shots spread out over weeks depending on whether it's a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.]
The State of Minnesota is offering the Pfizer vaccine at its Mall of America community vaccination site, where appointments are now open. It plans to host more vaccination clinics across Minnesota in upcoming weeks.
Vaccines for children under 5 will also be available at pediatricians, local clinics, and pharmacies.
To learn how to get a free COVID shot, the Minnesota Department of Health recommends contacting your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy. The state’s online vaccine locator will also be updated as vaccine shipments arrive in Minnesota.
Find links to more information on appointments - and on the vaccines’ safety - on our website minnesota native news dot org slash health
[Music]
STORY B
The last two years of the pandemic have brought plenty of devastation…including the loss of in-person connections….disruption to many school programs….and the loss of first speakers.
As the state of the COVID pandemic evolves…we want to give space on the health report for reflection in order to move forward in a good way..
Boozhoo, aaniin nindinawemaaganidog. Sequoia Hauck nindizhinikaaz. Waabaabiganikaag nindoonjibaa. Ajiaak nindodem. Ashkibagi-ziibiing nindaa. Hello, my name is Sequoia Hauck. I use they/them pronouns.
Sequoia is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Twin Cities. They described the stress they felt performing in-person during a surge of infection rates.
I remember thinking I was 100% gonna get COVID during that time. I tested like four to five times a week, like going to a place to get a PCR and that's like my anxiety. Like that was like, I need to get a PCR every single day basically for my nervous system to feel okay. Which I think is probably one spectrum of being that I can see is not super healthy tendencies, but also like it felt good to do it for myself.
What staying safe looks like has been a learning process for Sequoia. They keep up with the latest recommendations from health officials, and for each project, a big part has been coming up with safety protocols with collaborators.
I am someone who is on the still like super cautious safety side of things even to this day. And so making sure that everyone can be safe and everyone's testing and everyone's social distancing still in the ways that we can, and physically distancing, and also how we can still be creative and find joy and excitement in our art forms and our making and still create work and pay people and pay myself and all of these things, so we can still live the lives that we want to live and be safe.
Sequoia has been learning to find rest, moreso as they grow in their pandemic born creative endeavors. To them, this pandemic is something that’s here to stay.
I think you know, I'm excited for the future of boosters. I'm ready for my whatever, second booster third, a millionth. I'm here for that. And so, you know, I think wearing masks are really important. And I think access to masking and like access to having a mask and testing is so hard right now I think accessibility to get tested, especially PCR testing is almost ridiculous. And so I wish that was more accessible for folks. Because I feel like that's how we're going to know if we're contagious or have it and how to like manage it for ourselves. So still a lot of like up in the air, but I'm feeling okay, and just want to like be able to support me and the people around me and like the community I exist in.
Sequoia has several upcoming film projects. Follow their work on their website sequoia hauck dot com.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
[Marie recorded funder credits]
[Loon sounder]
This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report. I’m Marie Rock.
Federal health officials are potentially near approving coronavirus vaccines for infants and young children. This week….learn more on what that means....and hear a reflection on how the pandemic has been for one contemporary artist.
Feven Gerezgiher reports.
[Music]
STORY A - Vaccines
The Food and Drug Administration recently determined both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines appear “safe and effective” for ages 6 months and older.
On June 15th, advisors to the FDA recommended authorizing the coronavirus vaccines for children under 5.
Next the FDA and CDC meet to determine whether to move forward with the authorizations.
Once approved, vaccinations for children and infants could begin within days, according to the White House.
[Music]
STORY B - Pandemic Reflection
The last two years of the pandemic have brought plenty of devastation…the loss of in-person connections….disruption to many school programs….and the loss of first speakers.
Following the all night Northern Spark arts festival in St. Paul, I connected with one creative about how things have been and what she’s been thinking about.
My name is Silvia Houle. I'm an enrolled member of Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa from Belcourt, North Dakota. And I am an Anishinaabe contemporary artist.
I'm doing all right… I don't know why, I didn't sleep too good last night, but I'm doing all right other than that. Processing the trauma of waking up [laughs] but otherwise I'm feeling pretty good.
Sylvia described the last two years as life altering.
Life will never be the same again, after all this, you know. Because I'd say it's like, probably, if not as impacting but a lot more impacting than some other events that happened in the last 20 years.
Actually one of the bigger impacts is that I lost my dad in 2020 and I wasn't able to see him in the hospital because of COVID protocols before he passed so that was really hard. And what was hard after that, is that because of the social distancing and the COVID being a lot more intense back then, it made it hard to be around people especially when you're in the grieving process and so it was a big struggle with that.
Sylvia’s father passed away of stage four cancer, and she said the grief nearly led her to stop creating art. As the world re-opened over the past year, however, she said opportunities to work with nonprofits and school programs offered a way back to her craft.
At the Northern Spark arts festival, Sylvia helped oversee attendees painting on part of a large-scale installation.
I really love being a part of those kinds of events and activities because you get to see people like open up, like perfect strangers….But it's just the opportunity to see people to just like, see them open up and see them express themselves. And sometimes, they only even don’t even do that around people that they're regularly around, you know. So I always feel like that's like a special treat to see that. And there were a lot of people at that event in particular that just got right into it. They didn't hesitate or anything, a lot of them.
Sylvia said she’s been creating art her whole life, yet only became a full-time artist in the last year. She finds joy in helping others get in touch with their creativity.
…To be able to allow people to express themselves and encourage them to like have fun with art, have fun with expression, and don't worry about being overly technical because that comes further along the line when they're ready to take that on, you know. That all starts in scribbles, smudged paints or just like little glob of clay or whatever you decide to be creative with.
Summer is a busy time for artists, Sylvia said, and she is figuring out what hers will look like. For now, she looks forward to a sun dance ceremony and continuing work on a community mural project.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report. I’m Marie Rock.
This week reporter Feven Gerezgiher shares how to get free at-home COVID tests mailed to your home…and she talks with an artist about growing up with a family that doesn’t believe in vaccinations.
[Music]
STORY A
Minnesotans can now order a second round of free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests.
Every home in the state is eligible for four test kits (for a total of eight tests) through the Minnesota Department of Health.
Find a link to learn more and place an order for free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests at our website, minnesota native news slash health.
[Music]
STORY B
The last two years of the pandemic have brought plenty of devastation…the loss of in-person connections….disruption to many school programs….and the loss of first speakers.
A month before the pandemic hit, one artist quit her job to pursue her passion full-time. This week, she shares with us how things have been going and what she’s thinking about.
My name is Moira Villard. I'm a visual artist based in Duluth, Minnesota. I grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation and am a Fond du Lac direct descendant. And yeah, I do community-engaged public art stuff.
….I'm like, at peak stress level right now, with all the projects I'm working on. I think this is the first year where like, everything is kind of like, you know, we've figured out ways to do public art again, and do community engagement and stuff like that so there's like, just a lot on my plate. After the last few years of like, doing most things like totally virtual .
Moira pivoted towards freelance graphic design during the pandemic, creating culturally specific materials around COVID-19. In this work, she draws from her family experience.
I grew up in a very like anti-vax household. And so for me, that was, you know, kind of scary to, to, like, I guess, you know, get the vaccine and stuff because I like, I grew up, like hearing all these terrible things, and, you know, it's going to kill you and all these things. And, you know, there's parts of my family that are like, very, very still anti-vax. But, you know, making all these materials, you know, I was like, I can't, like, put this information out there, if I don't like believe it. So like, I had to do a lot of research myself, and, you know, like, make sure I was okay and comfortable with what, what I'm putting out there.
Moira got vaccinated with the help of her husband, who is a scientist and could answer her questions. To persuade others to get vaccinated, she keeps in mind that not everyone trusts government officials and mainstream news..or has the power to act.
I feel like we're always directed to the CDC to, like, get this information, but I feel like, you know, institutions at that, like, federal level sometimes, like, they're not making materials that are targeted towards like anti-vax people, they're making it for, like, kind of like preaching to the choir, you know, and so like, for me, I've been trying to challenge myself to figure out ways to reach people who actually are like, genuinely afraid, or generally skeptical, and maybe not understanding the science or understanding stuff like that.
With a friend recently catching COVID for the third time, Moira said she feels like we’re in an uptick of COVID.
It just seems like, I don't know, it's such a weird point in time to describe because it's like, you want to move forward and like pretend - no, not pretend, but like, you know, emerge from the fog of the last few years. But then there's just like this overhanging reminder of like, ‘Nope, it's still here.’ And there's still people, you know, who are vulnerable and this thing is still, it's sticking with us for a really long time.
Moira has several projects to look out for including the Chief Buffalo Memorial Community Mural Project in Duluth. You can support the project and find her work at her website artbymoira.com
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
This week University of Minnesota professor Brenda Child shares more of those boarding schools' history and explains what it would take for a full reckoning with their legacy. Feven Gerezgiher reports
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[LOON SOUNDER]
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock.
The U.S. Department of Interior recently released a report surveying the impact of the federal
indian boarding school system over 150 years.
This week...University of Minnesota professor Brenda Child shares more of those boarding
schools' history…and explains what it would take for a full reckoning with their legacy.
Feven Gerezgiher reports.
[MUSIC]
In May of 2022, Assistant Secretary of the Interior (for Indian Affairs) Bryan Newland reported
findings that confirmed the U.S. targeted American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian
children with the federal boarding school system.
To learn more, we turn to a noted historian for their perspective.
My name is Brenda Child. I am Red Lake Ojibwe, and I'm a professor of American Studies and
American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota.
The report looked at federally supported boarding schools over a wide time frame, from 1819 to
1969. Child said within that time frame were several different eras of boarding school policy with
different motivations.
I always looked at that 50 year period, up into from Carlisle to FDR, as being the half century
when the boarding school policy dominated in the United States. But it was also the same era
that the allotment policy dominated policymaking in the US. So you have to look at these two
systems as going hand in hand with one another.
Child said the Carlisle School in Pennsylvania - which was the first government-run boarding
school and a template for others to come - was formed during the Indian Wars, and prisoners of
war were among its first students.
The idea had kind of taken hold among policy makers - I mean, this is the underlying objective
of boarding schools - is that Native people aren't going to really need a homeland anymore,
right? They're going to enter the mainstream. They're going to become citizens of the United
States. They're going to speak English. My grandmother was trained as a domestic servant and
so they're going to have great jobs like that. And they're not going to need to live as tribal people
in their tribal communities. And so the idea was to kind of separate Native children from their
families.
Child said that changed in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. For her book Boarding
School Season, she examined first-hand narratives from children, parents, and school officials.
While many American Indian students began attending public schools under the Roosevelt
administration, Child remarked that families insisted some boarding school remain… as a form
of poverty relief.
I would say the number one reason Indian children ended up in boarding school was death of a
mother. And so you see that sometimes the networks on reservations or in our communities
were kind of collapsing in this era of high rates of tuberculosis and other disease, poverty,
dispossession, that a child might go to an auntie or go to several homes within the family before
they were sent to a government boarding school. And in the 1930s, people were making some
pretty desperate decisions for the survival of their children.
At the same time, (Child said) many children died from diseases at the boarding schools. The
report gave initial counts of 53 different schools with marked and unmarked burial sites.
Thinking towards accountability and what people can do to address this history, Child said
reconciliation must come in real estate.
….It's a very concrete way of recognizing the real damage that was done to Indian people at the
time. You know, there's nothing we can do to kind of go back in time. There’s nothing we can do
about, you know, I'm not looking myself for apologies, that doesn't go far enough. For me, I think
we need to talk to tribes about what they have lost in the boarding school era that could still be
returned to them.
For more information on boarding school history, Child recommends the “Away from Home”
exhibit at the Heard Museum in Arizona, as well as reading American Indian memoirs, like
Charles Eastman’s biography From The Deep Woods to Civilization.
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Feven Gerezgiher.
(Marie recorded funder credits)
[LOON SOUNDER]
Reporter Feven Gerezgiher takes a look at findings from the U.S. Department of the Interior with regards to the department's investigative report on the Federal Indian boarding school system, and speaks with one of its research partners about what this means for Indian Country.
Transcript:
This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock.
The U.S. Department of Interior recently released a long-awaited investigative report on the Federal Indian boarding school system.
This week…reporter Feven Gerezgiher takes a look at its findings and speaks with one of its research partners about what this means for Indian Country.
From 1819 to 1969, the United States funded 408 boarding schools for American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaskan Native students.
These schools were a means to culturally assimilate Indigenous people and to dispossess them of lands across what are now 37 states.
This history is ever present in Indian Country, but for the first time, the U.S. government is acknowledging the harm done.
This is U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland at a press conference on May 11th.
“The federal policies that attempted to wipe out Native identity, language, and culture continue to manifest in the pain Tribal communities face today, including cycles of violence and abuse, disappearance of Indigenous people, premature deaths, poverty and loss of wealth, mental health disorders and substance abuse. Recognizing the impacts of the Federal Indian boarding school system cannot just be a historical reckoning. We must also chart a path forward to deal with these legacy issues.”
Haaland () requested an investigation into the Federal Indian boarding school system last June following the discovery of a mass burial site at a former boarding school in Canada. The Department of Interior conducted a nine month investigation that culminated in a 106-page report released last week.
The report identifies 53 marked and unmarked burial sites at different schools across the U.S. The department found records of at least 500 child deaths, and expects to find more as the investigation continues.
Samuel Torres is Mexica Nahua anddeputy chief executive officer for the Twin Cities-based National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. In an interview last Thursday, he said this moment is a testament to the importance of Native leadership in government.
It's a day of mixed emotions, really a long week of mixed emotions. We are, of course, grateful for the leadership of Secretary Deb Holland for producing this initiative. I think one of the reasons why it's been such a huge mixed bag of emotions is that we're recognizing and reflecting that just a short while ago, the federal government had made it very clear that they had no interest in diving deeper into these inquiries.
Torres said years ago, the nonprofit had requested and been denied answers about federally operated boarding schools. It then began compiling research independently, later becoming a critical research partner to the report.
It's pretty momentous that the Department of the Interior recognizes that students died in these institutions, that hundreds, potentially even thousands of children are in marked or unmarked graves. Being able to see that in the bounds of a federal document, I think is something that we have been hoping for, and knowing that it is something that we can consult, that we can look to as a foundational source, I think is a big deal for a lot of people.
The report said the U.S. systematically tried to assimilate Indigenous children with such tactics like renaming them with English names, cutting their hair, preventing the use of their native languages, and requiring them to perform military drills.
It acknowledged rules were often enforced through punishment - through solitary confinement, withholding of food, slapping, or cuffing of children.
The report outlines eight recommendations for continuing the investigation and for a healing process. Torres said he is encouraged those recommendations will be heard.
Leveraging the authority, the power, the resources of the government, while, I know for some folks that might seem somewhat symbolic. It is a big deal. It provides a lot of opportunity for folks to be recognized and to be able to build off of this moment and to continue to sustain the movement.
In response to the report, Secretary Haaland announced a year-long tour across the U.S to hear stories from survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system.
Representative Sharice Davids also introduced legislation to establish a truth and healing commission.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
This week on Minnesota Native News, the Science Museum of Minnesota is funding mini-projects for Native Community members… We’ll tell you how you can get involved.
Here’s Diego Luke with the story…
DL: Have you ever wanted to create a project that would accurately reflect you, your tribe and your culture?
As the Science Museum of Minnesota works to“create an inclusive, equity-based institution that empowers people to change the world through STEM,” They are currently accepting applications for one of their newer initiatives- the Design for Racial Justice Mini Grant.
I sat down with Robby Callahan Schreiber to learn more about these grants
RCS: My name’s Robby Callahan Schreiber, I used he/him/his pronouns, I’m the director of the Museums Access and Equity Department.
Um, and in short, our department does work across the museum to create more accessible and inclusive experiences. We do that through a variety of financial access points. Um, recognizing that we want to remove financial barriers for folks to engage with our museum experiences and recognize that we continue to have disparities in representation of who, you know, sees themselves as being able to come to the Science Museum.
DL:: The goal of the Racial Justice Mini Grants is to provide funding to support creative and innovative work that is going on within our local communities. This is the second year of these mini grants, and this year is focused on projects done by and/or focused on Native Americans.
RCS: In the first year we really did a wide call, had about 60 applicants and we funded um, I believe, about 10 projects.
DL: An example from last year's projects is a group of young African American girls that threw a summer program exploring their racial identity, focusing on health care and more specifically mental health.
RCS: One of the decisions we made this year was to take a more focused approach in who we’re inviting to apply for, um, projects and keeping with intentional work we said we needed to do and wanted to do as an organization over the course of this year which was develop more focused relationships and focus um, you know, resources that we have within our local indigenous communities.
DL: So what kind of project is the Science Museum looking for?
RCS: So beyond just focusing and really specifically sharing the invitation with folks of indigenous identities is to say that through the lens of our Race exhibit and the topics and the topics that are brought up within our Race exhibit, inviting people to develop projects that are around racial justice but that are important to you as a Native person or an Indigenous person within our communities.
RCS: The projects could really take any number of formats from being artistic to theatrical to inviting people into dialogue to more direct action and when we think about our Race exhibit our topics are really wide and vast when we think about how race shows up. They could address everything from the health care system to our educational systems to housing, wealth, generation and our criminal justice systems.
DL: Projects can be done in any language as well.
The Science Museum has set aside $20,000 for the Mini Grants. Both Individuals as well as collaborations of two or more individuals can apply for up to a $3,000 mini grant, depending on the size of the project.
RCS: Information about the Mini Grants is available on the Museum website, and so people can apply directly through there. If you search Design for Racial Justice Mini Grants, Science Museum of Minnesota, you’ll find a landing page for those grants. Um, people can apply online and, uh, also download the application materials and apply by doing a handwritten application. We also recognize that some people may be more comfortable sharing an audio version or a video application and so we’re trying to make the application process really as accessible as possible.
DL: The application deadline is Friday, May 20th. Applicants will be notified the following Monday if their project has been chosen to be funded.
RCS: We’re really excited to see the variety of ideas that people generate. We see these as making an investment in, you know, real practical work and action that young people within our community can do. I think adults often say, “oh young people are our future.” But through this mini granting process we want to be making an investment in young people in our present, because young people have amazing ideas that we should be taking action around, today.
DL: For Minnesota Native News, I’m Diego Luke
Marie: Minnesota Native News is produced by Ampers- diverse radio for Minnesota's communities. Made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
[Loon sounder]
This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Marie Rock.
This week…COVID infection rates are on the rise. Reporter Feven Gerezgiher shares some of the latest data…..and connects with organizers about what they are doing to prevent COVID-19 at powwows and other large gatherings.
STORY A
As of May 3, preliminary counts from the Minnesota Department of Health show more than 2,500 newly reported cases of COVID-19 across the state. The seven day average more than tripled from early April.
The latest CDC data estimates 62 percent of new cases nationwide are BA.2, a subvariant of omicron.
Health officials say BA.2 spreads more quickly than previous strains, yet so far does not seem to cause severe illness. They encourage getting vaccinated and boosted as the strongest protection against COVID-19
For links to free testing and vaccination clinics, check out minnesotanativenews dot org slash health.
[Music]
STORY B
When vaccines became more widely available last year, more people began feeling safe to gather in large crowds again. Some powwow organizers even said they had record attendance in the pandemic, following an isolating 2020 when most powwows were canceled.
Despite that is awareness that COVID-19 is yet present.
My name is Sharon Lennartson. I’m tribal chairwoman with the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community.
The community is planning their powwow for September and taking into consideration what precautions against COVID-19 might be needed.
Last year, they tried to enforce a vaccination policy and check temperatures, yet found that difficult without enough volunteers.
We made announcements, you know, if you don't feel well please don't come to the powwow. You know, if you know you had COVID, if you have COVID don't come to the pow wow but other than that that’s about it.
…Well, we have signs up, you know, I had COVID signs made up as everybody was doing back then. You know, stay six feet away, wear a mask. So we did everything we were supposed to do as far as that goes but you can put up 100 signs, whether people listen to it or follow the rules was a whole nother story but we did the best we could.
The Gathering of Nations in New Mexico had 80,000 attendees over their three day event in 2019, and comparable numbers last weekend. To prepare this year, the organization partnered with a COVID support services provider to offer vaccines.
This is VIP StarNetwork CEO and founder Johonniuss Chemweno.
It was a great event. We winded up giving quite a bit of COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer vaccines out to patients that were eligible for their boosters with the most updated information that came out from the FDA and the CDC related to various populations that were eligible for a second booster. In addition, we were there for people that were hesitant that still are unvaccinated. So we're able to talk with a variety of patients that had been waiting for various reasons whether they came from immunocompromised backgrounds and they had questions. They're able to speak with some of our nurses and healthcare providers that were at the booth.
Johonniuss said some people got their first doses of the vaccine at the event and were able to schedule later appointments for second shots.
He said including essential health care services at large gatherings can help link people to medical services available regularly within people’s communities.
Consumers today have adjusted to a new way of health care. I call it the new health care, in terms of consumer driven, simplified access to various medical services. In this regard, we were talking about COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as immunizations outside of COVID and various metrics of outreach. And so when it comes to why somebody would get a booster at Gathering of Nations versus going to a pharmacy, you know, per se, or a hospital system, it's because we've made it simple, and we’ve made it very easy by being there.
And so that's almost outlines what we're seeing across the nation in terms of mobile health care, accessible health care and simplified access, in terms of ensuring that people don't have to go out of their way, scheduled time away from their friends and their family and their other day to day activities when things can be right there for them in this regard, you know, COVID-19 vaccines, first shot, second shot, and various boosters.
At the Gathering, another company also offered free at-home tests and a CDC sponsored group educated leaders of different nations, tribes, and pueblos on COVID resources available through the Indian Health Service.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
[Health report funder credit]
[Loon sounder]
The U.S. Postal Service is commemorating George Morrison, a key figure in Native American and modern art, with Forever stamps showcasing his work. Family, art historians, and community members alike agree George Morrison was an underappreciated force in Native American art. Feven Gerezgiher reports
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Monday, a federal judge ruled against the federal mask requirement on public transportation, even as health officials continue to recommend precautions like masking and vaccination to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
This week…reporter Feven Gerezgiher speaks with three women about their experiences with the COVID vaccine…and shares some of the recommendations for new mothers and pregnant people.
…
On one warm, sunny Saturday earlier this month, I crashed a community baby shower. It was at the Lake Street building of the Division of Indian Work who partnered with the Native American Community Clinic to celebrate and offer resources for new and expecting parents.
Health officials have been emphasizing vaccination for pregnant or lactating people as well as people who might become pregnant.
I was curious so I connected with a few different attendees…. How did they feel about the COVID-19 vaccine? Why was that? And did they end up getting it?
Here’s Rose Gonzalez.
My name is Rose Gonzalez. I live here in Minneapolis and I am from Bois Forte…I’m 37 weeks pregnant so I just wanted to see what they had here.
Rose made sure to get herself and older children vaccinated after her youngest daughter caught Covid last year.
So since she got covid, when she was 4 months old, and I just feel like ever since then her lungs aren't as strong as they should be, I don't know if that's like a long-term side effect from having covid. But in August, she was in Children's Hospital hospitalized with RSV and I feel like that might be like connected to when she had covid so little.
…I'm still breastfeeding and I was still breastfeeding when I got the first dose. And then right before receiving like the first dose of it, I had read an article about like a breastfeeding mom dying and then another article where the baby had died like a few days later after the mom received the vaccine, but I think that was my only concern, but I talked to the doctors and all that.
So if it's safe for pregnant women, I was like, there's - it was concerning, but it was probably just either a coincidence or they had underlying issues which I don't have so.
Rosa Rojas of Leech Lake came to the baby shower with her seven month old baby. She said she has not been vaccinated.
I just didn't want to get it. I don't know. Just the rumors, like a lot of people got sick, like worse than - because I've had Covid before when I was pregnant and it was bad and like I've seen one person and they were worse than me and they had both vaccinations so.
Rosa told me she is skeptical of the vaccine’s effectiveness and does not plan to get it. She hopes vaccinations are not mandated.
I spoke with another expecting mother who is also unsure about the vaccine.
My name is J.B. English, and I'm a tribal member of Red Lake.
I was in county jail for a couple of weeks. And of course, they do the quarantine thing there and everything else, but I really I had a personal like belief against getting vaccinated just on my own, you know, whatever research or findings and whatnot plus, my baby's dad and this and that. You know, my daughter had COVID and I was like kissing her on the mouth and stuff, and I never had gotten it. So I just like, okay, maybe I don't think I can get it.
J.B. got the vaccine after she entered an inpatient treatment facility and visited a pre-natal health clinic.
They basically made me feel like, forced almost in a sense like I had no choice like I wasn't gonna be able to move on to the next place like my outpatient facility and continue on my journey for sobriety or that I wasn't able to have my baby. Kind of like basically, scared me into doing it. So I did it. And you know, I got sick for like two days and then yeah, that was that. But I just was like I didn't want to but they made me feel like I had to.
The Minnesota Department of Health strongly encourages past, present, and future pregnant people get vaccinated. They note no evidence that vaccines cause infertility and say the benefits of vaccination for people and their child outweigh known or potential risks.
For resources and more on recommended guidelines….check out our website minnesota native news dot org slash health
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
At the forefront of the fight against COVID these last two years have been health care workers trying to deliver primary care while also keeping boots to the ground with vaccine and testing clinics. This week, we check in with a healthcare leader for a reflection on how the pandemic has been.
Script:
[LOON SOUNDER]
This is the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Marie Rock.
This week, we check in with a healthcare leader for a reflection on how the pandemic has been.
Feven Gerezgiher reports.
[MUSIC]
At the forefront of the fight against COVID these last two years have been health care workers trying to deliver primary care while also keeping boots to the ground with vaccine and testing clinics.
Antony Stately is an Executive Officer and President for the Native American Community Clinic in the Twin Cities.
My name is Antony Stately…I am an enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and am a descendant of the great Red Lake and White Earth nations of Minnesota.
Stately said staff had to pivot rapidly…and also deal with the grief of losing patients they had been connected to, some for generations.
… All of that was very hard and very difficult, really difficult work. So people were burned out, right, and we lost a lot of staff, we had a lot of turnover. And, within the context of all of that it was, within the context of all of that it was, it was a Herculean effort to stay open, and to continue to deliver services, so and then having to take care of your own heart and your own personal experiences.
Fall of 2020, Stately’s entire family caught COVID-19. He was hospitalized for a week.
That was a really defining and scary moment, I think in my own personal experience of it. So I was afraid. I think on the second day, it dawned on me that I might not get out of the hospital and not get to see my kids again. I think which is, for me was probably the most it's probably easily the most disheartening situation ever. Like I just cannot imagine not getting out of the hospital and not seeing my children again, it’s a heartbreaking, heartbreaking moment.
He said parenting two teen boys through a pandemic has been hard…whether that’s trying to keep them safe or trying to help with school work.
They were doing distance learning, you know, and God, my ability to help them with algebra was like, you know, Jesus, I have a PhD, and I was like, I've never felt more stupid in all my life trying to figure out how to help them with algebra, eighth grade algebra, I was like, wow, this is really sad.
Stately points to how quickly the Omicron variant spread as an example of how COVID mutates and is still a threat we need to be on guard for.
He shared a story from his mother.
There's the story of the buffalo and the storm, which is, in situations in which there's adversity, and certainly the pandemic is like an adverse experience, it's very prolonged, right? It's like one of those big huge storms on the prairie that comes rolling on you right away, kind of like the way the pandemic showed up on us. And the way that buffalo behave in a storm is very different than other types of mammals, particularly in comparison to its closest relative perhaps, which is a cow. It behaves differently. They huddle together, they put their most vulnerable in the center. And they don't move away from the storm or try to run it or go around it. They head right into the storm, they face it head on and they confront adversity. And I think that's the spirit by which we have to sort of kind of continue to do this work, which is, face it head on and persevere and get through it.
And knowing that on the other side of this adverse experience, this big storm, this pandemic, there’s beauty, there's abundance, we get to be social, we get to be with one another again. yes, we'll lose some people and yes, there will be loss. But as long as Creator gives us breath and as long as Creator gives us strength to persevere and move forward, there’s these other gifts on the other side of that.
Miigwetch to Antony Stately for sharing with us.
For the Minnesota Native News Health Report, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
MARIE RECORDED FUNDER CREDIT
[LOON SOUNDER]
MINNESOTA NATIVE NEWS
Artist Carl Gawboy is showing brand new work in Duluth. The art exhibit, "New Paintings, Old Stories," features Anishinaabe and Finnish culture, landscapes, and teachings. The exhibit is located at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center and was curated by Wendy Savage.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Reporter:
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Leah Lemm, in for Marie Rock. Coming up, artist Carl Gawboy is showing brand new work in Duluth. The art exhibit, “New Paintings, Old Stories," features Anishinaabe and Finnish culture, landscapes, and teachings. The exhibit is located at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center and was curated by Wendy Savage. Here's the story.
Reporter:
Carl Gawboy's works have appeared in over 75 exhibits. Some of his works live in permanent collections, including at the Minnesota Historical Society, the Department of Interior, and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Carl Gawboy is from the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe and is of Finnish descent.
Carl Gawboy:
I'm Carl Gawboy. I'm a retired teacher. And I'm from Ely, originally.
Reporter:
Outside the American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth is a billboard showcasing the latest Carl Gawboy art exhibit. To one side, features a photo of the artist. And the other side shows the watercolor painting, Vainomoinen and Nanaboojoo. These are the names of two beings from Finnish and Ojibwe tales. Though the painting depicts two men around a campfire, a tent among tall trees, an ax to the side. And you can almost hear the crackle of the fire. They are fishing buddies. Scenes like this is what Carl Gawboy is known for, showing how people lived their lives in their time.
Carl Gawboy:
That's what I kind of specialized in because I just looked around and saw other Indian artists weren't showing the mundane acts of everyday life in the past that I was really interested in. So that's the Art of the Everyday, but...
Reporter:
There are over 30 pieces on display and many of them are new.
Carl Gawboy:
So about 15 of these are new works. And the other half of the gallery are some older things, some illustrations that I did for a publication, a couple of prints, clay prints of works I had done earlier. So it's a pretty good show, showing the older work and the brand new work. The new work that I did since 2021 is back to my Art of the Everyday, so.
Reporter:
Carl Gawboy has had diverse subject matter throughout his career. And he brings us through a few of his works in the gallery.
Carl Gawboy:
I've got men planting trees in the 1930s with an organization called the Indian CCCs, The Civilian Conservation Corps that was started up in during the depression to give unemployed people work. There's a couple of scenes from homesteaders, separating milk and plowing new ground for a homesteading scene. You have an old man with his tobacco drawing in a shed. Two paintings of guides. One of guide's filleting fish for his clients.
Reporter:
Wendy Savage curated the exhibit.
Wendy Savage:
I'm Wendy Savage. And I'm an enrolled member at the Fond du Lac Reservation. And I'm also an artist and a curator.
Reporter:
Carl Gawboy has been a mentor to Wendy Savage. And she considers him a National Treasure.
Wendy Savage:
And I was lucky enough to meet Carl back in the '80s. And Carl invited me to come on with a group with him and George Morrison, and Bonnie Wallace, and Kent Smith to be part of the Ojibwe Art Expo. And so, I did that for 17 years with him. And then, I was fortunate enough to have him also as a teacher of mine.
Reporter:
Carl Gawboy, being a National Treasure extends beyond his prolific artistry. His influence on and support of other artists has rippled throughout the art world.
Wendy Savage:
He's been a great influence. He's been like a mentor to me. And he has also always encouraged me in all of my artwork. Because back in the '70s and the '80, there wasn't a place for Native American art. And most galleries were shunning it, especially in this area because it wasn't considered fine art. So many galleries, even in my senior show of my BFA, they didn't want to show a fully-beaded cradle board, because it wasn't fine art. But when I would show my work to Carl, Carl was always encouraging…
Reporter:
The exhibit, New Paintings, Old Stories, is on display every Friday through May 27th. More information is on the American Indian Community Housing Organization website, aicho.org, A-I-C-H-O DOT O-R-G. For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
This week the Walz administration launched an online program to make access to COVID testing easier.
Minnesotans can now order free at-home rapid tests online at mn.gov/covid19. You can also order them over phone through the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline at 1-833-431-2053.
The state is offering two rapid antigen test kits per home (for a total four tests). They are available while supplies last.
On the website, you can also find a video demonstration on how to use the rapid test kit, as well as information on when to use one.
STORY B – PANDEMIC REFLECTION with Brook LaFloe
The last two years of the pandemic have brought plenty of devastation, the loss of in-person connections, disruption to many school programs, and the loss of first speakers.
Brook LaFloe is an early childhood educator, advocate, artist, and business owner…. This week, she shared with us how things have been going and what she’s thinking about.
“My name is Brook LaFloe. My family comes from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, but I mostly grew up here in the Twin Cities. Right now, in this moment, I’m feeling good. I’m beading right now. You know, I took a nap earlier. So I’m just in like a very zen mood, I guess you could say right now,” said Brook.
Brook said there have been many transitions for her family, some of which have been challenging…
“My mom’s montessori closed four times, tried to stay open, you know, during the pandemic. Closed four times. I myself have been also working at a shelter on the weekends.….and some transitions have been good,” said Brook.
“I left my full time work to actually start my social enterprise and that was like at the beginning of the pandemic.…It’s called Niniijanis One of Ones. It’s a social enterprise for Indigenous children. Our goal is to tackle educational opportunities in early childhood for American Indian children, specifically birth through six. So I’m trained in the Montessori method and a lot of that work has been indigenizing the Montessori method and making the curriculum more culturally relevant and appropriate for Native kids,” said Brook.
Brook’s business started out as a grant-funded community project giving away free educational and cultural materials in its pilot year. It has now grown into a collective of 16 artists and educators.
“The need in early childhood is already pretty great, right? There’s not enough early learning centers or Head Starts to meet the amount of young kids there are in certain places, especially here in the Cities. But then when the pandemic hit and some centers were starting to close the need became exacerbated. So yeah, I was like we have these materials and these are the things that can leave classrooms and go home, right?” she said.
“The pow wow mobile is probably the most popular item for babies, but the cultural teaching of it is like, beyond the baby period. So the pow wow mobile has four of our pow wow dancers on there, and they like spin and dance in a circle. And it’s really attractive for like infants who are learning to see. But the cultural component, like, you know, one day that infant will enter the powwow circle if they go dance themselves, right. And like, they’ll do that with their kid maybe and their parents. And so there’s a lot more teachings than like the developmental purpose for each item,” said Brook.
During the pandemic, Brook received a Finnovation fellowship and LISC grant that helped develop business infrastructure. She has since fundraised enough to buy a bus for mobile services.
“Our first powwow for the St. Paul Indian Education Program is this weekend. It’s our first one since probably the pandemic. So that’s, like, cool that like small ones are coming back and big ones too, I would say. So that’s what I’m looking forward to in the short term. What I’m definitely looking forward to getting that bus and operations …Because my business is not like a billion-dollar business or anything like that. All profits I pretty much give away,but I think when the bus comes, I can take care of my business, and my business could take care of me. So yeah, I’m looking forward to reaching that point,” said Brook.
Miigwetch to Brook LaFloe for sharing with us.
Bridget Saice-Childs of the White Earth Nation is a resident of the Elder’s Lodge in St. Paul. This week, she shared with us how things have been going and what she’s been thinking about. Feven Gerezgiher reports.
Host:
This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up a conversation on suicide prevention brings culture, facts, and experience together. And we hear words from the late artist, Jim Denomie, with reflections on his work. Here's reporter, Leah Lemm with more.
Reporter:
The American Indian Community Housing Organization, AICHO, will host a virtual panel with four Native leaders, discussing their perspectives on Indigenous approaches to preventing suicide. Additionally, the panel will explore available resources and access to cultural and healing traditions. Luther Talks is a Cheyenne River Lakota citizen, and Minnesota Department of Health's Tribal Suicide Prevention Coordinator. And he speaks to the need for having these discussions.
Luther Talks:
There's no single path that leads to suicide. Suicide is complex, and yet suicide is preventable. So what we do know in 2019 is that American Indians have the highest rate of suicide in Minnesota. The rate is 37.5 per 100,000. Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among American Indians in Minnesota.
Reporter:
Suicide prevention is multifaceted, and the panel will explore how culture plays a role.
Luther Talks:
Yeah, one of the strongest protective factors to prevent suicide is a sense of belonging to culture and community. Within the sense of belonging, it's connection. Connection to language, connection to culture, connection to Indigenous knowledge, and connection to land.
Reporter:
The panel takes place on the evening of March 24th, via Zoom, more information at AICHO, AICHO.org. If you or someone you know needs help, resources are available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK, that's 1-800-273-8255, or text the Crisis Text Line by texting, "Hello," to 741-741. Next, Indian Country, the art world, and beyond are remembering the life and impact of artist, Jim Denomie.
Jim Denomie:
And so I created creative ways to speak about truth and history.
Reporter:
Jim Denomie was from the Lac Courte Oreilles Band and lived in Franconia, Minnesota. He received several awards, including the Bush Artist Fellowship and Native Arts and Cultural National Artist Fellowship. Jim Denomie spoke with Minnesota Native News in 2019 after receiving the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. He didn't define or describe his work. Instead, he revealed an example of how his work was influenced to speak about truth and history.
Jim Denomie:
I was in an exhibition the last few years, a traveling exhibition about these ledger drawings and the history of these imprisoned Native men who started this genre. And after I got invited to be part of that, I was aware of the ledger drawings, but I didn't really investigate it a whole lot. And then after I was invited to participate, I did. And I realized that my work is very much the same theme as these imprisoned artists were documenting current events, and history and personal viewpoints.
Reporter:
Some of the most famous ledger art was created in Florida at Fort Marion. Between 1875 and 1878, 72 Native men were imprisoned due to their connections to the Red River Wars in what would become Oklahoma. Their captors encouraged the men to create art, and the men documented their deeds. Jim Denomie related to this.
Jim Denomie:
I started to do these paintings. Well, this genre of narrative paintings, and visual storytelling when I was in art school at the U of M. And there, not everybody understood what I was doing, but, like I said to me, it was just doing something that I understood and what was felt natural and important.
Reporter:
And outpouring of remembrances continues on social media, a showing of how respected Jim Denomie was as a caring and supportive relative and community member. He was 66 when he passed away and began his next journey. For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
Governor Tim Walz announced that “registration is open” for parents whose 5- to 11-year-olds have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Minnesotans can enter to win one of five college scholarships… in the amount of 100-thousand dollars.
This is all part of the state’s “Kids Deserve a Shot” vaccine incentive program.
Any Minnesota parent or guardian whose 5- to 11-year-olds have EVER received BOTH Doses of COVID-19 vaccine by April 11th… can enter.
On April 15th, the State will hold a drawing for five of the these 100-thousand scholarships… which will be valid at any public or private non-profit higher educational institution in Minnesota.
This is part of an effort to boost the vaccination rate of our state’s children.
Minnesota is a national leader in vaccinating children ages 5 to 11… but this age group still has the lowest vaccination rate among all eligible residents.
This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock. Coming up…At the University of Minnesota, a $5 million grant is funding projects to address racial justice... with the aim of leading social and cultural transformations. One project examines the University's history with the state's Tribal Nations. Here’s reporter Feven Gerezgiher with more.
In the wake of a racial reckoning and thirty years after the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council first asked the University of Minnesota to repatriate American Indian human remains, the Council in 2020 passed a series of resolutions demanding “a truthful historic accounting” of the university’s impact.
Two high level people are working to make this happen from within the University. Last year, UofM President Joan Gabel hired Fond du Lac member Karen Diver to her senior leadership team. Professor[1] Tadd Johnson, member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, serves as liaison between the UofM system and Tribal Nations.
Johnson says the U has to contend with its grim founding story.
The University of Minnesota benefited from the genocide of Native American people, and kicking them out, and actually killing them, hanging them. And granted, there were people that were killed on both sides of the Dakota War, but it was the Dakota that had to pay. So to me, Minnesota has a special obligation because I mean, there's some shame in having the largest mass execution in American history and then the U of M ended up benefiting from it.
The project is calledthe Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing or TRUTH Project. It is led by research fellows from and selected by each Tribal Nation so the University can reckon with how it has harmed and continues to harm each sovereign nation.
The[2] Ojibwe up north are saying, “Hey, you took the DNA of our wild rice and put our wild rice businesses out of business.” And the Dakota are saying, “Hey, you took all of our land and sold it, and kicked us out of Minnesota and made a ton of money to endow your university.”
The TRUTH Project is funded through a larger system-wide initiative called Minnesota Transform that was established through a $5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Minnesota Transform seeks to make changes for the region’s Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee communities. In addition to the TRUTH Project, it supports access to UMN Dakota language classes for community members[3] and creates Ojibwe language immersion housing for students.
An Garagiola is a research assistant with the TRUTH Project.
Boozhoo, An indizhinikaaz. My name is An. I am a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, where my mom and my grandma are enrolled members.
Garagiola said part of the research has been delving into the impact of the 1862 Morrill Act and other land grabs.
So often the narrative that we hear about land grant universities or the founding of land grant universities is this positive spin, as you know, this was for the betterment of the country, right? For the public good, if you will. But we don't really talk about who the public is or whose expense that came at.
According to data from High Country News, the U.S. government bought Dakota land in one treaty at $0.02 per acre. In contrast, the University of Minnesota sold those lands for $5 per acre, or 251 times that amount[4] .
Garagiola points to the U’s far reach in the state - from education to the business sector - as reason why it should lead this work. She says many professionals are unaware about sovereign rights or consultation policies for Tribal communities[5] .
I think that the university has a great responsibility, one, to teach everybody, Native and non-native, the accurate truth, and to prepare them to go out into their future careers accurately informed. And more broadly, the University has a responsibility to Indigenous people because of the anti-Indigenous policies that were created in order to found the institution.
The TRUTH Project’s report is expected to be released in June. Garagiola said Tribal research fellows will hold a symposium in April to share their research with community and get final feedback before its release.
In the meantime, the UofM Board of Regents recently voted to return artifacts belonging to the Mimbres people.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
Senior Director of the Office of American Indian Tribal Nations Relations for the university system.
"What the tribes’ request was to look at the past, present, and future of the University of Minnesota’s relationship with the tribes of Minnesota. And so.."
reduces the cost of language classes for community members
The U and 32 other universities enriched their endowments with these massive land transfers.
We have, you know, people going on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, who have no idea about the sovereign rights that Native Americans hold, or what it means to go into consultation policies, or when consultation policy should be enacted, or the unique political place that Natives hold, you know, as a category rather than a racial category, which I think a lot of folks just see it, as, you know, because they don't know.
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, two opportunities to hear about inspiring work around Indian Country in Minnesota. The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council's Language Revitalization Working Group has partnered with the Minnesota Humanity Center to host a Dakota and Ojibwe Languages Symposium. And the Lower Phalen Creek Project brings Native women's stories to the virtual space for a new twist on winter storytelling. Here's reporter Leah Lemm, with more.
Leah Lemm:
Later this month, the Dakota and Ojibwe Languages Symposium will be bringing together people working in Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization.
Leslie Harper:
We have multiple presenters from Dakota backgrounds and from Ojibwe backgrounds.
Leah Lemm:
Leslie Harper is from the Leech Lake Band in Cass Lake. Leslie volunteers on the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council's Language Revitalization Working Group.
Leslie Harper:
We want to bring attention to Dakota and Ojibwe Language Projects and programs and activities in the state. And to really elevate the idea of Dakota and Ojibwe Languages here to make them visible. And then to give folks who attend a chance to visit and be amongst each other and to reconnect.
Leah Lemm:
The symposium is for Language learners, practitioners, Language teachers and those community members with an interest in the subject.
Leslie Harper:
We want to talk about, what is happening in the state? And really support the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council member tribes and advocating for Language and get the word out and support the Indian Affairs Council. When they have to go in and go to all the legislative sessions and support to have some updated responses and then to be forward-looking, looking at the future.
Leah Lemm:
And there are quite a few presentations to look forward to.
Leslie Harper:
There are different community Language programs that are operating intergenerational Language learning projects in a community setting. The OOG Program out of Fond du Lac which works with adult Language learners and baby Language learners, is going to be presenting on a lot of things that they're doing. Minneapolis Public School is presenting on efforts that they're doing in the public school setting in an urban area.
Leah Lemm:
The Symposium is a partnership between the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council's Language Revitalization Working Group and the Minnesota Humanities Center. It'll be done virtually and takes place on February 24th and 25th, more information and registration on the Minnesota Humanity Center website, MNhum.org, mnhum.org. Next winter storytelling, done in a new way. Mishaila Bowman, who is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota is organizing the event.
Mishaila Bowman:
I work for Lower Phalen Creek Project, which is a Native led environmental nonprofit here on East Side of St. Paul and I function as our Communications and Events Coordinators. On Thursday, February 17th, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. We will be hosting our take on contemporary storytelling.
Leah Lemm:
The evening will consist of more personal stories rather than traditional or creation stories.
Mishaila Bowman:
Me and my executive director for Lower Phalen Creek Project, Maggie Loren, we're just talking about how it is so lovely to see so many storytelling events happening, especially in this virtual era that we are sort of in right now. But how we really wanted to do a more contemporary twist on a storytelling, particularly to uplift the voices of our Native women in our community that we admire.
Leah Lemm:
The three storytellers include, HolyElk Lafferty, Sandy White Hawk and Stephanie Autumn.
Mishaila Bowman:
HolyElk Lafferty, who is Mnicoujou and Oglala Lakota will be talking about her stories of resistance and healing. Whether that's standing down the US government at uprisings, like Standing Rock or just her experiences as a Lakota mother and daughter and auntie. And Sandy White Hawk is going to be talking about ICWA and adoptee stories and all of her work in that field. And then Stephanie Autumn is going to be talking about, so much of her experiences, learning from other women and different social movements.
Leah Lemm:
Find the event through Lower Phalen Creek's social media pages, Instagram and Facebook. For Minnesota Native news. I'm Leah Lemm.
Winter is known as the time for storytelling and one Dakota family is sharing their stories in a new book. Reporter Emma Needham speaks with one of the authors about the publication and a virtual event to celebrate its launch.
Host:
This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, the new Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative helps empower parent voices at Red Lake and White Earth Nations.
And it's been a year since the Clearbrook Aquifer was punctured. Calls for accountability and action were held at the site and in the Twin Cities. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with more.
Reporter:
Indigenous Visioning is bringing Country. Indigenous Visioning has partnered with the National Parent Leadership Institute, White Earth Nation, Red Lake Nation, and Dr. Anton Treuer to create a curriculum grounded in Indigenous and Ojibwe values. Beth Ann Dodds is the project coordinator at Indigenous Visioning, and the project manager for the Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative.
Beth Ann Dodds:
The Initiative is a free 21 week program that integrates child development, leadership, democracy skills, and the Ojibwe culture in to a parent curriculum to help empower the parent voice. We are currently implementing in the Red Lake Nation and the White Earth Nation, and aim to start classes at the end of March.
Reporter:
Indigenous Visioning asked Dr. Anton Treuer to help build the curriculum?
Beth Ann Dodds:
And he said yes. And with the help of tribal elders between Red Lake and White Earth, the curriculum was born. This is really about empowering the parent voice in the tribal nations.
Reporter:
And the structure of the program is based on the one at the National Parent Leadership Institute, and it all starts with self reflection.
Beth Ann Dodds:
They dig deep within themselves to understand their own thoughts about the trauma that they've experienced. Those are the first 10 weeks. Second 10 weeks are about all right, now that we've discovered ourselves and we are empowering our voices, how do we navigate through the system?
Reporter:
And those helping the parents along in the process are a part of the communities that they're working in.
Beth Ann Dodds:
The facilitators that are guiding the participants through this initiative are from each of the tribal communities, they are not from the outside. They represent the community where the initiative is taking place.
Reporter:
Beth Ann Dodds has been interviewing parents for the program and she describes an example of how one particular parent could benefit.
Beth Ann Dodds:
She was quite unsure of what this could do for her, but shared the story of lack of communication skills when she approached the Tribal Council, and how her voice shook, and she cried, and she swore, and her emotions got the best of her. This Initiative can help someone like her look at her own emotions, and it can help her effectively use her voice to approach the Tribal Council and ask for help.
Reporter:
Information and applications can be found at indigenousvisioning.com.
Reporter:
Next, it's been a year since Enbridge Energy deviated from its plans while trenching line three tar sands oil pipeline. The DNR's low risk construction permit allowed for a depth of trenching at eight to 10 feet, but Enbridge dug to a depth of 18 feet and punctured the Artesian Aquifer in Clearbrook, Minnesota. There was no notification to the DNR according to a statement from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In a statement the DNR said Enbridge's actions are clear violations of state law and also of public trust. This should never have happened and we're holding the company fully accountable.
Reporter:
The DNR ordered Enbridge Energy to pay $3.32 million for, "failure to follow environmental laws." On January 21st the R.I.S.E. Coalition and Indigenous Environmental Network led a ceremony at the site of last year's Clearbrook Aquifer breach. Honor The Earth and a number of organizations demonstrated outside the DNR office in St. Paul. The Indigenous and Environmental Organizations and concerned citizens called on officials to fix regulatory processes and to hold Enbridge accountable. In a statement on the website Enbridge says the company, "Takes protecting the environment seriously and is working with the DNR to resolve the situation quickly." For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
Last year, both state and federal officials announced initiatives to help uncover missing and murdered relatives. Here’s reporter Feven Gerezgiher with the update.
On October 22nd, 2021, 15-year-old Neveah Kingbird disappeared without a trace. For months, friends, family, and law enforcement have been looking for the Bemidji teen, organizing searches across town and soliciting tips on social media.
A Facebook page dedicated to the search has over 1000 followers. Posts are shared all over the country. Bemidji police credit the widespread interest in Neveah’s case to increased awareness of the many Indigenous women and children that go missing each year.
Cases like Neaveah’s are why State Senator Mary Kunesh first began advocating for a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women taskforce in Minnesota.
This is about a community of people that have experienced violence and genocide at highest rates than any other group of people in the United States.
Kunesh is a descendant of the Standing Rock tribe, and the first Indigenous woman on the Minnesota State Senate. She served in the House for four years before that. December of 2020, a task force she chaired delivered a report with 20 recommendations to the Legislature. First on the agenda: the creation of an office to lead the work.
Kunesh: “Because we didn't want to just leave, you know, do the report and then leave it there to to gather dust, I sponsored a bill to create, the very first in the nation actually, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives office. And that would be a new office in our state government, it would be a permanent office, where we'd have an executive director and three staff members that could continue those recommendations that we put forward. So at this time, we have not yet hired the executive director, though the final interviews, I believe, were just last week, and hopefully that executive director will be chosen. And that person will be made ready to hire her staff of three, and we will continue the work of the task force.”
Kunesh says the office was renamed to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives to include the two spirit community. The initiative also inspired a similar task force for missing African-American women.
In April 2021, Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced a push on a national scale, creating the Missing and Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs to coordinate investigations and law enforcement resources between federal, state, and tribal agencies. It released a website last month dedicated to solving cases. The site begins to make data on missing persons available, and encourages tips that might help investigators, with the Bureau offering rewards of up to $5,000 in exchange for information.
Kunesh is proposing a bill to fund a similar reward program for the state office which she hopes will be up and running by May.
Still…. Neveah’s family is anxious for answers and her safe return… If you have information about the case, you can report it and stay anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at their website www.CrimeStoppersMn.org, or by calling the toll free phone number 1-800-222-TIPS [8477].
Slow moving process to address long-standing injustices is government at its best. But these initiatives are an example of why representation is so important…. And why voting is critical.
Senator Kunesh credits the progress made so far in part to the election of several Native women to the state legislature in recent years: Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Reps. Heather Keeler and Jamie Becker-Finn.
Kunesh: “We are starting to see more empowerment of our Native American people, and more and more getting elected to office where they can make good change in policy and funding. We're raising our voices. More and more native folks are voting, which is a huge impact on elections in Minnesota. The last election we had the most native Americans participating in the elections and we've ever had.”
As legislators consider redistricting, Kunesh has an eye on how different maps impact Native votes. One proposed map combines all northern Ojibwe reservations in one district.
“And so I don't see this, you know, the Native American issue, you know, or the, the awareness of these kind of detrimental issues to our native community is going to end anytime. I don't think it's a flash in the pan. I think it's only going to grow, and I think it's going to grow nationally.” Says Kunesh.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
Long-time civil rights advocate Clyde Bellecourt of the White Earth band of Ojibwe died January 11th, leaving behind a legacy of Native changemakers. Reporter Feven Gerezgiher digs into the archives for a look into history.
A giant in the movement for American Indian lives has passed. Family confirmed the death on Tuesday morning of NeeGawNwayWeeDun, The Thunder Before the Storm, who was known by his colonial name Clyde (Howard) Bellecourt. He died of cancer in his Minneapolis home. He was 85.
In 2015, KKWE Niijii Radio interviewed Bellecourt for a series preserving and sharing wisdom from White Earth elders. Bellecourt traced his activism to prison in his late twenties. There, in helping a mentor launch a cultural program, he re-connected with Ojibwe traditions and established the foundations for what would become the American Indian Movement.
It just turned my whole life around. And I figured out, soon as we got these people going about their culture, all of a sudden they’re starting to be dental technicians. They all went into AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous…Everything we did we excelled. (Young people went back to school, got their GED and took correspondence class out of the University of Minnesota. John Poupart who was in there for manslaughter got out and went to Hamline University, went on to Harvard, … became the head of the division of corrections for the whole prison system here in Minnesota.)So we figured it in there if we could do this and help people in jail to get their life together..then we should be able to do this on the street. [~47s]
In 1968, Bellecourt and his co-founders formally started the American Indian Movement or AIM in Minneapolis. Leaders sought solutions to police brutality, the loss of Indian children, and the need for culturally-specific education and job programs. The movement quickly spread nationwide. In 1973, AIM led a 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in an infamous stand off with U.S. armed forces.
Even though we were concerned about the civil rights movement and all the things that were happening in America, we discovered that our civil rights and our human rights are embedded in our treaties.So we stood on the treaty issue, on the traditional form of government. We had at one time, we had to push that. (Cus we knew that the Reservation Business Commitees and the Indian Reorganization Act was designed to terminate us in the long run, generations from now. )[10-16-28s]
Bellecourt’s quest for Native human rights spanned decades and institutions. He spearheaded the innovative American Indian OIC which since its founding has helped more than 25,000 people enter the workforce. He also played a role in the creation of the 212-unit Little Earth housing complex in South Minneapolis and the Legal Rights Center to fight against racial bias in child protective services.
Bellecourt’s work with the International Indian Treaty Council eventually led the United Nations to acknowledge the special status of Indigenous peoples throughout the world.
Reflecting on his own family history, Bellecourt said hearing details about his mother’s traumatic experience in boarding school affirmed his lifelong commitment to activism for the human rights of Native people.
When they got caught her speaking Indian, she had to get down on hands and knees with a bowl of soap water and a tooth brush and scrub the floors all day. And clean out the urinals and toilets while all the other kids that gave up their language are running out playing and rap the window like, ‘Why don’t you forget about the language and come play…’) And I found out my mother never gave up. Toward the end, she told me, they tied stacks of marbles on her knees. Not just her but other children in the boarding school system to get them to break, to get them away from the language and the culture and she had to scrub floors like that. And that’s why her legs would swell and why she had arthritis…She made me cry when she told me that.
Bellecourt served as Executive Director for AIM until 2019 when he left to focus on his health.
Links to the Niijii Radio interview with Clyde Bellecourt are available at MN Native News dot org.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Feven Gerezgiher.
Marie Rock: As we enter the new year 2022, we also enter the time of new COVID Variants and guidelines. Reporter Emma Needham caught up with Dr. Antony Stately to get a little clarity as we enter year three of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
EN: The new year brought the new Omicron COVID 19 Variant and new CDC Guidelines for quarantine. The omicron Variant is significantly more contagious than its predecessor, the Delta Variant. At the same time, the Center for Disease Control, the CDC, has shortened the time for quarantine after exposure to or infection of known COVID 19 from 10 days to 5 days.
Dr. Antony Stately is the executive officer and president of the Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis. He explains the CDC guideline changes in more details.
AS: My understanding is that the reduction of 10 days of quarantining to five days, is focused primarily on individuals who are delivering critical services to the public. Right? So like health care workers, educators, police, fire, emergency services, airline personnel, those kinds of things…that, after exposure are becoming infected the quarantine for five days, if after five days, you’re not symptomatic in any way, shape, or form, then you need to take a test. And if you're negative, you can return back to work after one or two, negative tests. if you have positive symptoms, meaning like you have some of the core symptoms that seem to suggest that you're still infectious, then after five days, and then you're being asked to continue to quarantine up until up until 10 days, or until you're not symptomatic and test negative.
I think it's specifically really critical that we're telling that we're trying to help people understand that the real critical point five days is like the questions to answer are like, Are you ill? Are you symptomatic? If the answer is yes, then we're telling people “Stay home.”
EN: Dr. Stately says regular testing for COVID 19 is critical. Home tests have come a long way and are becoming more widely used, though they’re availability fluctuates. Dr. Stately explains how best to use at home testing kits.
AS: I know people want to sort of like buy one kit and use both tests inside the kit to test multiple people in their home. That’s now exactly how the kit was designed to be used. They're encouraging people to take one test today, like, let's say you're gonna test today, and then use the other test in two to three days to test again, right? That's important to do, because what we know is that, you know, the, the incubation ….is different for everybody.
EN: As we continue into 2022, some of the only certainty we have is uncertainty about COVID 19. Dr. Stately sends a message of resiliency for Minnesota’s Native Communities.
AS: I want to encourage members in our community and the people that are listening to this broadcast the broadcast to just remember we are resilient people, but we're not impervious. One of the things that we are able to do as a community is pull to ensure that there's the seventh generation. And we can only do that if everybody pulls their weight.
EN: If you or someone you know has questions about COVID-19, vaccinations, booster shots or testing, you can call the Twin Cities American Indian COVID 19 Hotline. This hotline was created by the Department of Indian work, St. Paul and the Minnesota Department of Health. They provide information on vaccines, booster shots and testing sites. The Twin Cities American Indian COVID-19 hotline can also help with housing, food, medical or educational support. The Twin Cities American Indian COVID-19 hotline is open for calls Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm by calling 651-304-9986. Again, that number is 651-304-9986.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham
Funder Credit:
Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS- Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities. Made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
Host:
This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up a new alliance for Native arts addresses community needs in Minnesota. And, the Interior Department will collaborate with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with more.
Reporter:
The Mnisota Native Artists Alliance launched earlier this year and seeks to advance artistic expression, support equity in the Native arts economy, and more. Graci Horne is the curator and story keeper for Mnisota Native Artists Alliance.
Graci Horne:
We were initially kind of the brainchild of many artists, they had asked many different artists to participate in this discussion to kind of figure out what the community needs, the whole state of Minnesota. We want to unify the Native arts across Mnisota Makoce Minnesota land and strengthen the Native economy.
Reporter:
Graci Horne explains how they seek to unify artists across the state.
Graci Horne:
We are trying to make sure that we strengthen the Native art community and Native art economy by making sure that there's more connections between the Native artists and the Native art community, and as well as the advocate for Native artists as well. We decided that we were going to bring more visibility by creating an online catalog so that people can come and view our online directory to see who was doing what and how to reach them, websites and everything.
Reporter:
The latest winter artist catalog features several artists that the public can connect with and purchase art from. Visibility is enhanced through other resources as well, like.
Graci Horne:
A photo shoot for artists in Minnesota. We started Zoom Talks and Tea, and that is interviewing Native artists to talk about different issues that are going on kind of in our little world and our winter giving art box that we just launched.
Reporter:
The Mnisota Native Artists Alliance was formed with support from the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance.
Reporter:
Next, the Interior Department and the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate and share records and information in support of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition is located in Minneapolis and its goal is to work towards and implement a national strategy that increases awareness and supports healing for the trauma experienced by the many affected by the boarding school policy of 1869 in the US.
For over 150 years, hundreds of thousands of indigenous children were taken from their communities and brought to these locations where languages and beliefs were forcibly suppressed. In June Secretary Haaland announced the Federal Boarding School Initiative. Here's Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland at the National Congress of American Indians' mid-year a conference in June.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland:
The department will launch the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. At no time in history, have the records or documentation of this policy been compiled or analyzed to determine the full scope of its reaches and effects. We must uncover the truth about the loss of human life and the lasting consequences of these schools. This investigation will identify passporting school facilities and sites, the location of known and possible burial sites located at or near school facilities and the identities and tribal affiliations of children who were taken there. I know that this process will be long and difficult.
Reporter:
The initiative directs the Interior Department under the supervision of Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland to prepare a report by April 1st, 2022.
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
MARIE:
This week on Minnesota Native News, the Minnesota Vikings recently hosted the 2021 Indigenous Bowl. Two all Indigenous football teams competed in front of friends and family.
Here’s Diego Luke with the story…
[Soundbite of the Little Earth Singers]
Announcer: Welcome to the 2021 Indigenous Bowl here at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.
Diego: On Sunday, December 5th, the Minnesota Vikings partnered with the 7G foundation to host the 2021 Annual Indigenous Bowl. This was the fourth year of the Indigenous Bowl, the first being held in 2017. According to their website, “[t]he Bowl is open to High School Seniors of American Indian descent who have not yet enrolled full-time in college. The event is an opportunity for young, Native athletes to showcase their talent on the football field, work with coaches and mentors, and develop the skills necessary to move to the next level of competition.”
This Bowl is aimed at exposing these young Native athletes to recruiters, with the hopes of being recruited to the collegiate scene. The Bowl opened with a drum line from Little Earth, filling the arena with music. This was followed by a man standing in front of the crowd, with both teams behind him, giving an Anishnawbe welcome prayer
Speaker: It’s an honour to have representation of our Anishnawbe youth, our Indigenous youth to put a face on what we’re doing and I ask for a blessing for them, for their walk in life, to protect them and help them out in all their endeavors, as well as all of us here. To protect us and bless us for this gathering today. Miigwech. Thank you for listening, ahow!
Diego: And then went straight into each teams line ups
Announcer: First off we have Wakiyan Cuny, Lakota, running back. Beau Big Crow, Oglala Lakota Sioux, linebacker. Number three, Zaiden Bernie, Yankton Sioux, quarterback. Number four, Joe Demontiney, Chippewa Cree…
Diego: What makes this event unique, is that these are not just tribes from Minnesota and the Midwest, but from all over the country. Many athletes apply and are nominated by coaches to participate in the event, but not all of them are accepted. This year, the teams were divided into the Purple War Chiefs and the Gold Golden Boys. While each team was assigned uniforms, each individual player wore their high school helmet, representing the various schools and tribes across the country.
The coin to decide who received the ball for the first half also had special meaning to it.
Ref: I’ve got a coin today from the National Museum of the American Indian celebrating their National Native Americans Veterans Memorial. The Thunderbird is the head, the Memorial is the tails.
D: The game was played in front of hundreds. Filled with family, friends, recruiters and football fans alike.
[Game sound of fumble]
D: The War Chiefs scored first, taking a 6-0 lead, but the Golden Boys would respond with three touchdowns in a row, to take an 18-6 lead into half time.
[Game sound]
The halftime show was a dance and drum line, with some in the crowd dancing along as well.
There were also interviews with the players, broadcasted on the jumbotron about what this event meant to them and their community.
Player one: It means everything, uh, for the community to bring in Indigenous kids for their own benefit. I think it’s a unique opportunity so take advantage of it.
Player two: I’m looking at it right now, this game’s everything to me. Not only to me playing at the next level, but I feel like, not only do I got my town behind me but my whole country behind me and I gotta represent.
Player three: I’m just here for this opportunity, ya know not much people from my reservation ya know, get this opportunity to go out and do stuff like this so I’m just here to represent my reservation right now.
Player four: I thought it was my last time playing football, and uh, I just think this bowl is just like really good. I get to see other Natives like, playing and succeeding.
D: For some of these players, this might have been the last time they were putting on the pads and taking the field. And they left it all on the field.
The game ended with a final score of the War Chiefs 14 and the Golden Boys 18.
The closing ceremony was filled with music from the Little Earth Singers as the crowd rushed the field celebrating both teams, with families and friends embracing.
The plan is to continue this Bowl with the support of the Vikings and tribes around the country, as well as people like you.
To learn more about the bowl, you can visit their website, Indigenousbowl.com, or the 7Gfoundation.com.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Diego Luke
MARIE: Minnesota Native News is produced by Ampers- diverse radio for Minnesota's communities. Made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
According to a recent survey, a majority of Minnesotans support more lessons on Native American studies for K-12 students. Tiffany Bui reports:
Minnesotans across the political spectrum want to see an expanded curriculum on Native American culture, history and tribal government. That’s according to a survey conducted by the Understand Native Minnesota campaign. Of the 800 people surveyed, 90% supported the idea. The study was commissioned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux as part of their efforts to change the narrative about Native Americans in the state.
Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, secretary and treasurer of Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, says the results put real data behind the organization’s efforts to create a more nuanced understanding of Native Americans and tribes in Minnesota.
“When people think about Native education, they think of history and social studies. But I think there's room for Native education in civics courses, in science courses,” said Crooks-Stratton. “So I think there are a lot of really great opportunities to incorporate it across all disciplines and grade levels.”
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community launched Understand Native Minnesota in 2019. Crooks-Stratton says she’s seen growing support statewide for better education on Native American history, which is key to helping Indigenous students feel more comfortable in their classrooms.
“I’ve got three kids. I don't think they get to see themselves reflected in an education. And I think that is part of the reason we see such a divide here in Minnesota from, you know, middle class, white mainstream students to people of color,” she said.
A 2017 nationwide study by Reclaiming Native Truth found that 70% of Americans supported “significant changes” to school curriculum “to ensure accurate Native history and culture are taught.” Crooks-Stratton thinks there are a few reasons why more Minnesotans agree.
“We’ve had some, some big issues that, you know, highlight the racial tensions here in the state, and I think those have created an increase in wanting to know more about different histories and cultures,” said Crooks-Stratton. “I think there's more visibility of Native Americans with Lieutenant Governor Flanagan; there's just more talk about Native people across the state.”
Brenda Child, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, says state standards on teaching Native American history in schools have developed significantly. Guidelines have broadened beyond history, to include Native American art, music and literature in the present day.
Beyond attending powwows or other cultural events, Child says it’s important that students learn tribes are sovereign nations.
“Living together in Minnesota or in the United States, people have to know the political boundaries sometimes,” said Child. “Understanding that tribes control things like the placement of their children and foster care - my own tribe has tribal courts, we have our own police force, that kind of thing - I think it's very important for young people to get that understanding of tribes very early on.
“I think the [education] standards are perfectly appropriate,” she said. “But where some of the problem lies is that teachers coming out of colleges of education going into schools aren't necessarily prepared for [teaching] that.”
Her solution? Aspiring teachers should consider taking American Indian studies classes.
“I teach courses not just on history, but federal Indian policy,” Child explained. “I'm teaching a class on Indians in Minnesota, specifically next semester. So those things are all here - they're not missing. We're one of the best departments of its kind in the country. And so people have to find their way there.”
Crooks-Stratton says students learning about Indian Country need to have their lessons come from the source.
“We're not only working with educators, but working with tribes and Indian people to make sure that the materials that are out there reflect, you know, a true and honest narrative from native perspectives, too,” she said. “I think a lot of times the resources that are out there are predominantly from a Western white perspective, so it misses a lot of the Native American narrative.
“Everybody has a diverse narrative,” she added, “and I think it's important to ensure that that diversity is in our education system.”
MARIE:
This week on Minnesota Native News, the Science Museum of Minnesota is seeking
feedback from Native Community members… we’ll tell you how you can get involved.
Here’s Diego Luke with the story…
DL: Museums have long been a place of fascination, with many housing some of the world's most important artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific artifacts. The history of museums has been shrouded with ethical dilemmas, some question how some objects were acquired and if some exhibits can perpetuate stereotypes and do more harm than good.
The Science Museum of Minnesota is trying to answer some of these questions with the help of
community members.
I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the Native American exhibit We Move and We Stay.
Valentine: I’m David Valentine, I’m a community engagement specialist here at the Science Museums of Minnesota. I’m half black, a quarter Native and a quarter white and um, my Grandma, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins all live in a reservation in British Columbia, so I’ve always felt like really connected to the indingeous side of my culture.
DL: Valentine said what drew him to the Science Museum of Minnesota was that most museums are all talk and no action when it comes to Indigenous recognition. But he felt he was given the resources and support to make a positive change here.
Valentine: A lot of community engagement is like, “the museum is designing this event and it’s for Indigenous Peoples Day and we’re gonna hire Native dancers to come in and we’re gonna hire someone to come in and do a poem.” They’ve already kind of decided what the engagement is gonna look like before they ever reach out to anybody. And so most of my work last year was built around upsetting that and saying, “what does it look like when you bring community in from the start?”
DL: Valentine said that instead of drafting a land acknowledgement like most white-led institutions, the Science museum wants to shift the goal to acknowledging the damage colonialism caused.
Valentine: I couldn’t write an acknowledgement of harm for this institution because I don’t know what harm we’ve delivered to the community in the past and I think that can be said for most museum workers.
Land acknowledgements kind of piss me off a little bit sometimes. Where like, white led organizations, white board saying they acknowledge this land that they stand on, but it’s not really backed up with very much action. There isn’t like a tangible plan built into peoples land acknowledgements and no way to check for accountability. And so I figured before building a land acknowledgement with the community, it would be good to have both a knowledge of all the work we have done and all the places where we have fallen short and a solid foundation of like, community work for that work to sit on.
DL: I asked Valentine what he wanted people to take away when visiting We Move and We Stay as well as future indigenous projects.
Valentine: I want to subvert this idea that science and scientists are like these white folks in lab coats doing their experiments in some ivory tower. And have indigenous folks feel represented and see themselves without having to try and fit themselves into that box. Indigenous people have been doing science and are continuing to do very important science throughout history.
DL: Valentine has taken on the task of gathering perspectives from Native people and incorporating it into exhibits. His team is in the process of holding feedback sessions regarding indigeneity. That has moved things forward, especially
Valentine: Rather than coming here to find out about what white scientists think about indigenous life, and look and see the important work people are doing around Minnesota and beyond that has moved things forwards in terms of environmentalism and food sovereignty and astronomy and all these different areas indigenous people have just always been with. We’re hoping to let our past lead us forward
.
DL: The feedback sessions will be virtual and last around two hours, and each participant will receive a $50 visa gift card as an honorarium.
Valentine: If you mess up a community partnership with folks once, it's not just a mistake, like, in that moment, it's also a mistake for the future because indigenous communities remember things they’ve been through with and they talk to one another. So if you’re trying to do long term beneficial work, your work needs to be informed about the community and you need to make sure you’re not messing up partnerships and relationships because it’s going to stop you from building those bridges in the future
DL: You can be a part of the feedback sessions by emailing at dvalentine@smm.org.That’s d v a l e n t i n e @ S M M (as in Science Museum of Minnesota) dot o r g.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Diego Luke.
Marie: Minnesota Native News is produced by Ampers- diverse radio for Minnesota's communities. Made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
Host:
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, audio plays are coming your way thanks to New Native Theater and the National Native American 10 minute play's festivals of years past. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with the story.
Reporter:
When COVID hit, theaters went dark, but the show must go on, so to speak. New Native Theater was up to the challenge. It hosted play festival, workshops and more. And now, audio plays from their past National Native American 10 Minute Play Festivals are being released as podcasts. I spoke with Sara Pillatzki, artistic associate for New Native Theater.
Sara Pillatzki:
Right around the time I was hired at New Native Theater, they had started to record these 10 minute plays that we had done in person at the festival as audio plays. And so we would have our dramaturge work with the playwrights and make any changes that needed to happen for audio format, et cetera. But so what we're releasing now is the first from the very first 10 minute play festival. We've released one and we're getting, ramping up into releasing about another four and then one each month.
Leah Lemm:
And what's different about these audio plays versus just hit and record to a stage play?
Sara Pillatzki:
Yeah, so what's been really exciting is that we are getting to play in the podcast format. So before the play even starts, you'll hear a little bit of an introduction from Rhiana Yazi, our artistic director. And then the play itself, we record like it is sort of radio.
Leah Lemm:
Like the old radio play with like, sound effects and stuff like that.
Sara Pillatzki:
Totally. And we record all the actors, we record on zoom, but they record locally and then send their recordings to our TD, Peter Morrow. And he puts everything together. He really edits it. So it's got lots of layers of sound and the sound is the thing that really is helping us sort of establish location when you're not in person. So he'll add a lot of atmospheric sound. The first one that we released, Walking Red. There's parts that are in a bar. So lots of sound like layers of like-
[CLIP]
Sara Pillatzki:
People talking, ordering drinks, maybe some music, maybe some sort of glassware clinking or whatever. And I think that feels unique to just hitting record all at once and doing it live, but it's been really fun. And then after you get to hear an interview with the playwright with one of our NNT staff, so that's also really cool.
Leah Lemm:
It's just refreshing to hear those plays in audio form, because it does have that nostalgic quality of those old, old time radio plays that people would sit around their radio and listen to-
Sara Pillatzki:
Yeah it so does.
Leah Lemm:
Decades ago.
Sara Pillatzki:
Yeah it so does. And they're like, because they're that 10 minutes, they're just like a perfect little bite size. I'm going to walk to the post office. I'm going to listen while I walk it's really a nice 10 minute invite that's entertaining and fun and not too, too big of a time convention.
Leah Lemm:
Yeah. Can you tell me about the one that is out now?
Sara Pillatzki:
Yeah, so I was lucky enough to direct that piece. It's called The Walking red and it was written by two wonderful Ojibwe playwrights, Jenn and Aj. And it's kind of a zombie comedy about blood quantum and about a virus, not COVID because it was written before COVID, but about a virus that starts attacking the cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, but the zombies don't recognize mixed blood relatives. They only recognize full blood people. So they are getting like white people and Native people and everybody. But if you're mixed, you're kind of safe, kind of immune.
Sara Pillatzki:
And so these two mixed blood friends, they joined together to help to get their Native friends out of the city to like stay or to one of them stays in the city to help. So it's super funny. It's an easy listen, but it's also smart in how it's talking about how we sometimes marginalize mixed relatives.
Reporter:
The audio plays can be found on New Native Theater's website, newnativetheatre.org. For Minnesota Native News. I'm Leah Lemm.
The United States Postal Service has announced the new stamps for 2022. The stamps are described as miniature works of art and celebrate American culture and history.
And one of the panes will feature the work of the late modernist artist George Morrison, who was from the Grand Portage Band.
Here’s Reporter Leah Lemm speaking to Briand Morrison, son of George Morrison.
MR: Electric vehicles are gaining traction on Minnesota’s roadways. I’m Marie Rock: This week on Minnesota Native News, reporter Emma Needham shares how a Native-led organization is driving Minnesota into the future by creating a network to power electric vehicles.
EN: Last week, the federal Department of Energy awarded 6.67 million dollars to support the construction of an Inter-Tribal Electric Vehicle Charging Network across Minnesota and the Dakotas. The primary recipients of this grant are two native-led energy organizations looking to make change. Here’s Bob Blake, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation in Northern Minnesota. He is also the owner of Solar Bear, and Executive director at Native Sun Community Power Development, the Minnesota Based organization who spearheaded the Inter-Tribal EV Charging Network idea.
BB:
The project is an electric vehicle charging network that is going to stretch from Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities, all the way up to the Red Lake Nation, encompassing all 11 tribal nations in the state of Minnesota, and then over into North Dakota, to the Standing Rock Tribe, and then down into South Dakota, back to back to Minneapolis.
EN: The project partners will install 63 Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging stations, the most prevalent style in the United States. They will also install 59 fast-charging hubs in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Over the 3 years funding window, they will also lead education and outreach at 52 events intended to support & motivate broader use and access to EVs across the Upper Midwest.
BB:
We're gonna be able to deploy these charging networks into these communities that traditionally have not been able to receive this type of technology and this type of opportunity. Along with this, we're also going to be able to get some electric vehicles, buses, for the schools, and vans that do medical runs. So we're not only doing an electric vehicle charging network, but we're also getting vehicles for the communities, too.
EN: Minnesota Tribes and environmental advocates have been the subject of scrutiny as the tar sand Pipeline known as “Line 3” was installed, which was completed this fall. Blake says that he saw an opportunity to take back the narrative and the term “pipeline” for a better environmental future for Minnesota.
BB:
When I was thinking about this grant and you know, how to put it together, I just thought about, you know, the oil pipelines and Dakota Access Pipeline and everything that happened over there at Standing Rock…. the Line 3 situation that was happening up at Red Lake. And I thought to myself, What if we put together an EV pipeline, an electric vehicle pipeline? And then I asked Joe, would he be a part of this? And he said, Absolutely, Bob, I'd love to work with you.
EN: “Joe” is Joseph McNeil, General Manager of SAGE Development Authority, on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation, in what is now known as North and South Dakota. SAGE is now one of dozens of organizations across Minnesota and the Dakotas that are partnering to make this project possible. Other partners include the Red Lake Nation Fisheries, the North Dakota Clean Cities Coalition and the American Lung Association. McNeil explains the importance of the Inter-Tribal EV Charging Network:
JM:
I think it's important because those are the things that we can use to benefit our communities, by our own voices, our own hands, our own decisions, because we know what's best and what's needed in our communities.
So to have exposure to this type of technology, I think is critical for us to make it a part of our real life that we're not going to be left out.
So We're really excited about that. So people can get a hands on learning about and how does electric electric voltaic fuel cells work, what its maximum capacities are, what its drawbacks are. And so we can get kids as head spinning, you know, how can they make this better? How can they make this work for them? You know, basically for us. So like kids have that kind of exposure level touch, feel, see, get the head working about it. And, you know, we intend to hopefully lead lead us into the future.
EN: The Inter-tribal EV Charging network is expected to start in early 2022, with preference for tribal member hiring through Native Sun Community Power Development and SAGE Development Authority.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham.
Funder Credit
(Music)
The University of Minnesota is offering free or reduced tuition for Native students. And a youth group brings together different nations and generations to heal from the legacy of boarding schools. Feven Gerezgiher reports:
The University of Minnesota has offered free tuition to American Indian students on its Morris campus from its founding. This goes back to 1909, when Congress deeded a boarding school to the state of Minnesota with the stipulation that an institution of learning be maintained and American Indian students “be admitted free of charge.”
Now, starting next fall, the University of Minnesota is providing free or reduced tuition for Native students on all five of its campuses.
According to a news release, the tuition waiver program is available to enrolled citizens of federally recognized tribal nations in Minnesota. Students must be starting their first year of an undergraduate program or transferring from a tribal college.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College President Stephanie Hammitt said this is a good thing.
“Anything that we can do to help the students to make it easier, make it less stressful for them to continue on - that's what we want to support,” she said. “And definitely with lower or free tuition, that is something that is going to benefit all those students.”
Hammitt said having the financial assistance to attend a large, research institution like the U could encourage students to pursue different fields or advanced degrees.
University officials said in a release that they’re working to improve retention and graduation rates of Native American students by increasing financial assistance and by reinforcing student support programs.
Hammitt said extending the tuition assistance to transfer students from tribal colleges helps set students up for success.
“Some students might not feel comfortable going directly to a university setting,” she said. “And therefore, you know, a smaller tribal college might suit their needs and help them gain the confidence they need to move on.”
Hammitt said ideally the financial aid would be offered to descendants of enrolled members, too.
To be considered for the University of Minnesota Native American Promise Tuition Program, students have to apply for admission and financial aid, and show their tribal citizenship.
///
And now a story about healing through doll-making:
When 215 children were found buried on the lands of a former residential school in Canada earlier this spring, local community members found their own histories uncovered.
As the summer progressed, members of Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli and Indigenous Roots in St Paul gathered to grieve and honor the found children - and the children that survived - through ceremony and sewing spirit medicine dolls. This week, their work culminates in Dia de los Muertos ceremonies and an exhibition.
Elder Maria Morin McCoy is from the Bear Clan and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She led the making of the spirit dolls as a way to give life to the uncovered children.
“Working through the dolls, the spirits of the children began to talk to the doll makers,” she said. “So many of the people that participated in making a doll had actual experiences, dreams, or just knowing as they were sewing the bodies together of what had happened to the children, and they began to tell them their story.”
McCoy said she and others involved with the project have been connecting with their loved ones who were directly impacted by boarding schools, finally opening up about that difficult history.
Ruti Mejia is one of the youth organizers and dollmakers. She said the project was started by members of her traditional dance group who needed a space for healing. She says it has become an opportunity for intertribal connection.
“Because we've historically been displaced and been dispersed to not collaborate with each other, and to some extent, sometimes put against each other,” she explained. “But we really are intentionally disabling all of that, and dismantling that and really coming back to our ways of gathering, our ways of sharing, our ways of spending time with community, sharing a meal.”
Organizers said they found it fitting to hold a ceremony on the first day of Dia de los Muertos, which traditionally honors the death of children. The exhibit is open to the public at the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center through November 30.
Marie Rock 0:08
Drug and alcohol addiction is an epidemic that has hit native communities particularly hard. I'm Marie Rock. This week of Minnesota native news, a native led sobriety group receives recognition for its peer recovery work. Here's reporter Emma Needham.
Emma Needham 0:24
Soper Squad is a native led recovery group with a simple mission statement: To empower and support individuals in recovery to build healthier communities. Colin Cash of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is a founding member of sober squad, he explains what inspired him to start his work.
Colin Cash 0:42
2016 was a particularly bad year. I think 73,000 people died that year, from overdose deaths of opiates. In particularly, native communities seems to be hit hardest by those disparities in those numbers statistically. 2016 Mille Lacs was a second in the state per capita for 100,000 people have overdose deaths. And so it was just really ugly trying time in the community here.
Emma Needham 1:08
While early in his recovery in 2016, Colin began actively promoting recovery and sharing resources using social media. By 2017. Colin met Gary Brancheaud of the Red Lake Nation, at a community sobriety feast. With no formal plan and a desire to help people, Colin and Gary started working in the Mille Lacs community.
Gary Branchaud 1:29
Colin was at that time was in the halfway house. He had about a year of sobriety, almost a year of sobriety. And he was going on his year I met this guy, I met a few other guys and he's a really positive guys. And I wanted to be around that fallen at that time has started a Wellbriety meeting at the at the halfway house. And we started parti- participate into the in that meeting. And we kept doing that, we kept doing this. And we kept getting people to meetings, kept picking people up, and we kept attending these sobriety feasts... till it came to a point where we decided that we were going to try to do something more. and we decided we wanted to get a van to get people more people to meetings...and then we sat down with a handful of us. We came up with a name: let's call ourselves Sober Squad.
Emma Needham 2:20
As Colin and Gary continued their work, the community of recovery around them grew; native and non native people alike were coming to their meetings and offering resources to one another through social media and group chats. Colin explains that T shirts were really the tipping point to gathering support in their work.
Colin Cash 2:37
So we started going to all these events and bringing people and we would all put on our little Mille Lacs band t shirts, that said "Sober Squad"... they were red, they stood out. And you would recognize a group of red shirts that said Sober Squad on the back to all these different recovery events. We are going to like these massive events like there was the wild rice Roundup, we went up to the opiate summit, we would go to these recovery wise was
already these...
Gary Branchaud 3:02
... sobriety feasts, different districts. And yeah, and we just kept doing that.
Then we kept on
Colin Cash and Gary Branchaud 3:08
(In unison) social media. Yeah.
Emma Needham 3:11
This week, Colin and Gary are accepting an award on behalf of Sober Squad for their work. The Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health, also known as MARRCH, is an organization that represents more than 75 agencies and 2000 individuals working in various behavioral health positions in Minnesota. MARRCH strives to raise awareness about addiction and the power of recovery. Amy Dellwo was a Government Affairs Committee co chair and the president elect for MARRCH. She explains why she thought sober squad deserves this year's March award for peer recovery in Minnesota.
Amy Dellwo 3:48
In terms of their vision and their mission, it was truly a grassroots development. And they also partnered with Minnesota Recovery Connection, and in that they've been training peer support specialists. I think that they've trained like 60 people in peer recovery support, which is phenomenal. They've also spread this to other states and I just felt like they really needed to be acknowledged and honored for the work they've been doing.
Emma Needham 4:18
Colin Cash and Gary Brancheaud will accept the peer recovery award for Sober Squad, but they want to make it clear that they are not the 'leaders' of Sober Squad. If you're interested in finding out more about Sober Squad or starting your own chapter, search for sober squad on Facebook or other social media. For Minnesota Native News, I'm Emma Needham.
Funder Credit 4:40
Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS: Diverse radio for Minnesota's communities. Made possible by Funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota.
The fight against Line 3 has reached the United Nations. Now, the U.S. must respond to allegations of Indigenous rights violations related to the pipeline construction. Tiffany Bui reports:
In late March, Indigenous-led organizations writing on behalf of the Anishinaabe people asked a United Nations committee to take action against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.
The tar sands pipeline crosses through treaty-protected lands and opponents say puts the environment at risk.Both the Giniw Collective and Honor the Earth argued that the Enbridge pipeline construction violated numerous rights of the Anishinaabe under an international convention against racial discrimination.
In a win for advocates, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination wrote a letter to the U.S. requesting a response to these allegations.
Kate Finn is the executive director of First Peoples Worldwide, which helped bring the case in front of the UN. Finn said the letter is a key step in acknowledging that the pipeline construction has caused harm to the Anishinaabe.
“It really does plainly state these human rights violations,” said Finn. “And we can take this letter to businesses and to financial institutions and to insurers to say ‘here are the violations that are attendant to Enbridge’s pipeline.’”
The UN Committee asked the US to respond by October 15; as of the writing of this story, the U.S. had yet to respond publicly. A spokesperson for the United Nations said the committee can’t publicize states' replies.
“We know through our work that the US isn't required to respond publicly, so my assumption is that they won't,” said Finn.
Still, the United Nations’ attention to Line 3 has raised awareness to an international level.
Keri Iyall Smith, a professor of sociology at Suffolk University, said it is not uncommon for Indigenous people in North America to turn to the United Nations after exhausting all their legal options at the local, state and federal level.
“I like the words that Walter Echo Hawk uses,” said Smith. “He calls it ‘the courts of the conqueror.’ And it's very logical that it's hard for Indigenous peoples to win in the courts of the conqueror, in the courts of the settler state. More frequently, what does happen is Indigenous peoples need to lean on that international support and international pressure to assert their rights.”
In some cases, the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Rights recognizes more rights to Indigenous people than what is promised under the treaties. One example is the right to free, prior and informed consent, which dictates that tribes can give or withhold consent over any projects in their territories.
“Basically, Indigenous people in the U.S. would have, outside of the U.S. Constitution, anything that was explicitly spelled out in their treaties,” said Smith. “And I don't think they would have envisioned something like free prior and informed consent at that time. [It] tended to be things like protecting the rights to gather and hunt in traditional places … But that's not the same as free prior and informed consent, which really supports the autonomy of indigenous peoples, their political and social autonomy in these types of conversations.”
Line 3 began operating at the beginning of October; activists say they will continue fighting for Indigneous cultural and environmental rights.
Tiffany Bui reporting for Minnesota Native News.
Hundreds gathered along the Mississippi this past weekend for the Owamni Falling Water Festival - a celebration of indigenous Minnesota cultures.
And President Biden proclaimed October 11 Indigenous Peoples Day.
Here’s Chioma Uwagwu with these stories:
This past Saturday, indigenous artists and educators gathered on either side of the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis for the Owamni Festival. Owamni means ‘falling water’ in the Dakota language.
18 year old Nathan attended the festival. He explains that “in native culture, we believe that everything has a spirit and, you know, we have to respect everything the same as we respect others. And so we give everything that same respect and you know, humans cannot live without water.”
Indigenous artists offered their jewelry, graphic art and blankets for sale. Food trucks sold local indigenous foods. In addition to putting money directly in the hands of native vendors, the festival offered up a range of entertainment, with revolving acts by singers, drummers and comedians.
At one of the educational booths was Amber Annis, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the program and outreach manager in Native American Initiatives at the Minnesota Historical Society. Annis says festivals like these are important not just to indigenous people, but people of all walks of life.
The festival came just a day after President Biden made the first ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Annis says it’s about time.
“I think that we have to reckon with the really hard part of colonialism, extractive colonialism, settler colonialism - these things that really have shaped all of our communities today, to a degree,” Annis said. “I think the maturity to be able to say that, at this point in 2021, we are at a time where we no longer should be celebrating and highlighting these figures that were crucial in the genocide of native people, in the theft of land, in the murder of indigenous people. So for me, I think that it's just really important because we all should be there, collectively responsible, and understand that highlighting Indigenous People's Day is not just for native peoples, it's for everybody.”
Indigenous Peoples Day was observed on Monday, the same day as the federal holiday Columbus Day. Columbus Day first became a national holiday in 1937 as a way to honor the achievements of Italian Americans. But Native Americans have protested the holiday for decades, because it erases thousands of years of Native history, and because Columbus tortured and enslaved Indigenous people.
Many would like to see Columbus Day eliminated altogether and replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. That would take an act of Congress.
Tom LaBlanc, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Tribe, says he thinks the U.S. government has resisted recognizing Indigenous history and culture over the years because it contradicts western values.
“And as long as they continue to allow Columbus and that kind of mentality to survive, we'll never face the truth,” said LaBlanc. “And so, we need people to open up their eyes and ears and, and heart and begin to make a better spirit and a better human being so that we have something for our kids and grandkids. I don't want to have to pass on the legacy of what we have today. So they can continue on with Columbus and we’ll tear down the statues, or ignore it, and have our own celebrations because we represent life, not death.”
While Minnesota celebrates Indigenous People’s Day, it is not a legal holiday. Many cities across the country still recognize the second Monday in October as Columbus Day.
Chioma Uwagwu reporting for Minnesota Native News.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up…
The American Indian Cancer Foundation honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Indigenous Pink.
And, legislation has been re-introduced that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities by establishing a commission to investigate the federal government's Indian Boarding School Policies.
Here’s Leah Lemm with these stories...
STORY #1: INDIGENOUS PINK
Reporter: Indigenous Pink Day is honored this year on October 21st. It’s a day during Breast Cancer Awareness month to look at cancer diagnosis and cancer rates and what are those disparities within tribal communities.
The American Indian Cancer Foundation, located in Minneapolis, is a national nonprofit whose goal is to reclaim Indigenous health and heal with culture. The mission is to alleviate the cancer burdens of Indigenous people through improved access to prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivor support.
Melissa Buffalo is the Chief Executive Officer with the American Indian Cancer Foundation.
Melissa Buffalo: Indigenous Pink is a day that we recognize and raise awareness on the importance of preventative cancer screenings. You know, how can we educate, bring knowledge towards tribal communities and just as well as highlighting our survivors of breast cancer.
Reporter: There are plenty of resources available at the American Indian Cancer Foundation’s website, including the Cancer Burden Booklet. And the statistics when it comes to cancer burden shows a growing disparity for American Indians.
Melissa Buffalo: it shows that although the rates for white Americans have decreased cancer, death rates have decreased over the last 20 years, unfortunately for American Indians that has only gone up.
Reporter: Indigenous Pink Day aims to educate Native communities about the importance of early detection, and remind everyone to talk to their doctors about breast cancer screening. The American Indian Cancer Foundation is holding the event virtually.
Melissa Buffalo: Folks can get involved, whether you're in Minnesota or you're joining us from Alaska or a different part of the United States.. You can join us on social media. We are active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, you know, using the hast hashtags or searching the hashtag indigenous pink cancer screening saves lives and then get screened and really, you know, using that data, honor those relatives and friends who have been impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis and who are survivors, or even those that we have lost. You can wear pink on that day to raise awareness of breast cancer in your community.
Reporter: Find more at American indian cancer DOT org and on their social media pages.
STORY #2: FEDERAL GOVT SIGNALS IT IS READY TO ACKNOWLEDGE IMPACTS OF BOARDING SCHOOL ERA
Next, Senator Elizabeth Warren and the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Congresswoman Sharice Davids and Congressman Tom Cole, have reintroduced legislation that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities.
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act was originally introduced last year with then-Congresswoman Deb Haaland, who is now the Secretary of the Interior.
This bill would establish a formal commission to investigate and reveal past injustices of the federal government's Indian Boarding School Policies, including policies and actions attempting to terminate Native cultures, religions, and languages through assimilation practices, human rights violations, and more.
Additionally, recommendations would be developed for Congress to aid in healing of the trauma passed down in Native families and communities and provide a forum for victims to speak about their related experiences.
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) in Minneapolis supports the introduction of the bill and has communicated that it’s a signal from the federal government that it’s ready to acknowledge the destructive impacts of the boarding school era.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Host: This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, the disparity in media coverage for missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives cases has once again been brought to the surface. Here's Leah Lemm with the story.
Reporter: In the latest episode of the Counter Stories Podcast, the hosts and guests tackle the issue of disparities in media coverage head on. Podcast host, Luz Maria Frias, explains.
Luz Maria Frias: Today's theme is going to be reviewing actually something that's been in the news pretty much 24/7, so to speak, which is the coverage around the disappearance of Gabby Petito.
Reporter: Gabby Petito had gone missing and her remains recovered in Wyoming. Her case has gotten major and national attention.
Luz Maria Frias: We really want to contextualize this and lift up the inconsistencies, the biases in the media, and the treatment of a white centered narrative versus the rest of our community who continues to suffer with missing and murdered members of our own communities and how that doesn't receive any media or very little media.
Reporter: Luz Maria Frias and the rest of Counter Stories stress that the issue of media coverage they're raising in no way is aiming to diminish Gabby Petito's case. Instead, the erasure of Native women and relatives in the media among all overlooked communities is compounding and reinforcing that erasure.
Luz Maria Frias: In the state of Wyoming over the last decade, there've been 710 indigenous people, mostly girls, and have not received the attention, the media attention nor the investigation, as you said, by law enforcement. Very different than what's going on here.
Reporter: Korina Barry is the NDN Action Managing Director at NDN Collective and a guest on the podcast. She recounts a personal connection to MMIW.
Korina Barry: There's also, yeah, the reality of the complete lack of coverage for indigenous women, for our two-spirit relatives, for black women, other women of color. What I thought of right away and why I say that trauma was felt as I thought of my cousin, Becky, Rebecca Anderson. She was murdered back in 2015 right here in South Minneapolis, right off of Lake Street, 12th and Lake Street.
Reporter: Korina remembers her and her family scrambling, looking for ways to contact journalists to get the word out, get some media coverage.
Korina Barry: That wasn't being covered at all. How also to name with this, the lack of police response and engagement for her case. My auntie, just again, she didn't have any answers to the many questions she had. It was very evident that because of my cousin being an indigenous woman, that she wasn't getting the same treatment or the same response or care within her case immediately. All of that, it was just like really, I think, triggering and that we see happen over and over again.
Reporter: Another guest, Marisa Cummings, is the CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and shares her thoughts.
Marisa Cummings: This isn't surprising. Settler colonial violence is rooted in white supremacy and gender-based violence. While I agree that there definitely needs to be room for our relatives that identify on the spectrum of identity which our people always have, I also know that our women have been specifically targeted since contact. I like to uplift our women and girls because we have been specifically targeted.
We have been sex trafficked since contact. Even though Columbus never touched on what is now known as the United States of America, Columbus' journals and those of his colleagues talk about getting girls as young as nine years old and trafficking them, and so this isn't something we're making up, this is something that's in historical documents. We know that there's always been an erasure of the original people of this land and our women as being oftentimes the backbone of our communities, the ones who carry life forward, the ones who bring life into the world, of course we're going to be targeted to erase ourselves or erase us from this land.
Reporter: Entire Counter Stories episode can be found online at counterstoriespodcast.org and on all podcast platforms. For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
“A Special COVID-19 Report from MN Native News: Decision-Making and Being a Good Relative.” With hosts Leah Lemm and Dr. Antony Stately. This program was made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and is a co-production of TPT NOW and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities.
Title: Food For Thought- Bringing Back Indigenous Foods
Marie Rock:
The movement to rebuild Indigenous Food Sovereignty is getting help from many sources. I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, reporter Emma Needham shares a story on writers and community partnerships working to bring back Native food practices in Minnesota.
Emma Needham: Anishinaabe writer Tashia Hart grew up on the Red Lake Reservation in Northern MN. She’s authored children’s books and novellas, as well as written poetry. However, her newest release is a new genre for her. Tashia Hart’s The Good Berry Cookbook, comes out this week. Tashia shared with me how she got the idea for her cookbook.
Tashia Hart:
During one of my prayer sessions that I had received the direction that I should learn more about Manoomin, I've always grown up cooking and eating Manoomin. You know, when helping to like, winnow [prep] Manoomin, but I had never practiced Manoominike.[Harvesting Wild Rice]
Emma Needham: Tashia explains that at first she didn’t realize how much traditional knowledge she had. Like many native people, the unique skills she was taught growing up were a means for survival of culture and sustenance.
Tashia Hart: ...most of the world doesn't look at things and talk about things and think about things, you know, like our plant relatives, like we do as Anishinaabes. And so I realized that, I was introduced to this term foraging in college, but before that I just grew up, you know, with people harvesting and everything, and we didn't call it that.
Emma Needham: The Good Berry Cookbook: Harvesting and Cooking Wild Rice and Other Wild Foods is organized by season.
Tashia Hart:
So within the seasons are common Minnesota Wild foods. So for instance, in Ziigwan [Spring], there's, you know, some sprouts, like leeks and fiddleheads. And maple sugar and stuff like that. And in summer, we have more of like the fruit, you know, wild berries. In the fall, there's Manoomin, of course, and hazelnuts... and see, we got rose hips, and squashes and then winter, I think I focus more on fish, and squashes and things like that, that can be stored and then utilized in the winter months.
Emma Needham : In celebration of "The Good Berry Cookbook," several native community organizations in the Twin Cities came together to not only offer a book signing with the author, but also a Cooking Demo featuring recipes from the book. Leading the demonstration is Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe member Derek Nicholas. Derek’s current position is Nutrition Program Coordinator at the Division of Indian Work.
Derek Nicholas :I kind of label myself as a kitchen warrior but some people call me a chef... Each year, I just my passion grew more and more learning language and learning how the spirits of the food and the spirits of language are closely tied and then ended up writing an indigenous themed cookbook called "Eating with the Seasons: Anishinaabeg Great Lakes Region," which incorporates Anishinaabemowin Language and cultural lessons.
Emma Needham: Derek offers an e-book of his cookbook for free online because he wants it to be as accessible as possible. He explains his work is not solely about cooking with Indigenous foods, but also the preservation of indigenous culture.
Derek Nicholas: I guess the main thing that drives my work is the ideology of food sovereignty. I believe it's very important to provide healthy and culturally appropriate meals for everybody, and then also do it in a sustainable way. And that really drives my passion and my work around working with traditional foods, native foods.
Even if you've never had the food before, you may recognize the food because our ancestors have experienced that food in our historical DNA. We have to work with these foods, and eat these foods because they nourish us better than any other foods can.
Emma Needham: The Good Berry Cook Book Release and Cooking Demo is a collaboration between the Native American Community Development Institute, the Indigenous Food Network, The Four Sisters Farmer’s Market, Division of Indian Work and Dream of Wild Health.
Author Tashia Hart says it’s an important collaboration.
Tashia Hart: ...we're just seeing people connect in such powerful and meaningful ways, it’s a beautiful thing...Happy to be a small part.
Emma Needham: You can order a copy of Tashia Hart’s "The Good Berry Cookbook" at most book sellers, or at her website, tashia hart dot com. If you’re interested in Derek Nicholas’ "Eating with the Seasons," you can order a paperback copy of the book or download the free e-book at blurb dot com. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up…
Dr. Gwen Nell Westerman has been appointed the new MN Poet Laureate. And...
A celebration is being held soon for the publication of five Ojibwe language books. And also…
Dr Antony Stately, CEO of the Native American COmmunity Clinic, shares wise words on the radio.
Here’s Leah Lemm with these stories...
STORY #1: GWEN NELL WESTERMAN APPOINTED AS NEW MN POET LAUREATE
Dr Gwen Nell Westerman is a citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.
She has won two Minnesota Book awards, and the focus of her writing is on Dakota history and language. And now has been appointed the new MN Poet Laureate.
Dr. Westerman’s poetry book “Follow the Blackbirds” is written in the English and Dakota languages. Her poems and essays have been published in journals and anthologies, including… New Poets of Native Nations, Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, and more.
Dr Westerman is currently a Professor in the English Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
STORY #2: PUBLICATION CELEBRATION FOR AANJIBIMAADIZING
Next,
William Premo Jr. reads AUDIO
Five Ojibwe language books are published in cooperation with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's Aanjibimaadizing Project and the MN Historical Society.
Sixteen first speakers teamed up with linguists, teachers, and Ojibwe language experts to create new literature. The books are entirely in Anishinaabemowin.
William Premo Jr. reads AUDIO
William Premo Jr reads one of his stories from the book, “Akawe Niwii-tibaajim.” The story ‘Chi-Giniizhe,’ is about… the complexities of the food chain among an acorn, a NOrthern Pike, and a squirrel.
William Premo Jr. reads AUDIO
The celebration will be held October 6th at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post. The event is free and open to the public.
STORY #3: COVID-19 COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS - PIVOTING TO LESS PREDICTABILITY
And finally, the Covid-19 Community Conversations radio program features community voices and hosts Leah Lemm, that’s me, and Dr Antony Stately. We talk about Indian Country in Minnesota’s response to the pandemic.
The latest episode explores the often difficult process of living with less and less predictability. Here’s a segment of our conversation where Dr Antony Stately shares helpful insight for those times.
Dr Antony Stately: You think about how as Indigenous people, that's one of the things that we really are good at, which is, you know, we don't always have to have all of the answers. We don't have to know what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day or next week or next year.
There's a certain amount of sort of like faith. I think that we have and the knowing that the seasons are going to continue the earth is going to renew herself. There's these things that we know that we can kind of count on. And I'll, maybe I'll I have to focus on is like right here, but sort of like right in front of me. And so that helps us to stand in that space of not knowing, I think a little bit easier.
And so sometimes it's about trying to remind people like, you know, we're resilient people. We've had a lot of these kinds of things we've had where we've actually faced pandemics, right. And survive those things as Indigenous people. So we do have a certain amount of knowing that helps us in that space and place and trying to remind each other of that and support one another and be loving and compassionate.
Find more about Covid 19 Community Conversation and listen to the program at MN Native News DOT ORG.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we dive into the new hit series Reservation Dogs, which is mid-way through its first season.
Reservation Dogs is an all indigenous production. Diego Luke reports.
Growing up, I never liked how Native Americans were shown in film and TV. Dances With Wolves, The Lone Ranger, The Last of the Mohicans , Pocahontas - those struck me as offensive at best. But Reservation Dogs is different.
Kyleisha: You could tell that it’s not ran by white people, like it’s Native Americans actually living their life rather than the white perspective.
This is Kyleisha, a 17-year-old citizen of Red Lake Nation.
Kyleisha: I feel like this one is the more closer one that actually represents us and our culture and what the kids do, and the dogs running around, IHS.
Kyleisha is a highschool student who takes classes at Bemidji State and a member of Red Lake’s Youth Council. Bianca Mendoza is coordinator of the Youth Council.
Bianca: The IHS scene where the doctor was like, “I didn’t wanna stay here this long, like, I’ve been here for 10 years and want to go home.”
Bear: Aren’t you the eye doctor?
Doctor: I’m the everything doctor: toes, backs, a*les…. Wait till you get older! Life gets much harder, look at me, you think I like having this job? You think I wanted to be out here this long? 10 fu** years… I don’t have a family, I got nothing. Don’t get me wrong I love the Native American people, very sweet, majestic, very special.
Bianca: I think we can all see that and it’s an inside joke within the community but to see it on the TV and see it played out and to know there are other communities laughing with us. It kind of brings to light that we’re not all just living in teepees on a rez somewhere.
Diego: Reservation Dogs takes place on a reservation in Oklahoma and introduces several new, young Native actors. In fact, nearly the entire cast in Native, and as well the directors, writers, the crew and producers..
Diego: Your first impression of Reservation Dogs?
Christina: It is so funny!
Diego: I ran into Christina Woods while doing a report on New Native Theatre, where she’s in the cast. She’s a member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.
Christina And it's funny based on the extreme examples of the stereotypes that we have to deal with., and the approach using a lot of Native humour about it and just really stretching it out and making it very extreme is just so funny. I feel represented
Diego: In less than a month on air, social media has been all over the show, creating memes, memories and instilled a new sense of indigenous pride. This is Mendoza again, head of the Red Lake’s Youth Council.
Bianca: We have some kids that are just starting High School, we have some kids that are in college and for them to be able to see themselves on TV, and know that there's more to life out there than just the rez.
Diego: On Red Lake, the youth are recreating scenes from the show and plan on inviting cast members to their upcoming annual Conference.
Spirit: Aho! Young warrior, it looks as though you’ve tasted the white mans led
Bear: Are your Crazy Horse, or Sitting B-
Spirit: No, no, no I’m not one of those awesome guys, no. I’m more of your uh, I’m more of your unknown warrior, yeah. You know my name? William Knifeman (War cry).
Diego: William Knifeman is played by Bemidji’s own Dallas Goldtooth, who’s Dakota & Dińe.
The show uses humour to address the trauma that Native Americans have endured. The main character's address is 1491, the year before Columbus ruined everything. There are many easter eggs like this as well as other tributes to pop culture throughout the show, some obvious and others not so much. Yet this feels as if the writers recognize these traumatic experiences, and decide to own it, embrace it and make fun of it, as if to say, “yes this happened, and yes we are still here.”
Bianca: Laughter is medicine for Native people. All tribes are different but our humour is pretty much the same. Our humour is what gets us through all of the tragedies we’ve prevailed and gone through.
The show stays true to life on a reservation according to Brendan, also of Red Lake.
Brendan: Probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in so long you know, especially representing our culture too but also knowing we’re actually getting that kind of recognition to show that we have talents as well, and expressing our way of life you know? And that’s really [one of the] most honourable things we’ve seen in awhile.
This show gives Native people a national platform and voice. It has inspired many kids on reservations. For the first time, they are able to see themselves being represented on screen, not as a savage, not as a love interest, and not portrayed by a white person. Reservation Dogs is now streaming exclusively on FX on Hulu. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Diego Luke.
This week on Minnesota Native News, the Line Three protest comes to the capitol and – New Native Theater takes its new show to the street. I’m Marie Rock.
MARIE Story 1
If you drove past the state capitol this week, you saw lots of state patrol – and you couldn’t miss the teepees occupying capitol grounds. Laurie Stern explains:
Laurie: Enbridge’s Line 3 is almost complete, yet, if anything, opposition to it keeps mounting. This week indigenous-led environmental groups held ceremonies of prayer and protest at the state capitol.
One of the organizers is Simone Senogles, a Red Laker with The Indigenous Environmental Network.
SG: it's crazy to embrace an fossil fuel project of this magnitude, you know, the largest fossil fuel project that this company Enbridge has ever undertaken, in the time when really, we should be phasing out fossil fuels. And I think that we're at this kind of moment in time where we have to make the decision for life or for death. And the fossil fuel industry needs to go and I feel like it's on its last legs. But just like an abuser who finally knows it's their time to go, you know, that's when they're the most dangerous.
Laurie: Another organizer is a new coalition called including RISE - Resilient Indigenous Sisters Engaging. Dawn Goodwin from White Earth is a founding member of RISE. She’s been a water protector since she was a young girl.
I went to my dad and said, Dad, what are we going to do if the water gets poisoned? And he said, Don't worry, my girl. There's the Clean Water Act. So I just went forward thinking, yep, it's going to be protected.
Laurie: Dawn Goodwin lives on Lower Rice Lake in Clearwater County, which officials say is experiencing exceptional drought this summer. Goodwin says the lake is so dry it looks like a field. In her experience, The Clean Water Act has not been enough. State regulation has not been enough. And that all goes back to treaty rights that were supposedly enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
And so like one of my grandma's said that these treaties have been ignored for so long, that people think it's okay. But it's not. It's not okay.
Laurie: Goodwin and the others are here to make a stand. Against the new pipeline. In favor of a more sustainable path. FOR MNN I’m Laurie Stern.
Because if we can be honored, and have our treaties upheld, we can have a say about how things go forward. So that we can protect all that we have left, the little bit of natural environment that we have left.
Marie: Also this week - New Native Theater is getting ready to perform for a live audience. It will be the first time since the pandemic, and performances will be outdoors. Diego Luke reports:
Here’s Laurie Stern again:
New Native Theater has been practicing over Zoom most of the summer, but now actors directors and crew are rehearsing in person at the Gremlin Theater in Saint Paul.
[hi scene]
The play is called The Unplugging, based on the bestselling book “Two Old Women” by Alabascan author Velma Wallis, who lives near Fairbanks Alaska.
The Unplugging takes place after the apocalypse. Two old women are exiled from their village but learn to survive by traditional ways. Then they meet a stranger from the village that rejected them.
YN: It's sadly still as relevant as it was when I wrote it 10 years ago, when I was worried about what happens if the lights go out.
This is playwright Yvette Nolan from the Gitigan Zibi Algonquin First Nation.
And so they have to make a decision about whether they want to be part of a society. And so the scene you saw, the scene that we were that we were doing when you guys arrived was about the arrival of the outside world to their life.
Scene excerpt
Actor Christina Woods from the Bois Forte Band, plays one of the old women.
There's a number of moments in the play that choke me up. One is when we're talking about community, and when we think about the historical impact of government, on our tribal communities, it's, it's rough, it's hard.
Christina Woods is a first-time actor, but she has long experience in the arts. She is executive director of the Duluth Art Institute.
I'm the first Anishinabe to be in this leadership role. And it makes a really big difference to come in with a lens that can see the absent narratives.
Telling those missing stories is the purpose of New Native Theater, which is one of just a handful of indigenous-led theater companies in North America.
CW: The main impact is having people that look like us on stage, and you'll see a lot of people in the audience who look like us on stage. Another impact is having space to really enjoy our unique native humor that you're not going to get in other places.
Unplugging tickets are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $35. The play will be performed at the former Migizi Communications & Gandhi Mahal Site 27th Ave South and Lake Street at 2pm from Sept 2 through Sept. 19. For more information visit newnativetheatre.org. For MNN I’m Laurie Stern
Host:
This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, applications for the 12th cohort of the Native Nations Rebuilders Program are now open. The program is operated by the Native Governance Center, and the Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis is now requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for its health center staff. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with these stories.
Reporter:
Native Nations Rebuilders, the two year leadership development program, begins this coming December. It was developed to meet the leadership gap identified by Tribal leaders in Native Governance Center's service area. The service area is the 23 Native nations of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Pearl Walker-Swaney is the Program Manager at Native Governance Center.
Pearl Walker-Swaney:
We support Native leaders to rebuild their nations through leadership development and tribal government support. And a lot of our work is around strengthening governments, and we believe that by strengthening governments, we are creating a direct pathway to improve quality of life for Native people.
Reporter:
Native Nations Rebuilders is based on research done by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and its principles of nation building.
Pearl Walker-Swaney:
You get to understand this history of governance and leadership from pre-contact, for example, through policies, such as the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, to modern day governments. And so you get this spectrum of changes in leadership, changes in governing styles, and maybe have a better understanding of some of the issues that you see in your own community and how governance can be a solution.
Reporter:
Pearl also notes participants deepen their understanding and connection to their own personal story and identify what their values are. Come December, there will be over 200 graduates from 11 cohorts, and with COVID-19 pandemic recommendations changing frequently, they're still determining the best format and locations for the 2022 program dates. For now, Pearl says that the program is scheduled to be in-person for 2022.
Reporter:
Applications are now open. More information about the Native Nations Rebuilders Program from the Native Governance Center can be found online at Nativegov.org or on their social media pages.
Reporter:
Next, the Native American Community Clinic, or NACC, in Minneapolis, announced that it is now requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for its health center staff. President and CEO of NACC, Dr. Antony Stately, says it wasn't an easy decision to make, but putting action to words was necessary.
Dr Antony Stately:
This is something I've been thinking about and discussing with leadership, including our board and also folks in the community who are leaders. And I've also been watching the news and have been watching and listening and listening sessions at the state and federal level about the variant and all these other kinds of things that are going on with respect to the pandemic.
Reporter:
When it comes down to it, the vaccine requirement is aligned with the mission of the clinic.
Dr Antony Stately:
NACC has a mission, and as part of that mission, a core value is for us to show up and be a good relative to everybody in our community. And I think that a core principle of that, of being a good relative, is to do your part, to protect others, and to not necessarily place your own wellbeing in front of the wellbeing of the crew, or the nation, or the people, right? We have a responsibility to the whole, and we have a responsibility to the future generations.
Reporter:
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, the sound of young people growing and community healing. Laurie Stern reports on a new production that will soon be available for all to see
--
Marie:
This week on Minnesota Native News, the sound of young people growing and community healing. Laurie Stern reports on a new production that will soon be available for all to see.
TAPE
My name is Jennifer Cortez. I'm 17. I'm from Leech Lake. And today we are starting our filming for our play in my shoes.
IN MY SHOES IS THE LATEST PRODUCTION FROM The IKIDOWIN Youth Ensemble, a theater troupe of Native who live in the Twin Cities.
JC: In my shoes is a suicide prevention play. We talk about depression, anxiety, a lot of different mental illnesses. And we make sure that people know that these are real life, illnesses, and that a lot of people do have them and that our friends can have them. And it's really hard to sometimes see. But in the end, it's better to help and to receive that help and ask for that help.
At 17, Jennifer Cortez is a mentor to younger cast members. Ikidowin recruited 10 new actors this summer. Liana Star Kier from White Earth is 12.
LSK: I take pride in my indigenous culture. So I'm, I'm trying to stay in the community.
I have two characters. I'm a bully in one and I put other characters down. I don't like that. But my other part is, I'm a guest speaker in a classroom. My elder and I do teaching about breath.
Like how to relax yourself like, um, yeah.
(scene sound, fade under)
The theater troupe has been practicing most of the summer, building a sense of community and self-confidence. This is 11-year-old Joseph Green
JG: If you just like practice and practice more, acting can get more easier. Because when I first started, I was very shy, like, I couldn't project very well. But I'm better at projected now.
(sound: direction from Kirby)
The Ikidowin program has been around for decades, a project of the Minneapolis-based Indigenous People’s Task Force. Curtis Kirby III has directed many of its productions. This one is different because it’s being staged at a real theater.
we're on our first day at the southern theatre, and we're doing tech, and I think it's just awesome to just be in this position, because hopefully, this won't be so irregular. This is our first time in a real theater, with lights, and, you know, we're actually filming it.So I hope that we have more of these experiences, and that we continue to be able to do this work at this capacity and give other youth opportunities.
Kirby, as everyone calls him, says the inner-city youth he works with don’t have access to extracurricular programs that kids from wealthier families do. Theater, art and sports are often cut when budgets are tight. Ikidowin is a way to provide some of those opportunities.
Not only is In My Shoes being performed at a professional theater, it is being filmed so it can have a life online. 16-year-old Nalia Segura is from Leech Lake.
NG: not many people go out because of delta. And like they haven't gotten their vaccine yet. So they don't really go out to places with a lot of people. So as filming it, and like being able to put it on YouTube will allow like more people to see it.
Kirby
These stories affect people where I'm from, Bois Forte. Youth grew up in those reservations that might not get this education elsewhere, because they're from small towns, and that's not really a focus, or they don't talk about these things.
All across the state, you know, and, um, you know,youth as young as fifth gradeare attempting suicide or committing suicide, you know, until it's a very heavy price. But I think, that's what we're here to do. We're here to tell stories to our people, we're here to heal our people.
In My Shoes will be available in September on Ikidowin’s new YouTube channel,
IkidoFireSema. For MNN I’m LS
MR: This week on Minnesota Native News, a new state judge brings a wealth of Indian Country expertise. And a new partnership gives Native students a place to practice traditional ways. I'm Marie Rock.
MR: How can a lawyer who works on behalf of tribes make the most impact? Reporter Emma Needham tells us how and why Colette Routel became a judge.
EN: Colette Routel is a professor of law and co-director of the Native American law and sovereignty Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul. Her role is about to change. The Walz administration just appointed her to be a judge for the Hennepin County 4th Judicial District.
CR: 1:25 One of the reasons that drew me to apply for this position is just looking at the unfortunate disparities that exist. In Minnesota, and in particular in Hennepin County.
2:40 I know that native people often get left out in statistical studies, that you don't even realize the disparity exists.
2:19 I thought, this is a way to use kind of my expertise and knowledge, as well as to you know, once you identify a problem, then you can also seek to find a solution to it.
EN: Over the course of her 20 year career, Colette Routel has primarily represented Indian tribes. She has also worked on the bench for the White Earth and Shakopee Tribes. Routel sees this experience as both a benefit and a chance to make change.
CR: 5:03 I think having the diversity of experience that you have when you're representing tribes doing criminal work doing Child Protection work during, during treaty rights, housing, you know, all of that will assist me when I'm handling a really broad docket of cases in Hennepin County.
EN: Hennepin County judges handle around 40,000 cases a year, a number that some lawyers might find daunting.
12:08 But for me, it gives you an opportunity, I think, to make to make an impact.
19:19 No matter how the system is set up, if you have a really good judge, you can make a great impact.
EN: Colette Routel has worked hard to make sure the Mitchell Hamline law degree is accessible to Native people wherever they live. Most of the curriculum is online.
8:51 our primary emphasis for many years, and I would say that continues, is really to attract, admit and graduate native attorneys who are going to work for their home communities.
EN: Routel says she hopes one of them might fill HER shoes at Mitchell Hamline.
CR: 20:50 I think my experience kind of shows that it's, you know, how helpful it is to have representation and hopefully there will be many native people appointed to the, to the bench in the next several years.
MR: New funding from the legislature means more teaching AND learning in Afton. Here's Emma Needham again.
EN: Anishinaabe Academy is not your average Minneapolis Public School. This K-5 Environment provides Anishinaabe and Dakota Programming through the native cultural lens.
LS: my my Winnebago name is Jorge meninga, or do the walks at night. So I am to your clan.
EN: Laura Sullivan is a member of Ho-Chunk Nation and has been principal of Anishinaabe Academy for about 10 years. The school has both Anishinabe and Daktoa tracks, including language learning.
EN: Anisinaabe Academy already devoted their courtyard to native medicines. This fall thanks to Legislative Funding, Anishinaabe Academy will partner with the Belwin Conservancy. Belwin provides conservation, education, and immersive experiences on 1,500 acres in the Saint Croix Valley.
LS: And so we start brainstorming, how can we bring our medicines here so our kids could actually harvest our medicine. So sweet grass and sage, more specifically, we do have cedar trees, as well. But how can we have have that be a part of who we are here, and as far as a school and community, um, and so then when we started talking to belwin, and sharing, you know, what our dream was, we were just blown away by their offer of, well, let's write something together so that we can make this happen.
EN: Principal Sullivan says the partnership will benefit both the students at Anishinaabe Academy, and the scientists at Belwin.
LS: One of the one of the exciting things is, and I loved it, because Belwin folks right away said, they really want it to be a two way partnership, that they realize that there's lots that they can learn from us.
The gift there is it's not only that learning for themselves, but there's also knowledge that they can share with other folks that come to Belwin.
EN: Anishinaabe Academy Prinicipal Sullivan says that changes are already happening, and that the school is open to working with other programs and schools. She encourages interested parties to reach out.
LS: We are we are very much an open door. people ever have any questions we also have not just our website our school website has some stuff but our Facebook anishnaabe Academy Facebook if people want to find out more about who we are that's the place to go.
A new initiative focused on enhancing reporting on violence against Native women and girls in the United States has chosen a new director. And the Minnesota Historical Society announces recipients for the 2021 Native American Artist-in-Residence program.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear about the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s proposal to reintroduce elk to its reservation and surrounding area in an effort to build the elk population in Minnesota. We speak with the band’s wildlife biologist Mike Schrage for more on the repopulation effort. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.
In early July, the Fond du Lac Band announced it officially submitted a proposal to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that seeks to relocate 100 to 150 elk from existing herds in the northwest part of the state.
The elk would then be reintroduced to the Fond du Lac Reservation, located to the west of Duluth. The elk would also be relocated to the Fond du Lac State Forest in Carlton and southern St. Louis counties.
Mike Schrage is the band’s wildlife biologist. He’s worked with the band since 1995, but is not a member of the tribe.
SCHRAGE: “There’s a lot less agriculture over on (the northeast) side of the state,” he said. “It’s not row crops such as corn and soybeans, it’s smaller livestock and pasture operations. There’s a lot more forest and a lot more public lands, so we think in years to come there’s a lot more room to have a bigger elk herd on this side of the state.”
Elk, known as “omashkooz” by the Ojibwe people, once had a population in the thousands and a range covering most the state, according to historic estimates, but are now confined to two small herds in northwestern Minnesota.
Band officials say the objective of the proposal is, in part, for elk to “once again play a role in the diet and culture of the region’s native peoples.” That includes a robust elk herd that would provide for future hunting opportunities, for both tribal and nontribal members.
It would also bring back a native species that Schrage says is well-equipped for climate change.
SCHRAGE: “It’s pretty clear that (climate change) is likely to happen in some fashion and elk are a very versatile, adaptable animal, and would deal well with whatever future climate change comes.”
A lot of work is needed between now and moving the first elk, Schrage said.
SCHRAGE: “We need to step up surveillance for chronic wasting disease both in northwest Minnesota, where elk are, and also here around the Fond du Lac Reservation to make sure the disease is not present. There’s more fundraising that needs to be done, there’s holding facilities that need to be built and management plans that need to be written.”
All of this will involve more public input, Schrage says. The proposal cites feasibility studies that found solid public support from landowners and residents of the area, but there are still concerns.
In a recent episode of Native Lights: Where Inigenous Shine, we spoke with a Fond du Lac elder and retired wildland firefighter, Vern Northrup, who had concerns about the potential spread of disease.
55:18 NORTHRUP: “I have mixed feelings about that. Especially with this CWD. I have mixed feelings about taking a herd animal and putting them in another area where they possibly can spread the prion. That worries me. I’m gonna need some assurances from resources or the tribe before I get on board with that.”
The feasibility studies found that the restoration area has a biological capacity of 287 elk. I asked Mike Schrage about how the elk would be moved.
SCHRAGE: Speaker 1: Literally in a stock trailer, same sort of thing you would put cows in. Um, yeah, other states, uh, Wisconsin, uh, they got elk from Kentucky and, and they basically load them into a stock trailer and drive them up to, to Wisconsin from Kentucky, uh, West Virginia got elk, uh, the same way from, uh, both Kentucky and Arizona. So, uh, even, you know, wild elk, uh, ride very well in, in a, in a stock trailer. Um, the initial catching of elk can be done a couple of different ways. Uh, use a baited corral trap, basically lure elk into a corral with, uh, hay or grain or something. They would find things they want to eat, um, and then shut the door behind them. Um, or you can use a helicopter with a tranquilizer darts or net guns to, uh, to capture them
If the proposal is approved, the band hopes to begin moving the first elk by the winter of 2025.
The Native Lights interview with Vern Northrup will be on MNNativeNews.org in the coming days, check all our shows there.
I’m Cole Premo.
OUTRO
Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock, coming up... the podcast Indigenized Connections On Air examines tribal issues and leadership through the lens of economic development and the Counter Stories podcast recently featured an in-depth conversation about Indian boarding schools and their intentional trauma. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with more.
Reporter: The Indigenized Connections On Air podcast series looks at topics that impact tribal communities and leadership around Minnesota.
Jason Schlender (podcast excerpt): Welcome to Indigenized Connections On Air, a podcast brought to you by the University of Minnesota Extension Center for community vitality in the area of leadership and civic engagement and also by the Minnesota Indigenous Leadership Network, which explores the issues that impact tribal communities and leadership throughout Minnesota.
Reporter: Jason Schlender is the American Indian leadership and civic engagement educator for the University of Minnesota Extension in the center for community vitality. And is the host of the podcast.
Jason Schlender: [Ojibwemowin introduction] My name is Jason Schlender. I'm from the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe in Wisconsin, just been really inspired by a lot of the things that have happened in this country politically over the last year and a half. And it's important for us as indigenous people, more so Ojibwe Anishinaabe people to be visible. We are contributing that we are... That we have something to say and something to contribute.
Reporter: The guests and the focus vary though every episode of Indigenized Connections On Air relates to economic development. The monthly podcast got started just as the pandemic hit last year. So Jason spent the first several episodes looking at what native leadership looks like in a crisis.
Jason Schlender: I think it's like six episodes that are focused on tribal leadership and how they're navigating change.
Reporter: For example, in conversation with Dennis Olson Jr., Fond du Lac Band citizen, and commissioner of Minnesota's Office of Higher Education, they talk about the significance of servant leadership and recognizing school inequity is becoming more and more apparent during a pandemic. Jason also spoke with Minnesota's Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig and tribal leaders, Joe Nayquonabe, Jr., Beth Drost and many more...
Jason Schlender: Just trying to build awareness and I can't emphasize it enough, for me to just make sure that people know that Indigenous people are still here. We're still here. We still contribute a lot to the state, to our tribal communities, to our neighboring communities and we're vital parts of the state, the country and the world.
Reporter: Indigenized Connections On Air podcast can be found on the University of Minnesota Extension school website and on podcasts streams.
Reporter: Next, the Counter Stories podcast is by people of color, for people of color and everyone else. Recently, the podcast took a deep look at Indian boarding schools and the trauma inflicted by them. One of the hosts, Don Eubanks introduces.
Don Eubanks (podcast excerpt): We do have a very welcome guest joining us today. We have Christine McCleave.
Reporter: Christine Diindiisi McCleave is the CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition in Minneapolis, with the recent uncovering of lost lives of young ones at boarding schools in the US and Canada, the fact of intentional erasure of culture and language of indigenous people is brought to the surface for all to see.
Reporter: Christine Diindiisi McCleave talks about the story of genocide as being told mainly by those who came to overtake and occupy.
Christine Diindiisi McCleave (podcast excerpt): When we get to issues like unmarked graves from boarding schools that were federally sanctioned and church run or missing and murdered indigenous peoples, all of that goes back to that original story in that original paradigm of how this country was founded.
Reporter: Hear more of this conversation on the full episode of Counter Stories on the Counter Stories podcast stream and ampers.org. More about the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition at boardingschoolhealing.org. For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
Host:Minnesota Native News is produced by Ampers Diverse Radio for Minnesota's Communities made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, Ojibwe Tribes take a stand for wild rice and a sculpture takes shape at the Walker Art Center. I’m Marie Rock.
Story #1: In early June, Enbridge Energy applied for a new permit to displace 5 BILLION gallons of water as it makes way for its new pipeline. Laurie Stern reports on the reaction.
LS: The new permit says Enbridge can remove 10 times what the original permit allowed. Tribes say it was rushed through and that it’s unacceptable. This is Alan Roy, secretary-treasure of White Earth Nation.
I'm obligated and the tribal council is obligated to stand up for wild rice by tribal law.
LS: The tribes say pulling water as Enbridge installs new pipe threatens their mahnomen, especially in this year of heat and drought. Delegates to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Executive Council meeting last week urged tribal leadership to fight back.
LS: Rennee Keezer is an environmental scientist for White Earth.
RK: That whole water table is dropping. And it's affecting everything because all of our waters are connected. And we are going to see such a dramatic biodiversity loss with all the plants that trees are trees. We're losing our boreal forests because of the climate change. And this is just expediting.
We're losing our fish. Our lakes are drying up and we're losing our rice and the tribes were not properly consulted.
LS: Enbridge and the DNR say the water will go right back into the ground not far from where it’s removed. A DNR spokesperson says the dewatering “will not have any measurable impact on surface waters near the Line 3 construction sites. \
LS AR: And so so Enbridge and the DNR are saying that the measures they're taking, do not threaten wild rice or the lake levels. … my response and the administration's response to her was, well, we have scientists too. And we also have sovereignty. And so we're going to, we're going to work our way through this. And we're just going to keep pressing forward.
Story #2 Marie: A major sculpture by a Dakota artist will celebrate language, land and connection. Laurie Stern reports it will occupy an important place at the Walker sculpture garden.
LS: The installation is called Okcyiapi and will sit in the northwest part of the sculpture garden between the street and the iconic spoon and cherry. That’s the same spot where the infamous Scaffold sculpture stood before it was taken down . This is The Walker’s executive director, Mary Ceruti,
MC: After scaffold was dismantled, and we had many conversations over actually many months with Dakota elders, one of the things that the walker committed to doing was to commission a piece for the sculpture garden.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from Karen Diver, who is the inaugural appointment of a new and unique senior-level tribal affairs role at the University of Minnesota. Plus, an update on the Line 3 pipeline replacement project that has sparked protest in northern Minnesota. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.
In early May, University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel announced that Karen Diver will be the institution new Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs. Diver spoke with Minnesota Native News on the new role.
DIVER: “It’s a cabinet-level position working directly with the president and senior level team. And this is to work on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, but specifically around Native American learners, communities and tribal governments.”
In the announcement, President Gabel called Diver an “accomplished leader with broad experience.” Diver most recently served as the Native American Advancement Initiative’s Business Development Director at the University of Arizona. Prior to that, she worked at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth as the inaugural Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence for Native American Affairs.
Additionally, Diver was appointed by President Barack Obama to be a Special Assistant to the President on Native American Affairs, a job she held from 2015 to 2017. Prior to that she served as Chairwoman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Diver says she’s absolutely delighted to join the University of Minnesota as Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs.
DIVER: “Higher education is a big institution and tribal government and indigenous people are underrepresented at all levels, whether they are learners, faculty or needs of tribal governments around workforce development… so if I could be part of this system, I will consider that a great ability to be in public service.”
When asked about some immediate goals, here’s what Karen Diver had to say.
DIVER: “I know that President Gabel has prioritized working with tribal governments and listening to their issues and/or concerns, so I’ll be assisting her with that. I’m particularly interested in seeing what the needs of tribal governments are, whether it’s health care, education or whatever disciplines that they need to build healthier communities.”
On May 28, Diver assumed the role at the University and says she’s hopeful President Gabel and her team can acknowledge the school’s past with tribes, while simultaneously meeting their current day research and workforce needs.
Next, an update on the Line 3 pipeline replacement project that has sparked protests in northern Minnesota.
Recently, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed state regulators’ key approvals of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project.
In a 2-1 ruling, the three-judge panel found that the state’s Public Utilities Commission correctly granted Enbridge a certificate of need and a route permit. Those approvals were needed for the canadian company to begin construction on the Minnesota segment of the pipeline, which spans over 300 miles.
The judge who dissented said that the pipeline will not benefit Minnesota, and will have negative consequences on the rights of Red Lake and White Earth tribes. The two judges who voted in favor said the decision was needed considering the deteriorating state of the existing pipeline, but also acknowledged that it will have an impact on rights of indigenous people.
Opponents to the pipeline, which include tribal and climate change groups, vow to continue resistance to the pipeline and are considering an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. They are also appealing to President Joe Biden to intervene and stop construction of the pipeline.
I’m Cole Premo.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from water protectors continuing their work to stop Line 3 and a Red Lake elder speaks out on the impact of the illegal killing of a bear on the reservation.
After 2 years of legal proceedings, Brett Stimac was sentenced on June 9th for illegally killing a 700 pound bear on the Red Lake reservation. Stimac is not a Red Lake citizen. He’s from Brainard Minnesota and he was on the reservation illegally. He was fined $9500 and given a 15 month prison sentence. He is expected to report to prison on July 6th.
When Stimac was sentenced, Red Lake elder, Jody Beaulieu was in the courtroom. She was there to speak on behalf of the tribe. Reporter Melissa Townsend talked with her afterwards about what happened.
Jody was asked by the Red Lake Nation to give what’s called a Victim’s Impact Statement. She was in court to talk about the loss felt by tribal members because this bear was killed on the reservation.
"It’s not just about this one particular trespasser on our closed reservation, but it’s the idea of all these trophy hunters just taking needlessly just for their ego. To try to brag and have something on their wall.," said Beaulieu.
Jody’s daughter drove her to the federal courthouse in St Paul. She says she sat by herself in the courtroom for about 3 hours. And then she took the stand to speak to the entire courtroom.
"I introduced myself as we do nowadays in our Native tongue...My spiritual name is Black Standing Woman and I am Bear Clan," she said.
She wanted to communicate how important the bear is to the Red Lake people and many indigenous people in North America.
"I told him my youngest grandchild who is 4 years old, his name is Mawkwin - Bear Robe. That should give enough indication about how we deem and how we hold the bear up to be our family, our brother, our teacher," said Beaulieu.
At one point she says she turned directly to Stimac - the man who had killed the bear:
"I looked squarely at the guy and I said - just as we have a heart, that bear had a heart and had a life," said Beaulieu.
She said the bear is valuable - not in a materialistic way - but in terms of being part of the mystery of life.
"You know they always want to define the mystery. You accept it and you have respect for it. You don’t have to break it down, put it in compartments, put it in A-B-C-D order, you just have respect...Without question, you have respect," she said.
Jody Beaulieu says she’s encountered bears many times on the reservation. It’s just part of living there.
"I said when bears come around our yard, the dogs have a different bark. I say oh, there’s a bear in the yard and we need to rally the dogs in so the bear can go about its business and go on its way. I mean even that - do you pay attention to the animal world when they’re telling you something?" she said.
Jody says many Red Lakers she knows are satisfied that Brett Stimas was charged. They’re pleased he will do do prison time for both trespassing on the closed reservation and for illegally killing the bear.
A couple days after she spoke in court — Jody drove home to the Red Lake reservation to be with family. She says it’s always good to come home. Being in nature on the reservation is healing.
IN other news —
Water protectors focused on the Mississippi River continue to call for a stop to the new Line 3 oil pipeline in northern Minnesota. Much of the action is lead by Native lead groups Honor the Earth, the Rise Coalition, the Indigenous Environmental Network.
They want treaty rights enforced so the water and living beings in the area are protected from potential oil leaks and spills. Nancy Beaulieu is with this coalition: "We’re here as an encampment to protect the Mississippi and defend our treaty rights to be here and to exist. I just want the whole world to know those treaties are a two party agreement between our ancestors and the other ancestors - settlers who signed those treaty agreements with us." said Nancy Beaulieu.
Over the past few weeks, thousands of people have been protesting at pipeline construction sites on the Mississippi. Hundreds of people have been arrested and released.
According to Honor the Earth newsletter, actions are planned to continue in Shevlin and Palisade, Minnesota. In both places, the pipeline is planned to tunnel underneath the Mississippi River.
Melissa Townsend reporting for Minnesota Native News.
Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up… Northern Spark, the annual art festival, opens June 12th. The theme this year is Alchemy, which has different meanings, one of which being the process of transformation, creation, or combination. One of the opening public art pieces is called Braiding Our Stories Together. Reporter Leah Lemm has more.
Reporter: Northern Spark is taking on a new form this year. Instead of the two night gathering, the art festival will take place in person over two weeks in St. Paul. There are also online aspects and outreach through the postal service. The opening weekend event includes a virtual and public art storytelling project called Braiding Our Stories Together on Sunday, June 13th.
Reyna Day: Boozhoo, my name is Reyna Day. So there's two main parts of the Braiding our Stories project.
Reporter: Reyna Day is Mexica and Anishinaabe from the Bois Forte Band. And is co-leading the interactive and intergenerational public art display with Ruti Mejia.
Reyna Day: And so we were pulled into this project specifically as youth organizers.
Reporter: Reyna Day and Ruti Mejia are both youth organizers of the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center. And they're on the International Indigenous Youth Council, Twin Cities Chapter. Reyna explains Braiding Our Stories Together takes on two forms.
Reyna Day: And so that's going to be the virtual aspect, which is going to be the revealing of the storytelling portion, which was led by the youth and kind of created by the youth. And then also the other aspect, which is going to be the public display. So the public display will be there throughout the end of the summer. And Ham Park is like, it's a free park. And so you can just go in there anytime.
Reporter: The art piece is a large 3D representation of stories, teachings, poems, and songs passed down through generations. It can be found at [inaudible 00:01:56] also known as Ham Park, which is along the Seventh Street cultural corridor on St. Paul's East side. Braiding Our Stories Together was created with artist and elder Gustavo Boada.
Gustavo Boada: My name is Gustavo Boada from Peru.
Reporter: Gustavo helped bring the artistic ideas into existence.
Gustavo Boada: And then I say, wow, we can work together and do this project that you have already in mind. And guess just tell me. I can help you to decide what to do and how to do it.
Reporter: Together, they thoughtfully went through ideas and landed on what ultimately was created.
Gustavo Boada: I usually do puppetry, but I make a big things and also three-dimensional murals and big sculptures. So I told her the options and they finally choose to make something three dimensional.
Reporter: And the sculpture of the person with braids is larger than life. Formed with natural objects, papier-mache and more, Reyna Day talks about how it's more than what meets the eye.
Reyna Day: And you’ll see a figure, and then you're going to see two braids. And each of these braids are 25 feet. And the reason that we chose braids was, in indigenous culture, like, we view hair to be very significant. And we view our hair to carry our stories, our essences, our spirits. And so as you go through the braid, you're going to be seeing just the beautiful decorations on the braid, but you're also going to be seeing QR codes.
These QR codes are going to take you to a website. And these websites are going to be split. The website's going to be split into different portions, into three portions, which are going to be songs, stories, and poems.
Gustavo Boada: For me the braids are very important part of this project. And secondly, I think it has so much love put in this work. One I recall is that the braids are the weaving, the connection, the blending of all the roots. The braids are the roots from the ground, but become in a hair in the braid also. So that metaphor for me, it was so amazing.
Reporter: More details about Braiding Our Stories Together and Northern Spark can be found online at 2021.northernspark.org.
If you miss the virtual event on June 13th, it can be found on the Facebook pages of Indigenous Roots and the International Indigenous Youth Council, Twin Cities chapter.
For Minnesota Native News. I'm Leah Lemm.
MARIE: This week on Minnesota Native News, it’s spring and the end of the Covid lockdown. I’m Marie Rock. Producer Laurie Stern has the story of two very different new productions.
Laurie: The first production is a podcast called Understand Native Minnesota with Rebecca Crooks Stratton. Rebecca Crooks Stratton is Secretary Treasurer of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, or SMSC.
I have to say, I never thought I would host a podcast, but and I think I speak for you know, most tribal leaders and probably all native people, when I say we spend a lot of time educating people about, you know, who we are, and why things are the way they are. And so I think this is just another way for Native people to express you know, themselves and, and be able to hear from modern native people.
On the podcast’s first episode, that “modern native person” is Wayne Ducheneux, executive director of the Native Governance Center in St. Paul. The Native Governance Center supports tribal governments by helping them become more and more responsive to needs in their community.
And, you know, one of the things I fundamentally believe, is, as we as indigenous people return and understand our values, and our wisdom, and we heal, we're going to build the systems that heal the country as all and eventually the world.
The podcast isn’t always about healing the world. But it is about bringing native stories to light. It’s an outgrowth of SMSC’s ambitious Understand Native Minnesota campaign to include native stories in K12 curriculum statewide. Crooks-Stratton says the campaign will resume in-person convenings now that the pandemic lockdown is lifted. You can follow it on social media and listen to the monthly podcast at NativeMNFacts.
Another recent production is called The Missouri River Water Walk. It was directed by Dipankar Mukherjee of Pangea World Theater and written by Sharon Day. It documents the 53-day walk from Montana to Missouri; obstacles overcome and relationships built among the five women who walked the whole way.
(play sound)
I do it really, you know, to speak to the spirit of the water. You know, that's who we're addressing. When we gather that water. We believe that the water is a living entity. And that, you know, we need to let the water know that they're still human beings who love and care for the water.
The play was performed outdoors at Hidden Falls regional park by professional actors and musicians, activists and members of the Ikidowin youth ensemble. For more information visit PangeaWorldTheater.org or – to learn about upcoming water walks, go to Nibiwalk.org.
For MNN, I’m Laurie Stern.
This week on Minnesota Native News, efforts are underway across the Americas to bring back native languages. Emma Needham has two stories of Ojibwe Language revitalization in Minnesota.
Emma Needham 0:11
Leslie Harper is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and has worked in language revitalization efforts on both a local and national level for the past 25 years.
Audio (Leslie Harper Ojibwe) 0:20
Emma Needham 0:25
Leslie helped to create an Ojibwe immersion school and the Leech Lake community in the early 2000s. Her community brainstormed and came up with an approach to bring back the language and culture together.
Leslie Harper 0:36
We started planning what would a school look like in our community? What does education mean to us as Ojibwe people what we proposed was providing education through the medium of Ojibwe language, all subjects being taught in Ojibwe language instead of English.
Emma Needham 0:53
Leslie Harper is now president of a volunteer organization called the National Coalition of Native American language schools and programs. When I took Ojibwe courses last year, mimic waset Sutherland was my teacher. He teaches Ojibwe language courses and leads language tables a few nights a week via zoom for the Minneapolis American Indian center.
(Audio- Minneapolis American Indian Center Language Table)
Memegwesi Sutherland 1:24
How I Learned Ojibwe when I was a kid, I was a flute speaker Back then, I had to learn English and French when I was a kid in schools. So slowly over time, because I grew up speaking Ojibwe, and living the old Ojibwe lifestyle. When I saw English speakers, I really envied them. So that's why I kind of like I kind of left behind by the Ojibwe language and the Ojibwe teachings and how we live how I grew up. I wanted to be like everybody else like English speaking.
Memegwesi Sutherland 1:57
Mavin quesa was in his late teens, when he realized he could no longer reply back to his mother. That's when he went to college to relearn Ojibwe.
Memegwesi Sutherland 2:06
So sometimes I kind of like, stay away from the body language, culture stuff once in a while. But that that's, that's there in me because of the racism I experienced growing up. So sometimes it's a battle to like to get past that.
Emma Needham 2:21
Teaching Ojibwe language is not what Memegwesi set out to do. But he believes that his experience teachings and conversations with people around him led him to that path. Language and Culture teachings often come from elders, as elders pass on, it impairs a community's cultural and language capacity. This is Leslie Harper, again,
Leslie Harper 2:41
we've been at a critical need. And we said this 20 years ago, right, that we have a critical need to revitalize our language. Because we have, you know, a few 100 people. For me here at least late 20 years ago, we were able to say we have, you know, a couple 100 speakers. And that was a feeling of critical need and critical loss to us.
Emma Needham 3:04
Memegwesi Sutherland explained that his experience is that language revitalization is both getting better and worse at the same time,
Memegwesi 3:12
'cause of Zoom, we can connect with elders know over long distances, because before in order, if you wanted to see an elder you have to go to their place. And nowadays, because zoom you can just like hit them up like this, and then just be in a meeting.
Emma Needham 3:46
Memegwesi says that our ancestors and ceremonies are exactly the reason why people should speak Ojibwe, and that our ancestors are already ahea d of the
Memegwesi 3:55
reason why it's important to speak to them because that's that's who you're talking to. You're talking to our ancestors. And some people were afraid of what's going to happen to their future when the elders pass on, you know, like everybody thinks all the culture is gonna die off. But then we were told that the original teachers are the spirits. And they said in the future, when the younger generation bring back the language, they're also going to bring back the spirits and the spirits are going to teach them again,
Emma Needham 3:57
Both the US House and Senate are considering new bills that would establish a national Native American language Resource Center to honor Congress's obligation to tribes and indigenous communities to protect and promote original languages. for Minnesota native News. I'm Emma Needham.
Funder Credit 4:41
Minnesota native news is produced by hampers diverse radio for Minnesota's communities made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund in the citizens of Minnesota.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
The Mitchell Hamline School of Law seeks to address systemic racism in Minnesota’s criminal justice system…
and...
A new scholarship program wants to help descendants of Indian Boarding Schools...
plus… do you or someone you know have an Indigenous story of Strength to showcase? Online nominations are open!
Reporter Leah Lemm has these stories….
STORY #1: TRUTH AND ACTION
The project is called Truth and Action: Addressing Systemic Racism in the Criminal Justice System in Minnesota. Its aim is to draw on Individual stories from people who have experienced disparate treatment while interacting with the criminal justice system in Minnesota... plus data... to show a fuller picture of the system’s current state.
Dr Jennifer Waltman highlights that after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the need to address systemic racism became apparent.
Dr Jennifer Waltman: The Dispute Resolution Institute at Mitchell-Hamline along with community partners collaborated to embark on a transitional justice project that combines a grassroots approach to recording the stories of victims and working with community leaders to have the outcome of implementing change throughout the criminal justice system.
Reporter: Dr Waltman says the initiative needs to be community led and community driven. Open conversations in environments that are respectful and safe for telling these stories…. is critical to the foundation of the project.
Dr Jennifer Waltman: We do know that there are patterns that exist across different communities. So what might happen to someone within our Indigenous community and a Native person’s interaction with law enforcement. They're very similar stories that we hear in the black community, in the Hmong community. So what are those patterns? But at the same time, there are unique experiences for each community.
Reporter: The project will identify patterns of racial disparities and then seeks to take the necessary steps to create systemic change.
More information is on the Mitchell Hamline website: Mitchell Hamline DOT EDU and search for Truth and Action.
Next up....
STORY #2: INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL HEALING SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has announced the Indian Boarding School Healing Scholarship and Fellowship Program.
The program aligns with the organization’s mission to address the ongoing trauma caused by the U.S. Indian Boarding School policy and effects on Indian education.
Christine Diindiisi McCleave: is Chief Executive Officer.
Christine Diindiisi McCleave: : I think it's really exciting that we're able to offer this scholarship and fellowship program because it's around education and it was the boarding schools and how education was used as a weapon against us. Whereas now, a lot of Indian education programs promote language, promote culture, are all about resilience and revitalization.
Reporter: The scholarship program is aimed at descendants of Indian Boarding School Survivors. Additionally, a 2 year fellowship opportunity supports American Indians and Alaska Natives graduate student research.
Christine Diindiisi McCleave: We need people with a connection to that history, to our culture, to our values, our worldview, to be the ones interpreting the data and doing the research it's imperative at this point.
FInd out more details and eligibility online at boarding school healing DOT org.
And next...
STORY #3: INDIGENOUS STORIES OF STRENGTH
Reporter: Indigenous Stories of Strength is a virtual showcase of stories shared in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Melissa Walls is... the Director of the Great Lakes Hub for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.
It's called a virtual showcase where we are inviting anyone. Who's a member of an Indigenous community that could be urban, rural, on-Rez, off-Rez, to go to our website. So it's IndigenousStrengths.com by June 1st. And they can submit nominations to just have a platform to share these really positive, energizing stories of how we've led through this pandemic.
Reporter: Each finalist will receive a stipend and be premiered and showcased on the website, starting in the fall.
Melissa Walls: We've heard about all of these really horrific, sad stories of loss, and we acknowledge those. And there are some pretty cool stories of strength and survival and leadership happening, especially I think in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Reporter: More information about the virtual story sharing initiative and story nomination can be found online at Indigenous Strengths DOT com.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, two important decisions that affect Native lands - and a Twin Cities park acknowledges the sacred.
7 Generation Games has been creating educational games for students and schools across the country. The games blend math, language, and Indigenous history.
In November of 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the company a $1million COVID-19 Rapid Response grant to expand their reach and produce a new platform to help meet challenges in education during the pandemic.
The program is called Growing Math, and creates resources for teachers.
Here’s Leah Lemm with the story.
STORY #1: 7 Generation Games expands platform
Leah: Maria Burns Ortiz started 7 Generation Games with her mother in 2013 and has led its efforts to close the math gap for students from Indigenous, Latino, underserved, and rural communities. Now 7 Generation Games has 50 thousand users!
Here’s Maria Burns Ortiz with some background on 7 Generation Games:
Maria Burns Ortiz: My co-founder Dr. AnnMaria De Mars and Erich Longie, who is now the tribal historic preservation officer for Spirit Lake, but used to be school board president, were doing the data analysis for the National Indian Education study in DC. So it's the largest study in the country, looking at American Indian and Alaskan Native youth and multiple facets of education. And they saw that Indigenous youth were underperforming in math at a greater rate than other students.
But they also saw that the more time spent on culture, the more kids were engaged in the curriculum. But at the same time, the more time spent on culture, the worst kids were doing in some of these standardized subjects. So in math and language arts. And Erich saying, you know, it makes sense because if you take an hour out of class to study out of the day and you're working on Lakota culture or Dakota language, it's coming out of other times, so you have less time across the board.
Reporter: They weren’t willing to accept the binary, one or the other, math or culture learning. So they set on figuring it out.
And in thinking about what was relevant and exciting for students, Maria and her colleagues thought: Video Games.
Maria Burns Ortiz: And we thought, you know, kids will play a video game countless number of times, 50 times a day, incrementally further. And you don't see that when it comes to math worksheets. Right? But what could we do to leverage that? And then what do really good video games have? They have good stories and cultural history, even daily life in general is so full of incredible stories. And so we thought if we could combine those two aspects into something that teaches math, we'd be on to something. So that's how we ended up building out our first games. Our first game was Spirit Lake, which we built out on Spirit Lake. We ended up expanding from there.
Reporter: Combining culture and schooling through video games has gone from one game to many. And now they’ve expanded even more. Juliana Taken Alive leads the new Growing Math program, which comes from a $1 million COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant from the USDA.
Juliana Taken Alive: So what Growing Math is connecting, creating resources for teachers in terms of lessons, videos, and then connecting that with the games. And we show teachers how to use the games, how to use the reports, and then how to connect that connection with the lessons that are being created. It's already something that 7 Generation Games was doing - working with the math games online.
Reporter: Growing Math expanding on the strengths of 7 Generation Games to create resources for teachers during and beyond the pandemic.
Juliana Taken Alive: So when Growing Math started, it was to accommodate the distance learning and teachers that were teaching by, you know, Google Classroom, Zoom, you know, whatever. So it's easier for them to use something that already exists. And then once we start going back to face-to-face, they can keep using it. And the other thing is to produce something that our students, as Indigenous students can identify with.
Reporter: The program is no cost to schools. More info at 7 Generation Games DOT COM For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
HEADLINES:
This week on Minnesota Native News, White Earth works to deal with homelessness, Flanagan addressed a grieving state and a new exhibit celebrates indigenous engineering.
Story #1 -
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan says she is grieving after the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of a white police officer in a Minneapolis suburb. Melissa Townsend tells us more.
In a radio address on April 16th, Flanagan said the killing of Wright, who is Black, is a trauma on top of the trauma of George Floyd’s death.
FLANAGAN: I know that Daunte Wright called his mom right before he died and George Floyd called out for his mother and as a mom, I’m holding a lot of this and I know that a lot of Minnesotans are devastated.
Flanagan said Minnesota’s leaders need to do something about police killing of Black and Indigenous people and People of Color.
FLANAGAN: All Minnesotans, but especially our leaders should be deeply concerned that Minnesota is starting to developing a reputation as a place that is not a safe place for Black men or the Black community. And our top priority should be figuring out how to address that.
The New York Times recently reported that nationally - 64 people were killed by police in the 3 and a half weeks during the Derek Chauvin trial. That’s 3 people a day killed by police. Half of them were Latino or Black. There were no stats on the number of Native people killed.
In other news….
STORY #2 -
The White Earth Tribal Council is working to address the homelessness emergency on the reservation. In a resolution passed on March 19th, officials stated the White Earth Homeless Program has been assisting those without stable housing. But even with this help, tribal officials said the number of White Earth citizens without a stable place to live warranted a state of emergency.
Later that day, on March 19th, the tribal council announced they some very good news. The White Earth Band had received more than 2-million dollars from the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development; 2 point 3 million to be exact. The money comes from the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress and signed by President Biden.
In a statement, White Earth tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks says the tribal government will begin the process of deciding how the money will be used in the best interest of tribal programs and the community.
And finally …
STORY #3 -
A new exhibit on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is all about canoes made by the indigenous communities in minnesota. Jacob Bernier is one of the exhibit curators.He is a Red River Metis descendent. And he’s getting his Masters degree in Heritage Studies and Public History at the U. He says he has always been interested in canoes…
BERNIER: I’ve always been akin to water and my ancestors were canoe people so it’s just kind of engrained in me.
Then at the U he took a class with Professor Vince Diaz where the students take a traditional Micronesian outrigger canoe out on the Mississippi River.
BERNIER: It really just kind of took my breath away. It made me feel so many different emotions all at the same time. And I’ve been wanting to do things with canoes ever since.
So as part of Bernier’s Masters project he helped curate this exhibit all about canoes built by Ojibwe and Dakota people indigenous to Minnesota and the Micronesian community who settled here.
BERNIER: These three communities have been pivotal in the Native canoe program at the University.
The exhibit includes images and information and some small scale models of the traditional canoes — the Micronesian outrigger, the Ojibwe birch bark and the Dakota dug out canoes .
Breneir says his goal is to honor the indigenous knowledge of these communities.
BERNIER: Canoe practices have been around for thousands of years and they will continue To be. As long as there are people, there will be canoes. So our goal is to make sure things continue on in a good way.
The exhibit is open Monday through Friday noon to 5 pm on the 4th floor of the Northrup Auditorium. It will be there through September. But co-curator Jacob Bernier is created an online 360 tour of the exhibit so anyone can see it even if they can’t get to the U of M Twin Cities Campus.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
Duluth Superior Film Festival Is Partnering Again With The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) For A Virtual Indigenous Film Series.
Reporter Leah Lemm recently had a conversation with Local filmmaker Khayman Goodsky, who will host the series. Here’s Leah with the story.
STORY #1: VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS FILM SERIES
April 21st Kicks off the 2021 Indigenous Film Series lineup. The third Wednesday of each month through July will spotlight Indigenous Filmmakers.
Here’s my conversation with the host of the series, Khayman Goodsky:
Leah: Boozhoo Khayman - can you please introduce yourself?
Khayman Goodsky: My name is Khayman Goodsky. I’m from the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa from Minnesota, I live in Duluth, Minnesota here with my family.
Leah: I want to talk about the Indigenous Film Series, which you’ll be hosting. And you have a particular experience with film, since you’re also a filmmaker yourself! Can you talk a little about your work?
Khayman Goodsky: So right now I produce my own DIY like very do-it-yourself videos.
I usually try to go for telling Indigenous stories or having core Indigenous values come through my videos, which comes as a little odd because it is contemporary.
And I do try to go for that like very comic book, whimsical feel. So it's, it's a mesh of what I was raised with.
Leah: Fantastic! Okay, so the Indigenous Film Festival is coming up - Can you tell me more about the festival and what people can expect?
Khayman Goodsky: Yes. So I'm actually working for the Duluth Superior Film Festival and we're having an Indigenous Film Series once a month and it'll be online so you can you know, go on the thing it's free, which is beautiful.
And then after each, um, short and each feature, we're going to have a Q&A hosted by me and we'll have guests come on and we'll talk about the film. We'll talk about like, you know, what the effects is...
And the first one is on April 21st. And it's going to be the first one will be, um, a film by Jonathan Thunder. It's MAAMAWI. And it was about five minutes long and it's beautiful. It's striking. It has like such vivid colors that Jonathan usually uses in his work.
And the second one will be The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open. Just a trigger warning. It is, it does feature domestic violence and things like that. And after that, we'll be having a panel hosted with Jonathan Thunder and then a domestic violence advocate provider.
That goes on then for a couple months. And then we will be having, um, our actual film festival in August, which we are, um, you know, accepting submissions for. And, um, I'm very excited to be a part of a team where we highlight and uphold Indigenous artists. I think that's super great.
Leah: And your film DREAM WANDERER is also a part of the series. It’ll be featured as a part of the May event, the May Can you tell us a little bit about DREAM WANDERER?
Khayman Goodsky: What DREAM WANDERER is about this young Ojibwe Ojibwe woman who has the ability to hop into other people's streams, but she doesn't always control it. And so, uh, one night she's out at a bar on the town and she sees, um, a man with red eyes, which we commonly call demons.
She subconsciously becomes to this, um, demon and ends up in his dreams and finds out like why he is the way he is. And she gets stuck in his dreams and they both have to figure out a way to, you know, get out with each other's help, even though they don't like each other. And, um, yeah, it's a 10 minute short video, and it's using three of my favorite people to like work with.
Leah: To find out more and register for the Virtual Indigenous Film Series… visit the
Duluth Superior Film Festival website. www.ds-ff.com
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
MN Native News produces a weekly Special Edition called COVID 19 Community Conversations. Throughout the pandemic, many have shared how their personal and professional lives have been impacted.
Reporter Leah Lemm... and host of Community Conversations... shares two conversations from the program.
STORY #1: Connection Through Conversation
REPORTER: I have had the joy of talking with wonderful guests throughout the pandemic. COVID 19 Community Conversations is a way to explore how Indian Country in MN is responding and adapting to the current pandemic. Many times we share hope and many times concerns. And at the center of it all… is community.
First I’d like to share how one guest is looking toward the future. Rhiana Yazzie is the founder of New Native Theatre, a foundationally Native theatre company in the Twin Cities. Theatre has been hit very hard by the pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped creativity.
Rhiana Yazzie: I'm working with some really cool artists that we really love and respect, whereas super concerned about making sure the audience is safe and that's because the majority of our audiences are Native.
And last night I was just looking at some statistics for the state of Minnesota, how Native people have the highest rates of getting COVID and also have a much higher rate of being hospitalized if they get it. And so we're super, super concerned about that. And then of course I am Navajo and, you know, the, the way that COVID has affected the Navajo nation also is a huge consideration just to, you know, my, my life experience and you know, just the, the loss that that's happened.
So when we think about producing plays, we are just thinking about safety and that might mean like much, much smaller audiences and maybe more performances. So like the possibility of coming to people's bubbles and performing for them at a safe distance outside. And just doing that a lot or, you know, just sort of finding a bigger space with good amplification.
REPORTER: Next, Barry Hand teaches language and history at the Bdote Learning Learning Center.
When he was a guest on COVID 19 Community Conversations we talked about student and teacher resilience in education. We also took time to reflect on culture and language, during which Barry shared a few language phrases in Dakotiyapi. Phrases to help lift our awareness and compassion, especially during tough times.
Leah: This has been a hard times and it's, it's showed us a lot as Ojibwe people, as Dakota people, the First Nations people, this land here, this is a warning. This is a warning to remember that when the lights go out, life can get hard and we have to appreciate one another. We have to look at our traditions.
And so I would say that I would like to leave with a couple of different phrases and the first one would be, [Dakotiyapi] like a pity, one another, but not pity in the sense of a dominant society or have compassion for one another. [Dakotiyapi] - help one another help each other, because we need that. So have compassion. OCI keeps you up ball or [Dakotiyapi] and also [Dakotiyapi] keep busy, keep doing stuff, keep going. Don't give up. So [Dakotiyapi] keep busy, keep busy. That's a very powerful phrase.
As a cancer survivor, that phrase kept me going. There's a, there's an elder from the Rosebud Indian reservation, a famed author by the name of Joseph Marshall. And that phrase kept me going through hard times. And so COVID, when COVID came. I remember it. All right. We have to keep going. So those are the three phrases, I think I'd like to leave here.
Find COVID19 Community Conversations on the MN Native News website: MN NATIVE NEWS DOT ORG.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Story 1: Opponents of both Enbridge Line Three and the proposed Polymet copper mine have new reason to be hopeful. Laurie Stern has the developments.
Laurie: The Fond du Lac Band won an important federal court case against the proposed copper mine 70 miles north of the reservation. The band had sued both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, saying they had failed to consider Fond du Lac’s interests environmental quality standards when they granted Polymet a permit. The band says Polymet’s plan to dredge or fill wetlands will mean more mercury in the St. Louis River, which runs through the reservation. Now a federal court judge ruled that under the Clean Water Act, the EPA must NOT grant the wetland permit until it considers the interests of the Fond du Lac band.
Laurie: And work on Enbridge’s Line Three could be stopped depending on a decision by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. This week the Court hears arguments from the state commerce department. The Commerce Department along with Red Lake, White Earth and the Mille Lacs Band – say the the pipleline is NOT necessary because demand for fossil fuel will drop. Meanwhile the public utilities commission supports Enbridge’s argument that it needs the pipeline to meet demand. The Court has 90 days to decide whether to revoke the permit.
Marie: Story 2
The White Earth Nation announced an increase in the minimum wage that will affect hundreds of employees this month, and more as the economy recovers. Here’s Laurie Stern again.
Laurie: White Earth Nation has begun paying it’s employees a minimum of $16 an hour. For perspective, the state minimum wage is only $8.21 an hour for small business and $10.08 for larger employers – those whose sales are half a million dollars or more. Secretary Treasurer Alan Roy said the decision helps position White Earth for a post-pandemic economic recovery.
Alan Roy: We were actually talking about 15. And then we ended up going with 16. Because one, we we really appreciate our employees. But also we want to make sure that we're our standard is is as high if not higher than everyone around us.
Secretary Treasurer Roy said even employees who already made $16 hour or more will get a raise. The new rates apply to all employees of the Nation, Native or not. Before the pandemic, White Earth employed close to 2000 people, and it looks forward to the day when Shooting Star Casino and its other enterprises can get back there again.
Alan Roy: we want to make sure that our families have a livable wage, we want to make sure that we have competitive salary and pay. We also want to make sure that we can retain our employees, so they they can stay part of the tribe, they can stay part of the family to make sure that we we have the best workers possible.
a lot of our folks talk about Native nation rebuilding. I really believe White Earth is in a position to say that it native the time to rebuild is now.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
The confirmation of Deb Haaland as U.S. Secretary of Interior is a historic moment. Deb Haaland… Now Secretary Haaland… is the first Native person to hold a cabinet position in U.S. History.
Reporter Leah Lemm has reactions to this historic event, from folks in Minnesota.
But first, here’s Deb Haaland speaking at her confirmation hearing… back in February.
**
STORY #1: Indian Country in MN Reacts to Deb Haaland’s Confirmation as U.S. Secretary of the Interior
US Sect of INT DEB HAALAND: I spent summers in Mesita, our small village on Laguna Pueblo, the location of my grandparents' traditional home. It was there that I learned about my culture from my grandmother by watching her cook and by participating in traditional feast days and ceremonies. It was in the cornfields with my grandfather, where I learned the importance of water and protecting our resources, where I gained a deep respect for the earth.
Reporter: That was NOW U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland giving her opening statement at her confirmation hearing in February. And on March 15th, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Representative Deb Haaland’s historic nomination by a 51 to 40 vote. On social media I noticed many comments and sharing of the news, including a friend who went and danced out in the snow. There’s an overwhelming sense that the voices from tribal nations will be heard even more so now that a tribal citizen is at the helm of the US Dept of Interior.
Red Lake Nation citizen Cherilyn Spears shares her thoughts…
Cherilyn Spears: I am just really, really excited. I am just so, so excited. I just see so much positive changes coming along with the new administration, that we're finally going to have our voices heard and it's been a long, long time coming. I know one other thing I want to add too, is like, trust responsibility - is making the government uphold their trust responsibility towards data of tribes nations.
Then again, like I say, you know, there's Zach Ducheneaux moving up into the Farm Service Agency and then Janie Hipp, she's moving into a different position as General Counsel and any other members that Biden recognizes and as do our own senators here in Minnesota. They have been on our side with a lot of projects and they understand they get us, you know, they understand what our needs are and have been for years.
And so with that coming on, I'm just really, really excited to see what she's going to be accomplishing in these next four years. And I'll be right there, cheering her on!
During her time in Congress… Then… Representative Haaland focused on policies to benefit New Mexico families, climate change, and the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis, and environmental and economic justice.
Michael Van Horn, also from Red Lake notes the significance of Haaland understanding the needs of Indian Country….
Michael Van Horn: What it does is it allows, you know, with everybody moving and transitioning into these positions, it allows for our voices as Native Americans, to be able to be heard. Everybody that's been promoted and moving onto these positions are fully aware of what Native American needs are - that we haven't had a seat at the table.
So this just allows for more of our voices to be, and our needs being shared with other people in order for Funding, for everything involved really in conservation efforts. You know what I mean? That's definitely... you know, natural resources…. That's definitely plays a role in us managing our own lands. Um, you know, and, and having that voice, you know, I mean, too, as well as, you know, allowing us to be able to manage our own lands versus being told how to manage our own lands.
Sec Deb Haaland is also an inspiration. Kayla Aubid is from Citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe…
Kayla Aubid: Overall, as an individual at that level of government, for her to be able to negotiate and continue to conversate with people who may or may not be like in her same like political spectrum, just for me as a woman and wanting to do something that shadows Deb Haaland - that ability to be a flow and mediator and have the tough conversations, but stand true to yourself. That's kind of like, it was just remarkable to watch and to hear, I guess - breathe this crazy sigh of relief.
Furthermore, there’s the excitement for what this means for Indian Country and the rest of the country.
Kayla Aubid: I've been following this for a while. It's remarkable. She recognizes that this is a historic moment for Indian Country and that, she's also recognizing that in general, the skills and expertise that she's bringing to this position are great for all of us.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
Diane Wilson’s new book The Seedkeeper has now been released…
And The Minnesota Native American Lives Series is celebrating its launch as well.
Here’s Leah Lemm with the stories….
STORY #1: BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
Reporter: Diane Wilson describes herself as a writer and a gardener. She’s a celebrated author and the Executive Director for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
Diane Wilson: I am a descendant of the Mdewakanton Oyate and enrolled on the Rosebud reservation.
Reporter: Diane Wilson brings together her love of writing and love of nurturing plant relatives in her new book, The Seed Keeper. Cole Premo and I talked with her about The Seed Keeper on the program Native Lights. Here’s a portion of that conversation.
Leah: Diane, can you tell us, can you tell us about the new book?
Diane Wilson: The book is a novel my first novel, I should say. It tells the story of several generations of a Dakota family in the voices of four different women and then the seeds themselves.
And it's a story that follows, um, the seed, the seeds that were precious to this family from dating from 1863, all the way to present well, actually to the early two thousands.
And it's a, um, it's a story of how we have shifted in our relationship to these seeds, um, and, and the sacrifices that these women have made all along the way to protect them and to ensure that we have the seeds for future generations.
Cole: That's great. You spoke on what inspired you to write this, but how did you form the narrative? What made you present it in the way you did?
Diane Wilson: I started in the middle and then, um, you know, the, so I wrote a story in from about what is now about the middle, about Rosalie. And she was always the main character. then I kept adding characters who could bring out, um, earlier generations, for example, so that you can see the, the impact of, um, some of the assimilation programs like boarding schools actually had an impact on our connection to foods and, and really how you can tell this history of what's happened to Dakota people through what's happened to our foods. So it's a way of showing food kind of as a vehicle for story itself.
Reporter: The Seed Keeper is published by Milkweed Editions - find out more about the book at MILKWEED DOT ORG.
Diane Wilson was also the author of a book in the recent Minnesota Native American Lives Series. The Minnesota Native American Lives Series is a partnership between The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) highlighting the history and experiences of individual Dakota and Ojibwe people.
Diane Wilson authored the book on Ella Cara Deloria. Two more books were also released in the series. Author Kade Farris wrote one of the books as well.
Kade Ferris: (00:05) I'm from the turtle mountain community in, uh, North Dakota. I'm an enrolled citizen of the Manitoba meaty Federation in Canada.
Reporter: Kade Ferris wrote about National Hall of Fame Pitcher Charles Albert Bender. Bender was Ojibwe and grew up farming the land on White Earth, throwing rocks out of the earth so it could be farmed. Then Bender went to boarding school where his athletic abilities shined.
There’s a lot to the story that appeals to those interested in learning more… and baseball fans alike. As a pitcher, he won games, also…. Charles Albert Bender invented the slider. There’s a good deal for younger readers to learn, facing challenges and overcoming. Including standing up to racism, which Charles Albert Bender experienced.
Kade Ferris: I think that is something too... a good lesson for a young readers is that you have to stand up for yourself. You have to demand respect.
Check out MN Humanities Center - MN HUM DOT ORG or their facebook page for more information about the series and the virtual book launch on March 25th.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Intro:
Marie intro: This week on Minnesota Native News, a plan for indigenous students to get the education they deserve. I'm Marie Rock. The plan comes from Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. Reporter Emma Needham (Red Lake Nation) has more.
Emma: Due North is a broad education plan crafted by the Walz Administration that seeks to limit disparities between white students and students of color. Included in it are measures and funding to ensure all students receive an accurate history of Minnesota’s Indigenous people, which is lacking in many current curriculums across the state. Even the name of our state, "Minnesota" is derived from the Dakota phrase Mni Sota Makoce, which means "lands where the waters reflect the clouds."
Emma:
Ramona KS is the new project director for We Are Still Here Minnesota. She says education around indigenous history should start right away in the school environment.
Ramona: For kindergarteners….we color the flag of the nation. All right, there are 11 nations in our state, 11 tribal nations, it's very simple.. The concept of sovereignty isn't that hard. It's that we've never taught it.
Emma: Minnesota has among the best K-12 academic outcomes in the nation. Minnesota also consistently exhibits some of the greatest educational disparities between white students and students of color across all areas of education, from reading scores to discipline rates.
One explanation is that indigenous students don’t see themselves in history books, so they feel marginalized. Minnesota Senator Mary Kunesh, recently retired as a library media specialist in K-12 education. She talks about an experience she had with one of her students:
Mary: So There was a student, non native student, that wanted to do some studying around Abraham Lincoln. And after a weekend of studying, he came to me and he knew that I was of Native Descent. And he said to me, Mrs. Kunesh, did you know that Abraham Lincoln is the one that signed the proclamation to hang all those, those men in Mankato? And I didn't know that. It's because we haven't been depicted in our curriculum in an accurate way. And more and more people, native as well as non are calling for that kind of depiction, and authentic history. That's, that's going to show the value in the culture of our native communities, as well as the colonization and genocide that happened.
Emma: As a legislator Senator Kunesh is working with organizations like “We Are Still Here”Ramona KS organization, to build on work that began more than 10 years ago.
Ramona: In 2010, Minnesota was open to infusing the Ojibwe and Dakota culture into the curriculum... that said from now on, 2010, every time we review, the standard disciplines, say science, or literature, we must include the history of the Dakota and the Ojibwe in Minnesota. That was huge. What we learned was... There's no curriculum available.
Emma: The new initiatives in the education plan make up $8.9 million in proposed new spending over the next two years. A main point in the plan to Expand Access to Opportunities for Students of Color and Indigenous Students is to establish an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center at the Minnesota Department of Education to address systemic racism. The plan also aims to provide educational experiences that value student culture and identity.
Mary: I would love to see it go much longer than two years and, and make it an integral part of professional development, especially, you know, perhaps in licensure for teacher licensure as well.
Conclusion: At this time, the individual bills related to the Due North Education Plan have not yet been drafted for legislation. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham.
HEADLINES: This week on Minnesota Native News: Lower Sioux Indian Community reclaims 114 acres, a Sumer opportunity for Native college students and a timely review for TV watchers.
STORY #1 - Canca’yapi Returns to Lower Sioux Indian Community (2:30)
The Lower Sioux Indian Community in Canca’yapi [Chosh-shay-ah-pee] recently reclaimed 114 acres of land from the state of Minnesota. Reporter Melissa Townsend has those details and more.
This 114 acres is part of the homelands of the Dakota people. This spot, called the Lower Sioux Agency, is where the war of 1862 began. That war ended with the forced removal of many Dakota people from Minnesota.
Cheyanne St John is the Tribal Historic Preservation officer and Director of Lower Sioux Cultural Department.
ST JOHN: Our indigenous people have always had such a strong connection to land so when we had these forced removals and all these different traumatic events happen, one of the ways in which we were able to find little bits of healing and reconnection to identity was through land and returning to our homeland. (:24)
In 2004 conversations began between the tribe and the state about the tribe reclaiming this land. It’s taken nearly 2 decades for the process to unfold. It involved the state legislature, the DNR, the Historical Society, the federal government and 31 other tribes.
ST. JOHN: Any tribes that have direct affiliation with Canca’yapi or this part of Minnesota are notified of what is being proposed so without the support of those 31 tribes it could have been a much longer process. (:17)
St John says she doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to say the tribe now “owns” the land.
ST JOHN: From an indigenous perspective, land is not owned - our connection to our history is far stronger than any piece of paper that could be signed. (:12)
Now that the tribe is the steward of the land St John says it will retain the site as- is.
ST. JOHN: Maybe down the road there would be some planning and conversations in the community about how to make that space a bit more contemporary in telling our Dakota history. (:13)
St John says she feels grateful to all the people who have worked over the past two decades to return this land to the Dakota people. She feels lucky to be here when the final documents were actually signed.
In other news —
STORY #2 - MNHS Internship (1:05)
The Minnesota Historical Society is planning to host 5 Native college students for a 10 week paid internship this summer.
The Native American Museum Undergraduate Fellowship engages Native students in exploring the world of tribal historic preservation and museum exhibits.
Ambar Annis, Mnicoujou Lakota, is Program and Outreach Manager at the Minnesota Historical Society.
She says the program is part of the museum’s efforts to indigenize story telling about Native communities and culture.
ANNIS: We’re trying to working to make sure it’s native people who are telling the stories, that it’s Native Nations and Native communities members who are coming to us who are saying these are the stories that need to be told and we need to be in control of those. (:12)
Because of Covid-19 the 10 week summer program will start online.
Annis says they hope to gather all the interns in St Paul for the final few weeks of the program to visit sites and work safely in-person together.
Interns receive money for travel, food and their time. Housing is also arranged.
For those interested, search for Native American Fellowship at the website mnhs.org.
For Minnesota native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
STORY #3 - WandaVision Review
Finally, as we are still spending a lot of time indoors at home, Gerry Zink recommends a new show from Marvel Studios - the studio behind Endgame, the highest grossing movie of all time. Zink is a 17 year old Lakota comics aficionado. Here is his review of Wandavision.
Wandavision is the first TV show made by Marvel Studios post Endgame, and it’s the first in a long line of shows made exclusively for Disney Plus. It stars Scarlet Witch and Vision, from the most recent Avengers movies.
It is the first time marvel has veered into sitcom territory, with a little mix of alternate reality fiction and 1950s surrealism. The characters fit very well within the sitcom landscape, with many hilarious sketches and jokes. While the show is very funny, it also uses the audience's broader knowledge of the Marvel universe to generate a decent amount of tension within the audience. It is impossible to say any more without spoiling, but Wandavision is a great watch for Friday nights on Disney Plus.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, from a 2020 report by the Minnesota Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, "While Indigenous people make up just 1% of the state's population, 9% of all murdered girls and women in Minnesota from 2010 to 2019 were American Indian."
February 14th marks a day of honoring for those who are missing and murdered. Events are held, bringing awareness to the epidemic. This year during the pandemic, some events are now online. What is consistent is the support shared for one another and the color red, which is often worn and used in art and signs.
Reporter Leah Lemm speaks with three survivors about the significance of the color red in the search and honoring of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives.
STORY #1: MMIWR AND THE COLOR RED
Reporter: Thanks for taking some time today to talk with me about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. Can you each please introduce yourself starting with Jessica?
Jessica Smith: [Ojibwemowin]. My name is Jessica Smith. I am a two-spirit enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Chippewa tribe. I am a survivor of human trafficking, sexual assault and domestic abuse. So I work with Sovereign Bodies Institute. I'm on their survivor leadership council and all the work that I do nationally is surrounding those issues and how they correlate with the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
Mysti Babineau: Hello, my name is Mysti Babineau. I am a citizen of the Red Lake nation. Like Jessica, I'm a survivor of trafficking, sexual assault, violence, domestic violence, and I'm a climate justice organizer.
Taysha Martineau: [Ojibwemowin]. My name is Taysha Martineau. I am a two-spirit Indigenous rights anarchist from the Fond du Lac reservation. I am a single mother of four and I'm a survivor of abuse.
Reporter: Miigwech for sharing. In attending the rallies and marches and other honorings myself, red is a significant color. Signs, clothing, ribbon, skirts, and red dresses are often displayed. Can you talk a bit about the significance of red and the red dresses?
Jessica Smith: Red is, we are told, that is the only color that spirits can see. So by wearing red or putting out these red dresses is to call back the spirits of these women and allowing their voices to be heard through our bodies and do the things that we do.
Mysti Babineau: Just like Jessica said, that's what I was taught too. And also that's just a very sacred color, at least to the Ojibwe people. We often use it for protection as well, and I think that's also the thing that's really beautiful about our culture and our traditions is the way that they can also shift.
Taysha Martineau: So when we wear red, we're calling those spirits back to us. We're wearing that red so that they come to us so that while we're searching for them, they know who it is we're calling.
Reporter: And wearing a red dress and displaying red dresses are a continuation of that?
Jessica Smith: The red dress project and everything that stemmed from that actually originated in Canada from a woman named Jamie Black. It started out as just a project to show that these women are missing.
Taysha Martineau: The red dress signifies women and it signifies solidarity with the families who are going through this with those mothers who are sitting at home, just waiting for a phone call. The MMIW epidemic has been an epidemic since first contact, and that color, it signifies not only that a woman's missing, but it signifies our love for that person and our love for that family and our support for them.
Reporter: So red is a call to spirits and showing solidarity with those lost and their loved ones and community. Well, thank you, Jessica Smith, Mysti Babineau, and Taysha Martineau for sharing today.
If you need help, there are free resources available. Strong Hearts Native helpline (www.strongheartshelpline.org) provides culturally appropriate support and advocacy for American Indians and Alaskan natives. And that hotline is 1-844-7NATIVE. It's anonymous and confidential. That's 1-844-762-8483. This information can be found on the Minnesota Native News website, www.mnnativenews.org.
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, a look at why many people in Indian Country oppose Line Three. I’m Marie Rock.
Enbridge Energy says the new pipeline is needed to transport oil safely.
Reporter Emma Needham has been talking with community members in Northern Minnesota
Emma:
The route has been clear cut, a trench has been dug, and Enbridge is now burying the pipe underground and under many major waterways. Many native community members say they do not want to see this pipeline completed.
8-year-old Water Protector, Jagger stands on a frozen lake near her home on the Fond Du Lac Reservation, singing the Nibi Song. She and her family hope the song inspires people to protect the water.
[20 Seconds of Water Song covers the first round of words]
Simone Senogles is also an activist. She is a member of Red Lake Nation and has worked with the Bemidji-based Indigenous Environmental Network for 20 years.
Simone Senagles “So we understand that line three is part of the fossil fuel infrastructure, right?
And I think particularly for Minnesota, we are called the land of 10,000 lakes, and it’s true! You can’t go very far without running into some water. And so, having pipelines that are known to leak, are known to fail, running through water-rich land, is preposterous. It’s outrageous. Like who thought of that? Who thinks that’s a good idea?!”.
Emma: Back in 1991, the Line 3 pipeline ruptured near Grand Rapids, spilling over 1.7 million gallons of oil into the Prairie River, which connects to the Mississippi River. The only thing that saved both rivers was the 18 inches of ice covering the Prairie River that year.
Pipeline opponents… like Simone… are worried about another Line 3 spill.. but they are also concerned with Tribal treaty rights. They say Construction and subsequent leaks in this pipeline would devastate hunting, fishing, wild rice harvest and that Native communities rely on these fruits of the earth to connect to their culture, and to feed their families.
Simone Senagales: So we know this Line Three emissions are going to push us over the top of what we can come back from...this sort of predatory capitalism system that we all live under, combined with, you know, colonization, capitalism, colonization, gendered violence, racism, sexism, all of those things are connected. And so that when we fight something like line three, we have to be aware of those connections.”
Emma: The fear of catastrophe, along with historical disrespect of culture and treaties, has fueled some Native people to take up “direct action” in the form of camps.
There are 4 active camps along the new Line 3 Pipeline Corridor, with a 5th planned to launch this week.
Many Water Protectors at the camps say they are concerned with the recent police mobilization against them.
Winona LaDuke is a White Earth Tribal member and lead organizer for the camp on Great River Road north of Palisade.
Late last week, LaDuke addressed a Minnesota House public safety committee about policing concerns.
Winona LD: The reason that this is a deep concern to us is because of course, Enbridge has said that they will pay for the police costs in Minnesota associated with ensuring that they are enabled to put in Line Three and attended to that there's a lot of I believe civil rights problems that are associated with a Canadian multinational, paying the expenses of your police force in the state of Minnesota, to ensure that a project that they want to get through is able to happen. Now how that's unrolled so far as being very problematic to us.
Enbridge Energy did not respond to my message asking for comment on previous oil spills in Minnesota, or for a statement about the camps. In a recent statement, the company said “Our first priority is the safety of all involved - our workers, men and women in law enforcement, and the protesters themselves. As a company, we recognize the rights of individuals and groups to express their views legally and peacefully. We don’t tolerate illegal activities of any kind including trespassing, vandalism, or other mischief, and Enbridge will seek to prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.” For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham.
HEADLINES: This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear how the vaccine roll out is going at regional Indian Health Services clinics and we honor the life of Laura Waterman Wittstock.
STORY 1 - IHS VACCINE ROLL OUT
The Bemidji Area Indian Health Service plans to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine to 150-thousand people across Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. But vaccine supply will need to pick up dramatically to make that happen by the end of 2021. Melissa Townsend talked with IHS Bemidji Area Director Daniel Frye about the situation.
The Bemidji office of the IHS is actually the regional headquarters and serves tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. This fall tribes were asked to count the number people they need to vaccinate.
FRYE: We are roughly at about 150-thousand in the three states who will need the vaccine. (:07)
Daniel Frye, IHS Director for the Bemidji area says that includes elders, adults, children - tribal members and those who work in tribal agencies and enterprises. IHS began weekly vaccine deliveries to clinics on December 14th. But they are not able to get vaccine to every IHS clinic every week.
FRYE: At this point in the vaccine distribution stage, we don’t make any requests. Basically the way that it’s working is that we get a weekly allotment. We have on average 2000 doses that come in weekly and with that, we break it up in increments in 100 and cover as many sites as we possibly can. (:22)
Frye is hopeful that vaccine production will increase. At a minimum, he’d like to see every tribe receive vaccine every week to keep their vaccination operation going. And ideally, he’d like to supply enough vaccine for tribes to roll out their mass vaccination plans.
FRYE: The tribal sites and our federal sites have done phenomenal job of putting together these plans to roll out mass vaccination clinics where they can run through 4-500 peel in one day. And that’s what we are looking to dots have that larger impact. (:13)
So far most tribes in the Bemidji area have been able to vaccinate all their essential workers. Now they are working to vaccinate elders 65 and older. And Frye says it will take a while to vaccinate this entire population.
FRYE: And that’s probably where we’ll be for a bit with the current cadence of vaccine. (:05)
Frye says, each clinic has a different protocol for vaccine appointments. So if you are looking to get vaccinated - reach out to your tribal clinic to find out how to do that.
STORY #2
In other Covid-19 related news, the number of positive cases tested in IHS-tribal clinics has decreased over the past month. The spike in positive cases after Thanksgiving has fallen over December and January. IHS Bemidji Area director Daniel Frye says that’s at least partially due to closings ordered by the Walz administration.
FRYE: I have to imagine some of the governors orders throughout the holidays had an affect on that with the closing of businesses with the restaurants. We’re just not seeing that community spread. (:10)
In the past week, roughly 6% of Covid tests are positive at IHS-tribal clinics.
And finally...
STORY 3
We honor the life of Laura Waterman Wittstock, Seneca, who passed on January 16th. She was 83. Waterman Wittstock was an award winning journalist, an author and a Matriarch to the Native journalism community across the country.
She was a founder of Minneapolis based Migizi communications and long-time host of the First Person Radio program that ran until 2018 on Minneapolis based community radio station K-F-A-I.
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Ojibwe, says Waterman Wittstock was a mentor to many.
FLANAGAN: She spent so much time working with young women in particular to make sure they had a path to success and to reach their full potential. When I was just a baby organizer coming up int eh community, she really saw me. She encouraged me to run and be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention when I was just 24 years old and she helped fund raise to get me there. I know that my story of being seen and heard and valued and encouraged is just one of hundreds or thousands of stories of Native women and men who she just pushed to take risks and reach out full potential. (:46)
Flanagan says she honors Laura Waterman Wittstock in her work as the first Native woman serving in state-wide office in Minnesota.
HOSTS:
Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Host and Reporter for Minnesota Native News
Cole Premo (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Host and Reporter for Minnesota Native News
GUESTS:
Dr. Antony Stately (Ojibwe and Oneida) has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is the CEO of NACC, the Native American Community Clinic in South Minneapolis.
Dr. Mary Owen, MD (Tlingit) is the President of the Association of American Indian Physicians, and she’s also the Director of the Center of American Indian and Minority Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, on the Duluth campus.
Briana Michels (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) is part of the American Indian Resource and Resiliency team at the University of Minnesota Extension, which holds workshops on trauma and healing. Briana Michels works on the Remembering Resilience podcast which explores Native American resilience through and beyond trauma.
Kelly Miller (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) is Director of the Department of Indian Work at Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul and one of the Minnesota Department of Health's COVID-19 Community Coordinators.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from a native medical expert and leader, Dr. Mary Owen, who discusses the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination for the native community.
Here’s reporter Cole Premo with more.
DR. OWEN
When I first scheduled a video interview with Dr. Mary Owen, little did I know I’d be interviewing her right after she got the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
OWEN: “Hello, sorry. I'm late. I just got, I had to zoom out to the clinic to get my vaccine. No, that's, that's totally fine. That's totally fine. That's a great.”
First, a quick introduction.
OWEN: My name is Dr. Mary Owen and I am from the sharp clan of the Lincoln nation. And I'm an assistant professor at the university of Minnesota medical school and the current president of the association, American Indian physicians.
Then, I, of course, first wanted to know how the vaccination went.
OWEN: You know, it was really surprising. It, I felt it less than I do the flu shot hardly noticed it actually. And I'm not just saying that I don't need to say that part, you know, it was really painless.
Dr. Owen is working on getting the message out to the native community on why taking the vaccine is so important.
OWEN: I recognized that there is going to be huge need in our communities because of the potential for vaccine hesitancy, you know, um, just like in African-American communities, our communities have had, um, have naturally so much distrust of government and health institutions.
So, Dr. Owen and the Association of American Indian Physicians put together a task force with the purpose of getting the message out, whether it be through the airwaves or through social media. She says native medical students have also been asked to spread the message.
Part of the task force’s job has been producing a series of videos explaining the importance of the vaccine.
OWEN: The videos themselves are really short. Mine was a little bit longer, a minute and 30 seconds to kick it off with just why we're doing them. And the why is that we are dying far higher rates than any other population age. When you look at the age adjustments, including African-Americans either, and it's not a competition at all, just to emphasis on why we need this. And it's not the first time it's happened. We had the same thing happen with H one N one when we died at four times the rate of, um, non-natives. So, um, but COVID is different. It's killing even more of us and therefore we need a drastic response to it and we need people to buy into these vaccines.”
She says that, while the data is still coming in, it appears that the federal government has indeed recognized the impact the virus has had on the native population, and vaccines are getting to elders and health care workers in those communities.
However, she says there’s still a lot of work to do to get the overall native population to buy-in to the vaccine, especially those on the younger side.
OWEN: What I worry about is the next wave… you know, young people who tend to feel, I remember myself feeling invincible, like this doesn’t really affect me. and it's a two-step vaccine. That's the other piece. You don't get the, um, the heavier coverage until you get that second shot. So that also gets in the way of the protections. You know, when we have, we have already have people who struggle sometimes to get into clinic, to get the first shot, but then to have to get that second one.
So, the work goes on.
OWEN: We can't afford to lose people, particularly at this time when we're finally, we really seem to be gaining in strength. More people want to know about us and are, are willing to listen to the history that they haven't been willing to listen to before, or if they haven't been willing to that they haven't heard in they're actually going out and seeking it on their own horn information about us. So it's a good time for us to push forward, not to, not to move backwards by getting by dying off from a disease.”
After getting the vaccine, Dr. Mary Owen says wearing a mask is still important. While the vaccines have been proven to be about 95% effective in preventing serious illness from COVID-19, it's unclear how well they curb the spread of COVID-19. So, for now, health experts are still recommending wearing a mask after vaccination until more is known and more people are vaccinated.
As a note, Owen had A LOT more to say. She talked more on addressing medical distrust within the native community, her personal experiences as a physician and what inspired her to help her community. You can hear more from her on the latest episode of Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine.
I’m Cole Premo.
x
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up…
COVID 19 Vaccine rollout in MN is underway…
And Indian Country responds to the attack on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC on January 6th…
Reporter Leah Lemm has these stories…
STORY #1: VACCINATION ROLLOUT IN MN IS UNDERWAY
Reporter: The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Vaccines have been a huge goal to help fight the spread of the virus, and now multiple types of COVID 19 vaccines are being administered.
The Native American Community Clinic or NACC is one place where the Moderna COVID 19 vaccine is available for staff and patients. The vaccine kickoff at NACC was held before the New Year, starting with a short ceremony and initial vaccines.
A lot of thought and planning has been put into what the rollout will look like at NACC. Dr Antony Stately is NACC’s CEO.
Dr Antony Stately: we'll start with 65 and older. We'll look at folks 55 to 65, also many of those fixed folks within our community are considered to be elders.
We'll be vaccinating those individuals who have some chronic conditions that place the medics at a heightened risk for contracting COVID-19 and getting sick and possibly ending up in the ICU.
Reporter: They’re not wasting any time getting the vaccines out to the Native community.
Dr Antony Stately: the native population is so much more disparately impacted by COVID-19 in the state. We've been given the ability to justify and sort of create our own methodology for who we want to vaccinate in our communities based on the risk that we see happening in our communities.
Reporter: Those working in highly impacted communities are trying to make the vaccine available as soon as possible.
Dr. Antony Stately: there are folks like me and other folks in health leadership in native community who have advocated and really strongly lobbied for our prioritization of native communities and black communities to get the vaccine and to get it before other communities that have historically had more privileged because we are seeing much more significantly impacted than the rest of the population.
Reporter: Those under 18 can’t get the Moderna vaccine at this point. Also, those who’ve had COVID need to be cleared from the illness for 90 days.
STORY #2: INDIAN COUNTRY RESPONDS TO THE ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL
Next… On January 6th, 2021, the world looked on as the U.S. capitol building in Washington DC was invaded… the day when the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election was to be formally certified, with an upcoming Biden-Harris administration.
Pres Trump supporters vandalized the capitol building, chanted for the hanging of Vice President Pence, and attacked democracy itself. All this after Trump gave a speech that focused on falsely claiming that the presidential election was stolen from him.
The Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Melanie Benjamin, had this response in a recent Band update:
Chief Exec Melanie Benjamin: As insurgents prompted by the outgoing president storm the National Capitol in a failed attempt to overturn the election. Wow, well, we all expected the end result to be a peaceful transfer of power on January 20th.
This event shows the importance of being involved in the political process and as a sovereign American tribe, we know that violence is never the answer.
REPORTER: Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin gives her regards to the upcoming Biden-Harris administration
Chief Exec Melanie Benjamin:… so that there is a smooth transition. And we as tribal governments across this nation, that we have a good working relationship with the new administration. And that's what I look forward to.
REPORTER: The National Congress of American Indians released their own response, a part of which read:
“As leaders of our own tribal nations, we understand the sacred duty undertaken by those chosen to serve their people to uphold the rule of law and the will of the people. Above all else, we value the sanctity of life. No nation should tolerate a leader who obstructs or brings harm to the peaceful democratic process and the citizens we are sworn to protect.”
REPORTER: The statement goes on to commend Congress for resuming their work and accepting the certification of the free and fair election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
In early December - after years of resistance from many tribes and Native communities - Enbridge Energy company began construction on the new Line 3 oil pipeline in northwestern Minnesota. But work on one section recently stopped because of an Ojibwe ceremonial lodge that stands in the path of the pipeline. Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us what might happen next.
This region is the headwaters of the Mississippi River and treaty land where Ojibwe have always retained rights to hunt, fish, gather and practice cultural traditions. So the recent discovery of a ceremonial lodge in a wooded area along the proposed pipeline route in Aitkin county stopped construction in its tracks. It’s hard to tell when exactly the lodge was built.
GOODWIN: No, I don’t know when it went up.
Dawn Goodwin - along with hundreds of others - has been at that pipeline construction site off and on since work began in early December. She is a water protector, resisting the pipeline in order to protect the land and water and the lives they sustain. She is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and a founder of RISE - Resilient Indigenous Sisters Engaging and she’s part of the Indigenous Environmental Network.
She says the ceremonial lodge was there before Enbridge workers were on those grounds.
GOODWIN: I know it was before they marked their route cause they came in and put a stake right in the middle of the lodge. And then one of the grandmothers - one of our water walkers -took it out yesterday. She decided it needed to come out.
In a written statement, an Enbridge Energy company representative points out that this lodge was not included in what the company considers a very thorough Cultural Resources Survey as part of the state’s approval process.
But the state’s approval process recognized that - indeed - there may be sites they did not show up in that survey. And there is a plan in place for just this kind of situation. The “unanticipated discoveries” plan sets up a group of tribal monitors overseen by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. When they are alerted to a potentially culturally significant site along the anticipated pipeline route - like this lodge -, the plan calls for construction work to stop until the site can be assessed and a plan made.
And that is what has happened on this site near Palisades, Minnesota. The Fond du Lac tribal preservation officer did not respond to my calls in time for this story.
But because this area is in treaty territory and some of the people using the lodge for ceremonies are White Earth citizens, the White Earth Tribal Historical Preservation Officer has now gotten involved. Jamie Arcenault says she has not been working directly with Enbridge or the tribal monitors from Fond du Lac. And the lack of communication is a concern.
But her position on the lodge is very clear.
ARCENAULT: It doesn’t matter how new or how old the structure is - what matters is the practice that is going on within it. Part of my responsibility is to uphold the community’s right to have that practice. This is a place where people do go for healing and do go for prayer and especially during a global pandemic, I think that matters.
Arcenault adds:
ARCENAULT: There is no one individual that really has the authority to decide what is sacred or dictate where Native people can go for prayer or go for healing.
On one hand, you can imagine a court saying - a group can’t build a wooden structure in the path of pipeline, call it a sacred space and expect the project to come to a halt. But on the other hand, laws protecting freedom of religion and treaty rights… guarantee Ojibwe peoples’ right to practice their culture and traditions on these lands.
Dawn Goodwin says she thinks about this often.
GOODWIN: We are all treaty people. We need to protect our environment. Things have gone too far. Climate change affects our traditional life ways - because we depend on having a stable environment, we need clean water in order to harvest and live off the land.
For now, the Fond du Lac tribal monitors are assessing the cultural significance of the wooden lodge on the anticipated pipeline route. Eventually, they will recommend how to move forward - which could be building the pipeline through the lodge or around it.
In the meantime, both the Red lake Band of Chippewa and the White Earth Band of Ojibwe have filed an appeals to overturn the state’s approval of the Line 3 pipeline.
And the Native led environmental group Honor the Earth has filed a motion with the Public Utilities Commission to stop all pipeline construction while that appeal is pending.
The hearing for the Honor the Earth motion is set for Wednesday December 23rd.
This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
On December 11th a bill passed by the U-S House and Senate was presented to Donald Trump. The bill would restore 11,760 acres of land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
Reporter Melissa Townsend talked with Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe District 3 Representative Leroy Staples Fairbanks about this welcome news.
The land was illegally taken from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe by the U-S Secretary of the Interior in the 1940s and 50s.
But only an act of Congress could repatriate the land to the Band.
When the bill passed the U-S House and Senate earlier this month, Leroy Staples Fairbanks says there was no celebration or a ceremony.
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: I think there was a sigh of relief like - oh it did happen, it did pass? (:05)
The Leech Lake District 3 Representative says the tribe has been working on this for years.
The original bill was introduced in 2018.
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: We’ve gotten quite far on this particular legislation before and we got to the finish like and ran out of gas. Things happened in DC. So you are hesitant to get too excited, although indicators were showing that it was going to happen.
He says he was alerted that the final House vote was going to actually happen on December 3rd.
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: Hey, it’s going to happen around this time and people were watching. (:05)
And many Leech Lake citizens had a lot of questions.
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: I ran into people the following day - and they were hearing about it on social media and the were saying what =does this mean? Why are we getting back 12000 acres and so I said it means we smile and we enjoy the day. And these were some elders. And I said you haven’t seen this happen in your lifetime and who knows if we’ll see it again in my lifetime. So this is a big day for Leech Lake. (:21)
This deal involves the nearly 12000 acres of what is officially called Secretarial Transfer Land. In the 1940s and 50s the Secretary of the Department of Interior transferred the land to the Chippewa National Forest.
Leroy Staples Fairbanks says there was a lot of people paying attention to this land repatriation effort. That includes industry in the area, units of government from townships to towns to counties, and those who have leases and easements and contracts on some of this land.
There were those who supported the effort and those who opposed it.
Staples Fairbanks it’s taken years to negotiate and make compromises to get these 11,760 acres back to the tribe.
The specific parcels have not yet been identified.
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: We have a lot of work to do with the Chippewa National Forest in identifying how this map will look going forward. (:06)
Leech Lake representatives will report back to Congress 180 days after the bill is signed with the final map of repatriated lands.
So now, all that’s needed is for Donald Trump to sign the bill into law.
It was presented to the President on December 11th.
MELISSA ON TAPE: Are you concerned at all that President Trump won’t sign it?
STAPLES FAIRBANKS: Me and Donald were tweeting each other day and he confirmed [laughter] I’m just kidding. The politics of it all - I think - there was Republican support that I don’t really have that concern although I have the weariness of overly excited until the ink is on the paper. (:23)
As of December 16th, the President has not yet signed the bill.
STORY #2
In othernews — later this month Wonder Woman makes her return to the big screen - or to your television set or computer since we’re all at home these days… 17 year old Lakota comic book expert Gerald Zinc has this preview of the upcoming movie.
Wonder Woman 1984 is the direct sequel to the Wonder Woman movie from 2017. It features the two main stars of that movie, Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, and it is set in the year 1984. The movie brings two of Wonder woman’s most famous villains to the big screen, Maxwell Lord and The Cheetah.
Maxwell Lord is a character in the comics who has the ability to mind control people, and - in the comics - he is famous for forcing a fight between Superman and Wonder Woman. The movie version of the character seems to be highly modeled on the public persona of Donald Trump in his 1980s era. Going by the trailer, the character also appears to be a politician, who claims to offer anyone their base desires.
The Cheetah will make her first appearance in Wonder Woman 1984. The character will be played by actress Kristen Wiig, a well known actress in Hollywood. The movie features a more modern take on the Cheetah from the comics, even though the trailers are intentionally vague about the character’s motivations.
Also featured at the end of the trailer is the golden Wonder Woman armor from one of the best comics DC has ever published, Kingdom Come. The suit fits well with the 1980s inspired aesthetic of the rest of the trailer, and it is great to see the imagery from the comics getting its due on the big screen.
For Minnesota Native News, this is Gerry Zink.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
A new catalog from the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance highlights Native artist products and shops in time for the busy shopping season.
Reporter Leah Lemm has the story...
STORY #1: New Catalog Encourages Shoppers to Buy Native
Reporter: The MN Indigenous Business Alliance is in its 12th year of operations, with the last two as a nonprofit. This year they came out with their kick-off Winter Solstice Art Catalog.
Pamela Standing: My name is Pamela Standing. I am the Executive Director for the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance, our mission is to ACT. And ACT is: align partners, connect our native businesses to resources and transform our tribal economies. What we really are is we're a very extensive resource hub.
Reporter: The MNIBA business directory supports about 250 Native businesses. Pamela Standing explains that MNIBA supports businesses and entrepreneurs in ways that are right for them, not pushing into a prescribed method of doing business. For example...
Pamela Standing: Things are coded in our DNA. They're so deeply engraved in our languages about how we conduct business, how we treat one another, how we market, you know, how we how we're honest with one another when we trade.
What I love about the work that we're doing right now is that we're going much deeper into those principles and practices and processes that are engraved in our language.
Reporter: Now, MNIBA is adding an artist catalog to the mix of ways it supports Native businesses. Through partnerships with several Native artists, as well as a working group of Native led organizations that serve artists, the catalog was created.
The Winter Solstice 2020 Art Catalog is over 40 pages of photos of artists’ work and websites where purchases can be made. The cover is a photo of Northern Lights and the catalog colors reflect the blues and purples of the aurora borealis. Among the artists are Adrienne Benjamin her colorful ribbon skirts and Ben Spears with beautiful wood bowls, and so much more.
Pamela Standing: The idea happened so quickly.
When COVID first started, there was such a reluctance with a lot of the people that we were working with to engage in online marketing. And because we're a people that everything's, face-to-face, it's about relationships all of that business that most of our artists do as it's kind of a gig economy.
Reporter: And the in-person gig economy has taken a bit hit due to the pandemic, with powwows, conferences, and other large get-togethers cancelled or moved to online. MNIBA is there to help businesses adapt, and specifically artists in this case with the catalog.
Pamela Standing: When we think about the intricate networks of trade routes that our people developed long before contact, what we're trying to do now is create a virtual network, a new, a new trade path that's done virtually, and that can live on beyond COVID.
Reporter: This particular tool, the catalog is already being put to good use, promoting Native artist business.
Artist Sunday is becoming a part of the shopping season, following Black Friday and Small Business Saturday as a way to encourage shoppers to buy from artists.
So far, Artists are seeing positive bumps in sales. Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing is a Native owned non-profit publisher of Native children's books and is also included in the catalog. Black Bears and Blueberries has seen orders come in where they normally hadn’t before the catalog came out.
Pamela Standing: He's seeing orders coming from out East and they're individual orders where normally their business has really relied on schools, but right now they can't because schools are closed and they're their biggest book buyers. Then bookstores are their secondary one. So they're growing.
Reporter: More and more artists will benefit too going forward. MNIBA plans to make the catalog a quarterly resource.
Find the MN Indigenous Business Alliance on social media or on the web at MNIBA DOT ORG. SEARCH FOR WINTER CATALOG.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Reporter: Theatres have been hit hard by the pandemic, so adjustments are being made.
Now in its fourth year, the New Native Theatre Play Festival has gone online and expanded internationally. The festival is up and running December 3 through the 13th. Rhiana Yazzie is the theatre’s artistic director.
Rhiana Yazzie: So this festival is now a 10 day festival. It's all online and it is a world indigenous festival now. So some of the exciting performers that we have are from New Zealand, Sweden and Australia, we have many first nations folks from Canada that are also participating.
And then artists, native artists from all around the country who are participating in one way or another as an actor or performer in some way or storytelling.
Reporter: And many artists from Minnesota, including three playwrights, whose work is being produced by the theatre for the festival:
Rhiana Yazzie: The first play that we're producing, it's called Don't Put Your Moccasins Under Your Pillow and that's by Lini Wilkins. Who's a local Navajo, a playwright and performer and actor. And she's lived here in Minnesota for 20 plus years.
//Play rehearsal audio//
And also we have a play called The Great Return. And this is a play by a playwright from Northern Minnesota. Lara Gerhardson who is from Red Lake, White Earth and Leech Lake. The third play is called Iceman, the frozen protector by Zane Smith, who is Red Lake Ojibwe.
Reporter: So what does a play festival look like now that it’s online?
Some of the pieces are professionally pre-recorded and will debut at the festival, some performances include stop-motion animation. There will be film elements, some shadow puppetry. And some virtual plays will be done live.
And on top of the plays, there are poets and artist conversations. A really varied and diverse performing art experience.
Rhiana Yazzie: I think that's one of the gifts that the pandemic has brought is that we got to connect with indigenous organizations all around the world and we've had guests: Maori artists/guests, Aboriginal artists from Australia teach classes for us this year. Also guests from First Nations artists from Canada.
It's been really interesting, the brand new connections that we've been making and of course, continuing to nurture our relationships with Minnesota artists. And yeah, it's a really exciting festival.
Reporter: And New Native Theatre, which is based out of the Twin Cities, is bringing together so many Native artists from MN and around the world to focus on... Good Medicine.
Rhiana Yazzie: We were looking at 2020 all of our experiences. And we were thinking, what is the best way that we could contribute to the close of 2020? And we thought it would be great to put out some good medicine.
And so all of this festival has been curated with that in mind. So all of these plays and poetry readings and dance performances, they're all celebrating what it means to have performance be good medicine.
It's really amazing to see how so many indigenous artists around the world are thinking about healing.
They're thinking about where are we moving as a people? Where do we want to go? Where do we want to go from here and how do we heal and, and create cultures and societies that are positive reflections of our ancestry and taking care of our youth and being happy, healthy adults.
Reporter: The Fourth Annual New Native Theatre Play Festival runs Dec 3 through the 13th.
Check out New Native Theatre’s facebook event page and their website for more information.
New Native Theatre DOT ORG.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, a profile of a remarkable leader. Laurie Stern has the story of Terri Yellowhammer, who was just sworn in as a new Minnesota state judge. She will serve in Minnesota’s 4th judicial district or Hennepin County.
A state report released this summer found one third of all Minnesota counties are not complying with the federal and state laws aimed at keeping Native children with their families when there’s a serious problem in the home. Starting in fiscal year 2021 those counties will see a deep cut in their budgets because of the problem. St Louis county – which includes parts of the Fond du Lac and Bois Forte reservations, and the city of Duluth – is one of the counties out of compliance. Today on Minnesota Native News – We ask why St Louis County isn’t complying with federal and state laws to protect Native families in the child welfare system and whether the county will improve after a serious cut in resources? Reporter Melissa Townsend has the story.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
Come January, there will be new leadership in the White House with a plan for Tribal Nation relationship...
and Minnesota tribes band together to assist in fighting wildfires out West.
Reporter Leah Lemm has these stories….
STORY #1: PE BIDEN-VPE HARRIS ON TRIBAL NATIONS
President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris are poised to lead the nation next. During his victory speech, President Elect Biden acknowledged the diversity of supporters that helped elect him.
Pres-Elect Biden: “...I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history. Democrats, Republicans and independents. Progressives, moderates and conservatives. Young and old. Urban, suburban and rural. Gay, straight, transgender. White. Latino. Asian. Native American.”
In early October, their campaign released their plan for tribal nations.
They write that they plan to uphold the U.S.’s trust responsibility, strengthen the Nation-to-Nation relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States, and work to empower tribal sovereignty.
The next administration has many concrete items on the to-do list. A few of which are to:
appoint Native leaders to high level government positions,
defend the Indian Child Welfare Act, and...
Invest in Infrastructure and Clean Energy, including reliable high speed internet for Native households and support tribal efforts to shift to clean energy.
The full list can be found in the BIDEN-HARRIS PLAN FOR TRIBAL NATIONS.
Next up, tribes from Minnesota help fight wildfires out West.
STORY #2: BIA FIREFIGHTING CREW
Reporter: This summer and into fall, wildfires have spread in large parts of the country. Crews were sent to help control the fires, including a crew from tribal communities in MN. They fought the Puzzle fire in South Dakota and the Williams Fork and East Troublesome fires in Colorado.
Ferin Davis: We all represented the BIA, but we're pretty much employees of different tribal nations in Minnesota.
Reporter: Ferin Davis is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band and is the Lead Environmental Scientist for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. They manage approximately 4,500 acres in Scott County, Minnesota, which is just located 30 minutes Southwest of Minneapolis.
Ferin was part of the 13-member crew representing the Bureau of Indian Affairs from Minnesota that went and helped fight wildfires.
Ferin Davis: There were firefighters from Leech Lake, Fond du Lac, White Earth, Bois Forte and, I believe Mille Lacs and then us in Shakopee... This was kind of cool that the BIA was able to pull us all together and send out the first all BIA represented module since the nineties.
Reporter: Ferin points out that part of the relationship between SMSC and the Bureau of Indian Affairs is that their fire fighting crew assists with wildfires, and in turn, the BIA helps with prescribed burn operations in their community.
The first fire they were called to was in South Dakota on the Rosebud Reservation on October 3rd.
Ferin Davis: And so we were pulled there first because we're a BIA crew and BIA manages that land or helps manage that land. It was 150 acre of fire. When we got there, it was kind of cooling down, but what we did was help really kind of put it to bed.
Reporter: Then the crew went to Colorado on the 8th, first to the Williams Fork fire.
Ferin Davis: It was getting really windy in where we're at. There are a lot of dead trees, standing, dead trees. So their concern was that these trees can fall on us while we're working. So when conditions get to be that dangerous, sometimes they'll take a step back and say, okay, we're just gonna reset, take the morning off to rehab your tools, get other things organized. We were basically waiting in our trucks, rehabbing our tools and kind of re-positioning for other things.
And that's when the East Troublesome Creek fire started. So then that afternoon we were kind of pulled over to that fire because whatever available resources they had, they wanted to respond to that.
Reporter: I’m glad to say Ferin Davis reported that the MN BIA crew was safe.
Ferin Davis: That's always the end goal is to go home safe.
Reporter: For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
HOST INTRO:
This week on Minnesota Native News, we get a picture from the polls on election day in Indian country. Reporter Melissa Townsend has that story and more.
STORY #1 - VOTING STORY
MORE THAN 3 million Minnesotans voted in this election. About half of them cast their ballots early with absentee voting. And the other half voted in person on election day November 3rd. Ahead of election day there were widespread concerns about voter intimidation at the polls - so we checked in with a few Native folks on tribal lands to see how it went when they cast their ballots.
Marie Rock who lives near the Leech Lake reservation - and is host of this newscast - voted with her husband and her son at the Cass Lake City Hall.
ROCK: We vote in the primaries, we vote in the regular elections - it’s our big thing. We make sure we always vote. (:06)
She had heard the buzz about possible voter intimidation at the polls, but she jokes she wasn’t worried.
ROCK: To me, if anyone tries to interfere with me I’ll go to jail, ‘cause I’ll fight them. But that didn’t happens and I kind of knew it wouldn’t.
Overall Rock says it was a pretty sleepy scene.
A little northwest of Marie Rock, George Strong, citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, says the same was true for him
STRONG: I just walked right in, greeted friendly and just kind of moved along the line.
He voted at at about 9 in the morning at his polling place, the Greenwood Township Hall near Tower Minnesota. He said the only thing out of the ordinary was the weather.
STRONG: It’s so beautiful! What it’s like 57/59 degrees. It was just a picture perfect fall day.
Strong says one of the most important issues for him this election was a return to real civic dialogue.
STRONG: That we bring some civility and talk about issues rather than create these monsters against each other.
And finally down in southwestern Minnesota, Cheyanne St John, member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community says it was peaceful at her polling place too. She says there were just a handful of voters at the Redwood Falls Fire Station.
ST JOHN: It was really neat because when the other voter got up and left, I noticed the greeter immediately came into the room and began to sanitize the area where that person was sitting. I thought it was really neat they were doing things in a safe way.
Joe Biden won the vote for President in Minnesota but as of the time of this newscast - the overall winner has not yet been announced.
STORY #2 - BUGONAYGESHIG SCHOOL AMPS UPS WIFI FOR STUDENTS
In other news— a story from the BUGONAYGESHIG school on the Leech Lake reservation. The school serves 220 Native students in northern Minnesota. When they started distance learning last March, Dan McKeaon, the school’s administrator says they knew they couldn’t do online learning.
MCKEON: We knew that that wouldn’t work because there were roughly 50% of our households without reliable internet connection. (:07)
Internet access is patchy across rural parts of Minnesota. So last spring, school buses traveled door to door handing out paper learning packets and food to BUGONAYGESHIG families. But McKeon says that didnt’ really work very well.
MCKEON: Boy to be frank, a distance learning program that’s not online that we operated las spring - it failed pretty miserably. There wasn’t much teaching happening and there certainly wasn’t much learning happening. It’s just such an extraordinarily difficult to try to teach to put together a packet of things and send it on a bus to get dropped off. It’s jut no way to do it. (:22)
So after a summer of planning, the school has used federal CARES act money to connect more than 90% of their students to the internet.
MCKEON: This summer we grouped our households into three different priority groups. (:06)
The first priority group had no internet access because they lived in a location were there is no internet access. For them, the school bought hot spots and gave families instructions on how to use them. The second priority group were families who didn’t have internet but lived in areas where they could get hooked up. For them, the school paid for an internet subscription. And finally a third priority group had internet access, and the school took over payments for it.
MCKEON: So we just make it a blanket thing that we are going to pay for internet subscription for each household that has a BUGONAYGESHIG student. (:08)
McKeon says now almost all the families at the BUGONAYGESHIG school are connected to the internet - but they have a ways to go to engage with all their students in distance learning.
MCKEON: To me, this process is like casting a net. And right now the network casting is catching. So to speak maybe 50% of our kids. So now it's like, okay, how do we adjust this net that we're casting so that we pull in another 10% and another 10%, so that if we have to do this all year we're engaging 90% of our kids, rather than 50% of our kids.
Dan Mckeon BUGONAYGESHIG school administrator says it’s a work in progress.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
This week on Minnesota Native News, Native communities get out the vote and a handful of Native organizations get 10-million dollars in the state bonding bill.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up…
A beadwork art exhibit in Duluth goes virtual…
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with the story….
STORY #1: MANIDOOMINENS: STILL BEADING AFTER 10,000 YEARS
Reporter: During a year of many adjustments, including live virtual music events, working from home, schools online…. art exhibits have found a home on the web as well.
Ivy Vainio: My name is Ivy Vainio. I am a direct descendant of the grand Portage band of Ojibwe in Northern Minnesota up the North shore. We knew this was going to be the art show of the year of the century, as I always say. But since Covid hit and we can't have anybody come in, we decided to create a online virtual 3d gallery of the gallery with all of the work.
Reporter: Ivy Vainio coordinates the cultural art gallery program among many other things at AICHO.
MANIDOOMINENS: STILL BEADING AFTER 10,000 YEARS is an exhibit that has been a year in the making, and as with most events, it had to be re-thought out and adjusted for life in the pandemic.
Ivy Vainio: So when artists came in to drop off their work for the show, I'm a photographer. So I took a picture of each of the pieces and I, um, was able to go into, um, it's called art steps.com, and it's a free virtual create your own virtual gallery program.
It took me eight hours straight to put that show together. But once it's done, it's just amazing.
Reporter: In the virtual exhibit, you can go on a guided tour, scroll over one of the pieces and click on it. And it brings up a larger picture of the beadwork piece. More information also pops up about the artists, where they're tribally enrolled and a description of the work.
And it’s all laid out virtually, as it’s laid out physically in the space.
Ivy Vainio: so it's just a really cool, um, second best option for seeing it in person.
Reporter: And that’s how we’ll need to enjoy the exhibit for now. The gallery at the Dr Robert Powless Cultural Center in AICHO isn’t a standalone gallery. It’s in the same location at housing and offices, so right now the online experience is the safest route for everyone.
Wendy Savage is the curator for the art exhibit MANIDOOMINENS: STILL BEADING AFTER 10,000 YEARS. Wendy has been an artist for over 40 years and has been beading since she was 17.
Wendy Savage: I'm Wendy Savage. I'm an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa tribe Lake superior band, uh, fond black reservation.
Wendy Savage: The title of the show is, uh, the Ojibwe word for, uh, beads and it's MANIDOOMINENS, which means tiny spirit berry. And the 10,000 years came from an article that I saw years ago when I was in Santa Fe at the Indian market, there was a woman who wrote something about that we've really been beating for 10,000 years.
Reporter: 10,000 years is a surprise to some, as the history of seed beads doesn’t stretch that far back.
Wendy Savage: We didn't have seed beads back then, but we didn't need seed beads because beads are made from different things. They were made from coral. They were made from shell. They were made from clay. They were made from stone. They were made from bones and horns and talon and beak and teeth. And then semi-precious gems of gold, silver, and copper.
We have always highly, highly decorated ourselves. And, uh, I think we need to know that we have been beading for 10,000 years.
Reporter: There are several styles of beadwork in the exhibit.
Wendy Savage: We have about four or five pouches beaded pouches that are, that are in the exhibition.
Reporter: There are also flat beaded pieces, many that may be incorporated into other works after the exhibit.
Ivy describes a multi-media piece that’s on display from a young person from Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe.
Ivy Vainio: It’s nothing like you'll ever see. He put LED lights into this piece and coded it to where it would light up different spots. It's a multi multimedia piece. He watercolored the back ground. And then on the top is a, uh, fully beaded, um, layered, uh, Thunderbird and the, the what's the water creature. Oh, it's the underwater pants or Mishy pest shoe. Yes. And that is, uh, also fully beaded and that's on the bottom. And then right in the middle is the Corona virus. And they're both battling COVID virus to keep us all safe.
Reporter: MANIDOOMINENS: STILL BEADING AFTER 10,000 YEARS is funded in part by a grant from Arrowhead Regional Arts Council.
Link to the virtual exhibit can be found at the American Indian Community Housing Organization website. Aicho DOT ORG. And head over to the art exhibit page. That’s A-I-C-H-O DOT ORG.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, we check in with two promising developments.
I’m Marie Rock
First, there’s a new urban farm with a focus on indigenous food and medicine.
And second, and update on housing in the American Indian Cultural Corridor.
Laurie Stern has both stories.
Sound of blessing
When we think of Mother Earth we think of the forces that created her and all the creative forces inside of her
That’s Hope Flanagan blessing a strip of land that will soon become a place of nourishment and healing.
Hi, my name is Elizabeth Day. I'm from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. And I worked at Native American Community Development Institute, NACDI. And one of the programs that we run is the Four Sisters Farmers Market and the Four Sisters Urban Farm.
Today is indigenous peoples day. And today, we are out here celebrating the community and the launch of the Four Sisters urban farm.
The farm will run along the Midtown Greenway, a block north of Lake Street, between Bloomington and 18th Avenues. It’s not much to look at now, but there are vision boards posted and visitors from the neighborhood are asked what they’d like to see. Among the choices: a rain garden, perennial grasses, medicinal herbs, walking paths, raised beds, produce to harvest, and gathering spaces of various shapes and sizes. This is Four Sister’s Farm Manager Mel Anderson:
Why here? Wonderful question. Um, historically, this has been a site that has seen a lot of crime and unfortunately, some trafficking in the past. And so we were actually approached by the Hennepin County railroad authority about utilizing this space and trying to do something positive with it. And so we wanted to have a farm site with the four sisters farmers market, and this seemed like the perfect location.
Hennepin County, in partnership with Midtown Community Works in partnership with knack D came together with community and this this land, the sacred land to say what is it that we want to see here? How can we give back? What about food access? How can we make this a space for community to come together and heal.
That’s Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley, who grew up in this neighborhood. As you heard, the project is a partnership between the county and the Native American Community Development Institute. The partners are eager to hear from neighbors this fall and winter, so they can plant the first seeds and build what needs building next spring.
(singing and applause)
A mile north of the farm site, on the corner of Franklin and Cedar, hundreds of people lived in tents in what was called the Wall of Forgotten Natives. That was two years ago. Last year, Red Lake Nation broke ground on a new housing development there.
Groundbreaking sounds
The 110-unit complex is called mnobimadizin or good life.. Applications are now being accepted, with the first residents expected to move in at the end of this year. This is Red Lake Secretary Sam Strong.
we're gonna not only serve their housing needs, but we're also going to serve their health care needs and may be mental health or physical health. Those services will be provided on the ground floor, we'll have a wellness center, that will be providing all of those necessary services for not only the people that live in the building for the entire community, as well.
we've worked with hundreds of people since the wall, and hundreds of them are currently housed in long term housing, because we work with these individuals, and found out what was going on in their lives. And not just getting them into an apartment, but thinking about their mental health issues, their chemical dependency issues, whatever it is, that prevented them from being sustainably housed, we've learned how to deal with it, we've gotten many people off the streets. And our housing development is just a piece of that whole puzzle.
Staff at the Red Lake Embassy on Franklin Avenue are helping process applications and addressing other needs that applicants may have. As that day-to-day-work continues, Sam and other tribal leaders are trying to change the policy that has left so many community members with unmet needs.
tell me how it's fair, that native people are the most disadvantaged, when it comes to housing, tell me it's fair, that our relatives have to be on the streets. It's not. And so we need to take a good serious look at how we form good housing policy that serves the most disadvantaged, and if it's not doing that, then we should revisit it.
Mnobinidizin is on schedule to be finished by the end of this year and will welcome new residents early in 2021. For MNN I’m LS.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
The 2020 Native American College Fair goes virtual…
And Lt Governor Peggy Flanagan talks about the significance of the Native vote….
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with these stories...
STORY #1: 2020 NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE FAIR
Reporter: For many High School Juniors and Seniors, graduation and beyond is just around the corner.
For seven years now, the Native American College Fair has been providing Twin Cities Native youth and their families an opportunity to learn more about colleges, universities and training programs. A representative from Saint Paul Public Schools on a video released last year... talked about what makes this college fair unique.
Speaker 1: (00:11) They're given an opportunity to meet college representatives from colleges that offer either American Indian studies programming or specific American Indian supports on campus. So it's a little bit different than your typical college fair.
Reporter: Last year, several hundred students attended the fair that was held at the University of MN St. Paul Student Center, but this year to protect everyone’s health, the college fair is going virtual.
The website will be live at least through the month of October, starting on Friday October 9th.
Scholarship opportunities, Videos with information provided by colleges, universities and financial aid opportunities will be on the site.
As well as videos created by a variety of Native professionals and college students, and a recorded panel of college students discussing their educational experiences.
Though the fair is virtual, it allows for even more colleges and students to participate - those who normally couldn’t due to distance.
Find the link to the virtual college fair on the Native American College Fair facebook page. //the site name is really long :(//
STORY #2: NATIVE VOTE WITH LT GOV PEGGY FLANAGAN
Next, the importance of the Native vote with Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan.
Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan: (17:01) this election year is literally the most important of our lifetime.
Reporter: November 3rd is coming up quick. Presidential election, and state and local seats are on the line. It may not be a tribal election, but non-tribal elections affect tribes and Native people, and related policies.
Here’s a portion of my conversation with the Lt Gov on the weekly Special Edition of Mn Native News. COVID 19 community conversations.
Leah: I know growing up, I heard family members, especially native family members talk about just really not wanting to vote.
It's not always true, but a lot of times, um, the native vote isn't one that is sought all the time or Indian country. Isn't something that's necessarily brought up in one's platform. Can you talk a little bit about the importance of the native vote?
Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan (11:04): I totally hear when folks say, you know, like I don't vote in that system, that's on our system and I can, I can feel that because these, you know, every day I get up and I walk into the Capitol and I walk into a system that was not created by us or for us, it was like literally created to eliminate us and it's heavy.
And so, you know, we all sort of carry that with us as we're, we're living and working in a society that oftentimes was not created with us in mind.
Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan (09:33): It's been exciting to watch just the evolution of civic engagement in Indian country.
I think for a long time, we saw especially our neighbors in South Dakota when native folks were registering and turning out to vote, they were flipping US Senate seats, congressional districts.
And we've seen that happen here in Minnesota. We get, we have the power to influence elections when we, when we turn, turn out. So we started off sort of seeing that.
Reporter: More of my conversation with Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan can be found on our website Minnesota Native News DOT ORG, that’s M-N Native News DOT ORG, the program is COVID 19 Community Conversations.
And you can find more information about the Native Vote at Native Vote DOT ORG. Native Vote is a non-partisan initiative from the National Congress of American Indians.
On the site, you can see more data about Native Voting and learn how to register to vote.
Again that’s at Native Vote DOT ORG.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
A recent report from the state of Minnesota shows nearly half of Minnesota Counties that border reservations are not protecting federal rights of vulnerable Native children and their families. Reporter Melissa Townsend has the story.
The Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA, passed in 1978, and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act or MIFPA, passed in1985. Both laws were a response to the long, racist and traumatic history of the US and state governments forcibly removing Native children from their homes. Breaking up Native families has left deep generational wounds.
Priscilla Day, Leech Lake Ojibwe, is Professor at University of Minnesota in Duluth Department of Social Work where she trains social workers. She says that destructive practice continues today with out-of-home placements in foster care and adoption.
"We know kids who are in out-of-home care, they’re much more likely to end up doing high-risk behaviors, they’re more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system and eventually in the criminal justice system. They end up in the cycle where their children end up being removed," Says Priscilla Day.
ICWA and MIFPA require social workers to first find out if a child is a descendent of a federally recognized tribe. Then the laws require that social workers make every effort to keep that child with extended family or in the tribal community while ACTIVE efforts are made to help that family get healthy and stay together.
But a recent report from the state of Minnesota says that is not happening. One third of all Minnesota counties have not followed the laws. That includes nearly half the counties that border tribal reservations. Priscilla Day says it’s partly because of the mindset of many social workers in these counties.
Priscilla Day says "And this is true across the country, child welfare has become system that really revolves rescuing children from their bad families. And it’s structured to remove children."
She says that say of thinking is hard to shift.
"You know, it's hard to break that and, and really switch and say, how can we support these families so that they're able to parent safely."
Nikki Farago is with Assistant Commissioner in the state agency that oversees the counties making out-of-home placements. She is a descendent of the Seneca Nation. She says in her experience, some case workers think the laws are optional and others don’t know how to follow them. And there is racism at play.
"Implicit bias is absolutely at play or explicit bias. It's the reason that the Indian child welfare act was passed in the first place. And here we are 42 years later and we still have the highest removal rate of Native children in the country. It’s simply unacceptable," says Nikki Farago.
Now for the first time, those non-compliant counties will be financially penalized. In 2021, those counties will receive half of their previous levels of state funding for out-of-home placement services. Nikki Farago with the Minnesota Department of Human Services says, this is a financial incentive to follow the law.
Nikki Farago says, "I haven’t seen focused attention on ICWA compliance until now. So the funding source clearly has been a motivating factor for counties. I also think there are many people within counties who welcome this opportunity to have this focus."
Farago says her priority is to offer good training for county social workers.
"What we can get at with training is increased understanding at the outset and better practices at the outset before we see a need for corrective action," according to Nikki Farago.
This past January Priscilla Day and her UMD Colleague Jeri Jaskin, White Earth Ojibwe, began offering a 20-hour training on ICWA and MIFPA for social workers new to the field. Day says it’s like a light bulb comes on for them.
"We hear that every training that we do, they're like, “I wish I, would've known this earlier. I’m gonna do things differently from now on.” And that’s the whole purpose of training," says Priscilla Day.
Day and Jaskin would like to expand this training to all social workers.
"We’re hoping to be able to get fully funded because all workers need training," says Priscilla Day.
The cuts in funding to non-compliant counties create a surplus of 660-thousand dollars in state money. Right now that money is slated to go into the state’s general fund. The state legislature would need to act to divert the money toward training to help county social workers follow the law and help Native families heal and stay together.
This week on Minnesota Native News, concern about falling off the Covid cliff and the story of how one patient is slowly climbing back to health
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up...
Indigenous Lotus builds community and encourages strength and healing through yoga and mind-body connection, and will be hosting a retreat in October.
Plus... a reminder to fill out and be counted in the 2020 US census.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with these stories.
STORY #1: INDIGENOUS LOTUS AND THE MIND-BODY RETREAT
Reporter: Indigenous Lotus, an organization focused on motivating indigenous people to live healthier lives will hold a mind-body retreat in Prior Lake in October. Victoria Marie is the founder of Indigenous Lotus.
Victoria Marie: My name is Victoria. Um, I am Sisseton Wahpaton Oyate. I am the founder of Indigenous Lotus and I'm also a yoga instructor, um, and a mama. (01:18) I just knew I wanted to help people and, um, help them come back to our, you know, their bodies and present moment.
Reporter: Indigenous Lotus classes and workshops, such as Elders yoga, a Yoga 12 step recovery focused on addiction relapse prevention, and soon, Integrative Wellness Life coaching to help apply wellness practice to all areas of life.
And the retreat is another way to practice connection and community.
Victoria Marie: (02:31) the main purpose of the retreat is for community and support and building positive relationships with, you know, our fellow community members. (02:48) we wanted to really think about all the issues we're facing, um, since a pandemic.
Reporter: Victoria and those she works closely with put a lot of thought into what this year’s retreat would look like.
Victoria Marie: (03:13) we decided that this is going to be, um, completely feminine led. We are going to kind of address the lateral violence that happens. We're going to talk about the importance of sisterhood. Um, and along with that community support, so many of our people are, um, going through really tough times. There's been a lot of relapses, um, substance abuse issues, alcohol, um, and so trying to bring everybody together, um, and allow them to leave with that knowledge of how else can I heal? How else can I cope with these things?
Reporter: Victoria has her own journey that has lead her to embracing mind-body connection and yoga. And she encourages others to give the practice a try.
Victoria Marie: I always think about all those things. I went through, teenage mom, being abused, having all these issues going on. And then all of a sudden finding that strength to be like, I am not this, you know, I am not my surroundings. I am not this stigma or these statistics. I am a human being. I'm a mother and I have all this power and I'm going to do something and make a difference, make a change for even one person. But especially for myself, how can I heal me? How can I heal my inner child? My mission is to go and learn all these tools and bring it back to my community.
Reporter: The 2020 Indigenous Mind-Body Retreat is October 10th & 11th ing Prior Lake at the Mystic Lake LINK Event Center. They will also have a video conference for those who can’t attend in person.
Find out more about the Mind-Body retreat and other upcoming opportunities at INDIGENOUS LOTS DOT COM.
STORY #2: 2020 CENSUS REMINDER
Reporter: Next, the Census Bureau is still collecting data for the 2020 census and there is still time to answer. Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan recently stressed during a conversation with Northern Community Radio, the financial implications of each and every person’s response to the census.
Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan: It's incredibly important that for every person counted. We remind folks that it means about $2,800 per year or $28,000 until the next Census. Um, for, you know, these federal dollars that come into the state. I do not want to forfeit those investments in our communities, especially in Indian Country and in tribal communities where we are the most undercounted group 10 years ago, we can't let that happen again.
Reporter: Moreover, Lt Gov expressed the importance of Native voices to be counted and heard.
Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan: People need to know that we're still here. So, um, it makes sure that if you haven't filled out your census, you go to 2020 that gov, or you can call (844) 330-2020…. we deserve to be seen and heard and valued and counted.
Reporter: Again, that’s 2020 CENSUS DOT GOV or call 844 330-2020 to fill out the census.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, a top COVID-19 federal health official, Dr. Deborah Birx, recently visited Minnesota, and talked about her experience with the Fond du Lac tribe in Duluth. We also hear about an online native film festival that features some Minnesota native creators.
Here’s Cole Premo with more.
BIRX VISIT
As August drew to a close, the White House’s coronavirus task force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, visited Minnesota and met with both state and tribal officials.
BIRX: “Good afternoon, it’s really a privilege to be here in Minnesota.”
At a news conference in St. Paul, Dr. Birx said she’s impressed with how Minnesota has responded to the pandemic using a data-driven approach, including the state’s comprehensive testing that has been implemented in long-term care facilities.
However, Birx says she’s concerned with the rate of positive cases the state is seeing in the Twin Cities and surrounding counties.
BIRX: “This state has gone from two, to five, to now nine counties over 10 percent. That trend is worrisome this late into this summer.”
To combat rising cases, Birx is urging Minnesotans to continue wearing masks and socially distance during the pandemic, even if many may be feeling “fatigue” to all the guidelines.
BIRX:“There really needs to be a common sense adaption to everyone’s personal lives..”
In her visit to Minnesota, Birx also stopped in Duluth and met with tribal officials of the Fond du Lac of Lake Superior Chippewa.
BIRX: “They were really terrific… I was impressed by their ability to support institutions for isolation within their community, really ensuring they have the resources to prevent outbreaks.”
Dr. Birx said Fond du Lac’s efforts -- and the efforts of tribes across the nation -- is a good thing to see, given that Native Americans are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in the country.
Birx says Native Americans, who were already suffering from health disparities pre-pandemic, are more likely to suffer life-threatening complications due to COVID-19, compared to other racial and ethnic groups nationwide.
BIRX: “We know… across the country still, the No. 1 group that has the most fatalities are our native americans, so we need to focus resources to fit their needs,” Birx said.
In Minnesota, about 620 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed among the native population in Minnesota so far. Thirty-three of those cases resulted in death.
---
In other news, a film festival for indigenous-made films is now underway.
Vision Maker Media’s First Indigenous Online Film Festival will run through October 5, and features five genre categories with over 30 films.
Some of the films featured include “The Boxers of Brule”, a documentary following a girls boxing team in the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, and “Rustic Oracle”, a dramatic feature about a family searching for a girl who vanished from their small Mohawk community in Canada.
A bit closer to home, one of the films featured is a creation of youth at Nay Ah Shing School of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and directed by Red Lake Nation band member and artist, Jonathan Thunder. It’s called “Powwow Highway: The Lego Movie”, which is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the film, Powwow Highway.
It’s a stop-animation short produced as part of an animation workshop... youth took on roles of animators, actors, co-directors and set designers.
MOVIE SOUND
The sets are creative, with lego characters driving through various landscapes.
MORE SOUND
Vision Maker Media, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based organization, was founded more than 40 years ago with a mission to engage and empower native storytellers to share their voice and stories with the world.
For more information on the film festival, check out visionmakermedia.org. That’s visionmakermedia.o-r-g.
I’m Cole Premo.
[theme music]
This is Minnesota Native News I’m Marie Rock.
Anishinaabe writer Marcie Rendon has just been awarded the prestigious McKnight Distinguished Artist Award for 2020.
Rendon is a citizen of the White Earth Nation who lives in south Minneapolis. She is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, play write, author and poet.
The McKnight honor comes with 50-thousand dollars.
Reporter Melissa Townsend talked with Rendon about her work and the most recent recognition.
Marcie Rendon says she feels grateful, honored and humbled by the recognition.
RENDON: It was not something that I expected or even knew about - like it was totally not on my radar at all as a possibility.
And it was intended to be a surprise.
RENDON: Laurie Pourier of first People’s Fund had sent me an email asking me if I would do a Zoom meeting about my writing in the coming year. I said sure. So I signed on to the Zoom that day. And there were all the peoplle from the Twin Cities and Laurie and that’s how they told me and that’s when I burst in to tears. [laughter]. (:24)
Rendon is the first Native woman ever to win the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award which was first given in 1996.
She says she sees amazing Native women artists all across the state.
RENDON: And I might have even said it to the people on Zoom is I can think of a 100 other people who deserve this award. You know Laura Youngbird’s work, Wendy Savage, Karen Savage, you know that whole Savage family up in Fond du Lac. Sara Agaton Howes… I mean I could just go on naming names naming names. In arts and even in writing, women tend to always be thought of second - so I think we are the backbone of creativity in this region, in this landscape. (:32)
Rendon says she’s been writing poems and stories since she learned how to write.
In 1978 she moved from White Earth to Minneapolis to get a job to support her children.
The company she worked for went out of business but gave Rendon a year’s pay as severance.
She says that gave her the chance to do the three things she wanted - take care of her kids, sew and write.
She went on to get paid writing assignments for community newspapers and magazines and she landed couple of key writers programs where she was able to get the time and resources to dig in - [the Loft Inroads Writers Award for Natives and the Norcroft women’s writing retreat.]
One of her early mentors was the wonderful Anishinaabe writer Jim Northrop.
Like Northrop, Rendon’s work is primarily focused on Native people in the here and now.
RENDON: One of the things I’ve tried really hard to do in all of the work that I’ve done is to create a mirror. You know growing up there were no Native books where I could go and look and say oh, this is us - this is may family, this is who I am. And so really trying to create things where other Native pole can point and say this is us. (:19)
She points to David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s new crime thriller “Winter Count” and Angeline Boulley’s “Fire Keeper’s Daughter”.
RENDON: They are current day stories that are coming out that are not locked in the past. (:10)
Rendon has just finished a new play and is working on her third novel in the Cash Blackbear mystery series which is set in the Red River Valley.
On September 2nd she’s hosting a Facebook Live event where she’ll read from the second book and do a dramatic reenactment of a scene from the story.
It’s one of the ways Rendon is trying to connect with readers during the pandemic.
Rendon says she is humbled to receive this year’s McKnight Distinguished Artist Award.
RENDON: You know the word distinguished, That is certainly not a word I would use to describe myself or my work. I am always conscious of writing from my heart. (:17)
Perhaps she doesn’t think of herself as distinguished, but she says this does mark a milestone in her life.
RENDON: As a woman, as a writer, as an artist, I have to own what I’ve done and what I continue to do both for myself as an artist and then for the larger community. Holding a place for other native people and women - young people coming up - or even older women, because I’m certainly not young, you know. (:20)
Congratulations Marcie Rendon.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Last month, the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis had a virtual watch party on social media, bringing together viewers to see what community members are saying about sexual health and and related topics, including why it’s difficult to talk about sex.
We’ll hear more about how the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis works with the community to talk about sexual health.
But first… the US Census is well on its way, collecting information from citizens across the country… And, there’s still time to fill out the Census.
The U.S. Census Bureau has extended the 2020 census deadline to September 30th due to the pandemic.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with these stories.
STORY #1: CENSUS REMINDER WITH IHS DANIEL FRYE
REPORTER: The Indian Health Service is a critical program…. Of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services… providing healthcare to American Indian/Alaskan Natives nationwide.
The Indian Health Service or I-H-S uses Census data to plan its programs… and to determine funding formulas and more.
But, when it comes to Native representation in the US, the trend has always been under-representation, which has negatively affected many areas including: Native visibility, political clout, reservation economic development…. and Federal funding allocation.
Daniel Frye is the Bemidji Area Director of the Indian Health Service:
Dennis Frye: As a Native American, I want to see us properly represented, that's a fact. So, you know, I was happy to fill out my census. And you know, there is urgency because there's always been either under-representation Racial misclassification in Indian country.
And all those things are tied to when Congress is looking at how we're going to appropriate dollars.
REPORTER: You can still respond to the census by phone, by mail, or online. More information can be found at 20-20 CENSUS DOT GOV.
Reporter: Next up… the challenge of reaching people with sexual health education.
STORY #2: INDIAN HEALTH BOARD OF MINNEAPOLIS SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENESS
Delilah Robb: (00:16) my name is Delilah Robb. I'm a community health educator at the Indian health board of Minneapolis and the Indian health board is a clinic that's located in the Phillips neighborhood. It's been there for almost 50 years.
Reporter: Delilah Robb is Turtle Mountain and her works revolve around educating all age groups about sexual health.
Delilah says that many parents and grandparents never received sexual health education.
Delilah Robb: (02:23) there's a long history of reproductive abuse against American Indian women. And that really is rooted from like forced sterilization. Um, so I really try to be mindful about like, let's just educate so our community can make their own informed decision.
(15:03) I’m American Indian myself, um, and growing up, I feel like I didn't have all the answers that I wanted, um, and I needed. Um, and I didn't even realize that I needed that information until I was in my twenties
REPORTER: The sexual health program is funded by the Minnesota Department of Health and strives to reduce STDs and unplanned pregnancies… and so much more…. Delilah talks about sexuality beyond those immediate issues, as well.
Delilah Robb: (04:57) when I try to describe what sexuality, um, is, is to people, I like people to think about a pie and we all have these different pieces of the pie and our sexuality is made up a lot of different things.
It's not just the physical aspect of ourselves. It's our, um, reproductive health, it's our body image. It is our sexual orientation. It's our gender identity. It's how we express love and affection. So I always try to like, get people to think about, um, sexuality in a more holistic way.
REPORTER: And through these aspects that are a part sexual health education, Delilah relates to culture and values….
Delilah: (07:52) our stories have, um, lots of are a story can have a lot of different types of lesson in it, lessons in it where it may not specifically be about sexual health, but there may be a lesson in there about treating each other with respect.
So those are the types of things that I, I would like to incorporate into the education that I do.
REPORTER: Delilah is open to answering questions. She can be reached by email at Delilah.Robb@indianhealthboard.com. That’s DELILAH DOT ROBB @ indian health board DOT com.
For MN Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Headlines
Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, new leadership at the M-I-W-R-C and plans for a new shelter in the Phillips neighborhood.
Story #1 Shelter
Marie: The Coronavirus pandemic has made a lot of problems worse, but one of the biggest is the housing crisis. That’s why the state, the city of Minneapolis, and Hennepin County are partnering with the American Indian Community Development Corporation to build a new shelter. A-I-C-D-C runs another culturally specific shelter, but it’s just for overnights. The new one will be different.
Mike Goze is the C-E-O of the A-I-C-D-C.
this will be a 24 hour facility. So people will, in fact, almost live there. We're hoping that people will get signed up for 30 days. And so they have a place that they can go to and as this as their apartment or their their home.
People will have to apply to live at the new shelter, and sign up for 30 days at a time.
we're putting in real beds, there'll be a locking wardrobe, and a chair for folks. We also are doing locking foot lockers. So there will be some storage for folks.
The shelter will replace a box factory that’s on the site now. That site is between Cedar and Hiawatha Avenues, just south of Franklin. It’s where the large encampment set up last year. The Red Lake Nation is building an affordable apartment building next door to where the new shelter will be.
for this part of the population, sometimes it's hard to go from homeless to an apartment without any steps in between, you know, and so we look at how we can get people into maybe a harm reduction type living situation, to help them stabilize to get into a position where they can have an apartment and meet all the expectations.
Both developments hope to open later in the fall.
Story #2 M-I-W-R-C
Marie: The Minneapolis Indian Women’s Resource Center has a new leader. Former executive director Patina Park is now director of Tribal State Relations. Reporter Laurie Stern has more about the woman who’s taking her place.
Marissa Miakonda Cummings is introducing herself in her language, Omaha,
Our language actually is both Algonquin and Souxian. So we have a long history and tradition of being connected and close to those two communities. So I feel very thankful to be welcomed into the Minneapolis area and what is now called the state of Minnesota.
Miakonda Cummings explains she is the oldest of seven siblings, the matriarch of her family since her parents passed away. She has four children, the youngest will be a senior in high school this fall.
My partner and I also have four little Omaha relatives ages 60 1—in our home.
Cummings is from Sioux City. She went to college at the University of Iowa and for a while, worked for the Omaha Tribe. She helped found the Office of Violence Against Women at the University of South DakotA, and became the director of Native American Student Services there.
There was one where students could merge both cultural identity into mainstream Western education. And I felt like that was so important for us to be able to make ribbon skirts and do programming around things that are important to our students culturally, as well as be able to, you know, learn about other things that you learn about in college. So we really had a strong network at the Native American cultural center there.
While at South Dakota, Cummings got her Master’s Degree in Tribal Administration from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. There she learned about nation and community building and about indigenous practices from sustainable food to healing from patriarchy in both the community and from colonialism. Now she can’t wait to put that experience to work.
I’m really excited to better understand the programming that they're doing. To meet the community. I mean, it's just kind of difficult in this time where normally we would do things around food and community building and interpersonal contact. And right now we kind of have to put that on hold for the safety of our community.
Cummings and her family moved to Minnesota at the beginning of August. She started her new job August 5th. For MNN I’m LS.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
In the U.S. there are more than 1400 unresolved American Indian and Alaska Native missing person cases… 136 of those cases are in Minnesota. That’s according to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.
Several top federal officials were in Bloomington, on July 27th to announce the creation of a new office dedicated to solving these cold cases. Minnesota’s office will be the first of seven across the country.
Officials on hand for the announcement included David Bernhardt, who is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Tara Katuk Sweeney, who is the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, and Ivanka Trump, a Senior Advisor and daughter of the President.
But the announcement was a surprise to Native leaders in MN who have been working tirelessly for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with the story.
STORY: MMIW SURPRISE OFFICE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVT
Minnesota has long stood with families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Songs, prayers, powwows, events, and marches have brought awareness to the vast and deeply painful reality of what is recognized as an epidemic… all the while supporting and building community.
Minnesota has a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, lead by strong MN Native Voices, that has been bearing the responsibility for doing this difficult work. Which is why leaders were surprised and concerned when this announcement came:
Tara Sweeney: I want to welcome all of you to the official and long awaited opening of the missing and murdered cold case office here in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Reporter: Tara Sweeney, who is Alaskan Native, is the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This new Cold Case office grew out of The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice, which was formed under Executive Order signed in November 2019.
Tara Sweeney: The mandate of operation Lady Justice is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the legitimate concerns of American Indian and Alaska native communities regarding missing and murdered people.
Reporter: The goal of solving cold cases is widely supported. Yet, what raised alarms was how the administration left out voices from the communities it’s supposed to serve when announcing a Cold Case office in the Twin Cities.
State Representative, and descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Mary Kunesh-Podein is the chair of MN’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's taskforce. She spoke at the rally held near the Bureau of Indian Affairs, expressing concerns about the administration’s sudden actions.
Speaker 1: It was the first time I heard about it. I reached out to other elected officials and other people that were working on our task force and nobody knew anything about it.
We want to work with the federal government, but when the federal government creates these kind of bureaucratic departments without the collaboration, without the voices of the people they are supposed to be protecting that they are investing in. That gives us a question. What is the mission of this department? We cannot find any information anywhere.
Reporter: Rep Mary Kunesh Podein has listed several ways a real difference can be made. Including passing the 2020 Violence Against Women Act.
Mary Kunesh Podein: That is the first thing they need to do, because that provides those extra protections for our women and our children, especially on reservation.
Reporter: Bois Forte Elder Sharon Day was also at the rally.
Sharon Day: It's just really kind of a slap in the face to people who've been doing the work for so long.
Reporter: Sharon and I talked about Ivanka Trump’s speech which stressed that her father’s administration is committed to pushing forward policies empowering tribal communities.
Sharon Day: We know it's not true. He's been trying to push through environmental policies that will hurt us. He's fought to get these pipelines and he’s undone everything that's been done to protect the environment.
Reporter: In my conversation with Sharon Day the red flags keep adding up that show the inconsistency of the administration’s commitment to protecting Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
Another voice expressing concern is State Representative and Anishinaabekwe, Jamie Becker Finn. She posted this statement to social media.
Rep Jamie Becker Finn: Donald Trump repeatedly uses derogatory slurs and phrases to refer to Native people. And in particular Native women, as early as this spring as administration dragged their feet and getting needed COVID relief funds out to tribal nations.
Donald Trump's decades of hostility towards indigenous people can not be undone with one cheap political stunt.
Reporter: Again, Representative Mary Kunesh Podein:
Mary Kunesh Podein: Once again have been left out of that conversation, we're once again are being told, “we're going to do this for you,” but they are not saying we're going to do this with you. And so at the end, it leads to the question, why are you doing this? And our response to that is that our women are not for show. They're not a photo opportunity.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Families and school districts across Minnesota are thinking about what the next school year may look like for teachers, children and families. The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing districts to consider distance learning with kids doing lessons at home on computers. Reporter Melissa Townsend talked with Native educator Govinda Budrow about lessons learned from distance learning last school year and how it might change for Native students in September.
This week on Minnesota Native News, why we should care about the recent victory of the Creek Nation over the state of Oklahoma in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
It’s been over three years since a group of Ball Club youth came together with the support of their community, to build a new park for area kids to play in and for the community to enjoy.
They’ve worked alongside the Ball Club Local Indian Council… an area group called the Circle of Healing… and a playground project manager.
The park they envisioned, designed, and planned, was set for a grand opening early July but, like many projects during this time, it’s been delayed.
However, the effort to build the park - that centers culture and inclusion - is still going as strong as ever.
Here’s Leah Lemm with the story.
STORY #1 - BALL CLUB PARK - A PARK WITH HEART
Taylor O’Shea: (00:04) So it started three years ago and we started having these meetings called Circles of Healing meetings, and we just started off with the drawings and what we want to do the park to look like in the main shape, we started looking through catalogs of equipment and putting it and choosing equipment to go in there.
Leah: That was Taylor O’Shea, She and friends Krissalyn Dahl, and Teona Bibeau are 13/14 year-olds who’ve been friends for years and have also shared in helping bring the dream of a new park to life for their community in Ball Club.
These three friends are a part of a community of people who helped brainstorm and design the up and coming Ball Club Park. And three things come to mind when I hear them speak: Community, Culture, and Friendship.
In early June, work began on the park grounds, and Teona Bibeau and friends were ready to talk.
Teona: (04:36) Well, we just had groundbreaking a few days ago where we blessed the like area that the parks going to go and just for like a smooth, like put together and everything and now it's happening and they got the cement down and we got the equipment. So I'm very excited.
Leah: They all agree the old park needed to go. Krissalyn Dahl tells me why:
Krissalyn: (02:03) So there was three really old pieces of equipment. The park wasn't fun growing up because it could be really fun if you had the right imagination. (02:20) There was like graffiti on it and stuff like that. There was a broken swing.
Leah: And when I ask about what makes the new one special, there’s not much focus on the newness, but instead the meaning behind it.
Krissalyn: (02:41) we want to put a lot of Ojibwe into the park, like the language itself, just so like kids can learn while they're playing because like we're having fun, but at the same time you want to teach them about their culture.
Leah: And culture is foundational and is represented in the design. Artist Wesley May, citizen of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, has been working with the youth to create meaningful imagery, including a seven teachings mural.
Another touchstone to the park is that when you look at the park from above the whole layout takes the shape of a Mikinaak, or “turtle.”
Krissalyn: (01:41) So a lot of the things that we chose had a certain significance to our culture. So for example, the park is actually in the shape of a turtle, which in our culture means like represents wisdom and in a certain story, uh, the turtle actually sacrifices himself so that the earth can rest upon his back. So it's kind of like symbolizing that in a way.
Leah: Included in the park is playground equipment, a basketball court, picnic pavilion, fire pit and chill spot. But one aspect sticks out.
Teona Bibeau: (04:25) I think one thing that really like it makes me happy about the park is that it's accessible for Taylor, because Taylor is one of my best friends. I think it’s awesome.
Leah: While talking to the group, I can hear that their friendship is part of what helped design the park. They’ve been determined to make sure the park is built for everyone. So while adding items to the list, they’ve made sure the picnic tables, pathways, and playground equipment are accessible. Here, again, is Taylor O’Shea:
Taylor (01:04) So I'm in a wheelchair and they're going to have it's something called a We-Go_Round and it's like a Merry-Go-Round, but you can pull your wheelchair up on it and then you just park your wheelchair and you can go around on the wheel, go around. And instead of like wood chips or sand, we're going to have like squishy kind of terrain. So you don't get stuck. So yeah, it's for all abilities and ages and it's going to be really exciting.
Leah: When everyone can have fun, it just makes it more fun for all.
Taylor (00:48) It's special to me for you much. Cause like the accessibility and I'll be able to go on it with my little cousins if I'm watching them and my little cousins and Krissalyn and Teona. And so it'll just be a really great experience.
Reporter: Photos and updates can be found on the group's fundraising site: Give Mn DOT org SLASH A Park for Ball Club. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Migizi Communications, a longstanding Native organization that supports and empowers Youth, lost its new building to fires that destroyed it and many others during the unrest following the murder of George Floyd.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm speaking to Kelly Drummer, the President of Migizi Communications, about what occurred after Memorial Day and what has happened in the month since.
STORY #1:
INTERVIEW
Leah Lemm: Memorial Day and George Floyd's murder, a terrible event in Minneapolis, and then the resulting protests and lots of destruction that happened. Can you talk a little bit about what was happening at MIGIZI during that timeframe?
Kelly Drummer: Wednesday night, the second night, my husband and I went down at about nine o'clock. There was just more and more destruction happening. We were blessed because that night our building was untouched. Every other business had been broken into. Then on Thursday morning, we had a staff meeting and I suggested that we hire AIM Security, [American Indian Movement] Security.
Kelly Drummer: When the police withdrew from the third precinct, it became just very destructive and I just want to state, I really understand that hurt and anger that was happening in our community. I always feel like out of anger and hurt, sometimes comes destruction. AIM Patrol left at about 12:30, 01:00 in the morning when the liquor store was burning and there was news that the gas lines were going to break. But my husband and my daughter and I ended up staying, ended up seeing the post office on fire and all of the buildings on our street on fire. It was a matter of time when we started seeing cinders falling on our roof and so we left. And then I went back at 05:00 in the morning, about 05:30 in the morning, the State Troopers were there and our building was burning.
Leah Lemm: That's got to be so hard. Can you talk a little bit about what was going through your mind at that point?
Kelly Drummer: You could just feel the frustration, the anger, the hurt that was happening. And it was a very scary experience. I called 911 at about 02:00 in the morning when the post office was on fire, they finally answered and they said they would see what they could do. And I just felt like our systems and everything had failed everybody.
Leah Lemm: Yeah. So I heard, even though so much was destroyed at MIGIZI, the fight with the fire and the sprinkler system going off, even through that, that the medicines you had at MIGIZI were spared?
Kelly Drummer: A huge paper-mache Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman. She was standing in the front and behind was a bookshelf with various pottery and some of the medicines and birch bark baskets. And behind the woman, everything was dry. My mom was there and she was like, "Oh my goodness. Even the matches were dry." You could have just smudged right there. It was pretty amazing.
Leah Lemm: So what has happened since Kelly? Lots, right?
Kelly Drummer: Lots. Lots of interviews, lots of donations. We've raised about 1.2 million. What's really interesting is that donations have come in from all around the country. I would say about 60% of the donations are from other states and other communities. I think it really brought awareness to our native youth and what we provide, but also the need for MIGIZI and what we do. But all these volunteers came out the next day after the fire, cleaned out the building. I think that everybody in the community really felt strongly that they wanted to help.
Kelly Drummer: The first week we spent the time healing. I think that was real closure for me personally, but also for our youth in the community. And the staff have come together, we move quickly, we're still having our programs. It's kind of like little baby steps, day by day.
Leah Lemm: So, Kelly, what does rebuilding look like for MIGIZI?
Kelly Drummer: We have a rebuild committee of our board and we're looking for space in the area to rent, then focusing on what does it look like to rebuild? But we're holding strong together. One of the things that we're doing, we started it last week, is we're putting together medicine bags and kits and a letter to all of our youth that we serve. And we're delivering them to their homes. We have the four medicines and a gift card and a little letter in there, letting them know we're still here.
Leah Lemm: Do you have any other reflections from this last month?
Kelly Drummer: Out of all of this that's happened to MIGIZI and our community, I think that it was needed in order to create the change and to create the visibility of the injustice in our world. If you can come out on the other side, things can only get better. We are blessed with all these people that have come forward and are supporting us.
INTERVIEW DONE
Leah: For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
HOST INTRO: Conversations about changing policing and public safety continue around the state. Today reporter Melissa Townsend talks with one of the people who took public safety into their own hands during the protests and violence in Minneapolis after George Floyd was killed by police there.
Mike Gozee’s office is on Franklin Avenue in South Minneapolis about 10 blocks from where dozens of buildings on Lake Street went up in flames. He is Ho Chunk, and Executive Director of the American Indian Community Development Corporation. His organization owns a number of other properties on and around Franklin Avenue. He says that’s part of why he stood his ground; he knew police attention would be on Lake Street.
GOZE: I knew the focus would be there. There would be nobody who would spend much time - they hardly spend much time here regularly - and then in the case of the unrest 10 blocks south, we’d really be in a world of hurt. and and and…
I went to Maria’s Cafe and I saw Maria and she’s been there at Ancient Trader’s Market which is one of the buildings we own - since it opened. And I talked with her and she said, Mike, I want to show you I redid my whole restaurant: new carpeting, new ceilings, new countertops, redid the bathrooms and she said I spent all my money and I can’t lose this. That’s when I really decided we really didn’t have anybody that would BE looking at our holdings better than we can.
So on May 28th, he put a call out on Facebook saying “protect Franklin Avenue” and he 50-60 people from around the region show up at the parking lot at pow wow grounds…
GOZE: And so we always had a number of people there so we could be deployed to wherever people needed us. (:06)
He says for 9 days they were all running on Adrenalyn. Exhausted, but alert they patrolled 14 properties they wanted to protect.
REPORTER: I don’t know how you feel about talking about fear but is there any point you were afraid?
GOZE: Oh, we were at DIW…
D-I-W is the non-profit division of indian work in south Minneapolis.
GOZE: We had about 6 people there and they called and said hey, we are outnumbered here, we need people and so we deployed about 40 people there. and so all of a sudden there were 40 of us in the parking lot and that’s when they started US Bank building on fire. And then the smoke got so thick that I was handing out masks - everybody had 2 masks on to help us from the smoke and - then there was gun fire. It was literally from a war zone and cars driving up and down the street at high rates of speed. But we stayed there until it became unsafe. Some people stayed there longer because then the movement went down the street and … the danger dissipated a little bit.
REPORTER: So 40 people show up at the parking lot and what do you do - stand there? Does that somehow have an impact?
GOZE: We are present, several of us were armed - you know. And you know there was a little bit of a respect from even the looters about Indian land and the fact that we were there. Several people said - hey, you’re protecting your land, good for you. So that was - I think - that being present helped. no doubt about it.
Goze says he saw evidence of organized white supremacist groups and also opportunists of all backgrounds taking advantage of the chaos.
GOZE: Some people were there just to party. There were girls dancing. They broke into the liquor store, everybody had their beer and they were dancing in the street. Whenever there is an opportunity and people are opportunists, they will take it.
Mike Goze was working in association with AIM which of course started in the 1960’s as an act of resistance over police brutality of Native people. He says policing still needs to change.
GOZE: I believe in the community input into the police, I believe that’s important. I also believe the ills of the people in the street are varied and not everybody is a criminal. And if you look at mental health and … trauma related issues. And if the only way you’re looking at people is through a criminal lens, it doesn’t serve the needs fo the people you may come into contact with.
Goze says, this is a matter of redistributing resources.
GOZE: You have to understand the lack in investment over a decade plus, so we have to look at how resources have to be better aligned to address those critical needs.
...So there is greater investment in the housing and services people need to be healthy and out of harm’s way. That’s harm from the police or anyone else.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
This week on Minnesota Native News, questions of history and justice over a piece of Dakota land on the University of Minnesota campus.
MNN June 10
MARIE: Headlines. This week on Minnesota Native News, primary results are in for members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe - and expressions of hope after a week of protests. Producer Laurie Stern has those stories.
1 Four of the six bands in the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe had contested primaries for chair. At Grand Portage, Bobby Deschampe will be the new chair after winning a majority of votes over incumbent Beth Drost. Incumbent Faron Jackson will be the chair at Leech Lake, and Incumbent Mike Fairbanks won a majority at White Earth. The Mille Lacs Band will have a runoff between incumbent Melanie Benjamin and Carolyn Beaulieu. The general election is set for August 18, when committee member races will also be decided.
2 thank you aim
[ambi painting] That’s the sound of young people creating something new. In this case it’s a mural on the front of Franklin Library down the street from the American Indian Center in Minneapolis.
My name is Missy Whiteman, I belong to the Northern Arapaho and Kickapoo nations. And I am here on Franklin Avenue at the library. And we're working on a thank you mural for AIM and for the native community for protecting the avenue.
Missy Whiteman is an artist and filmmaker and the recipient of many awards including the 2020 McKnight Media Artist Fellowship.
it's really important to have indigenous voices right now, especially when we're talking about rebuilding, and we're talking about, you know, coming into the new world, because we've been a part of, you know, seeing system seeing, you know, society seeing structures that aren't sustainable crumble. And, you know, the best metaphor that I've heard and seen in this movement is the Phoenix. And so we see like murals all around, the Twin Cities, we see that metaphor, because it's like, well, things are crumbling, they're, they're, you know, projects like this, just small, you know , one day projects that are give me think thanks to community, people are coming together and, you know, are helping.
3 Migizi [migizi ambi]
A phoenix rising from the ashes suits what’s happening down on Lake Street at Migizi. Migizi supports Native youth as they claim their heritage and find their creativity. The building burned during the protests, but donors and volunteer are stepping up – and recently there was a unity celebration…[more ambi]. That’s where I met Angelica Deloria, and asked her to file this report:
[Angelica’s story 1:04] Hello, my name is Angelica Deloria. Migizi has kind of been a second home for me just because my brother worked there when he was in high school. And I've known the people for a long time. I really think that the current events that have happened with George Floyd are going to highly impact us here at Migizi. Not only do we have to rebuild our current site, which was burned down, but we also have to help our brothers and sisters within the native community who have been impacted some way either be physically or emotionally during this time. I personally have been reaching out to both my family members and friends who currently are still living on the south side of Minneapolis, making sure that they're okay and staying safe. I grew up in that same neighborhood. So I'm doing everything in my power to help both Migizi and my neighborhood rebuild and thrive during this time of much needed change.
:
buzu Jennifer indigent casca kabhi con and Dune Jabba Hello everyone, my name is Jennifer. I'm 16 and I'm from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. I am also a use a part of the Ikidowin acting ensemble. We do theater activities and plays around our communities. On Monday they decided to draw a mural and George Floyd's name on their building. I got to be a part of this really cool opportunity. And it was super fun to experience. We got there at four in the afternoon and got back at six or seven. And we're going back on Thursday to finish the job. We painted this mural to show that we support the Black Lives Matter movement, and that we stand with you and we support you. My piece was black lives matter. I made it in different and bold colors to catch people's eyes. I wrote matter in red handprints. I felt that that was pretty powerful to write it like that. It shows that how the police department have blood on their hands. And we aren't getting the justice. It was a good atmosphere to be around. And that's what I was up to this week.
Marie tag: Minnesota Native News is eager to hear from more youth. If you have a story to share, leave us a message on our Facebook Page or at 612 430 9368.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Today we look at Native stories, art, and healing ceremony in honor of George Floyd.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm.
STORY #1: ON GEORGE FLOYD
Sounds from ceremony.
Reporter: Native community members in Minneapolis offer healing after the death of George Floyd.
A letter was released by the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors Group. The collective of about thirty Twin Cities American Indian organizations responded to the tragic death of George Floyd and QUOTE “Condemns the murder of one of our fellow citizens."
And George Floyd’s murder has sparked mourning, peaceful protests, and opportunist agitators. Buildings burned, including MIGIZI, an organization in South Minneapolis that is dedicated to empowering Native youth.
But so many helped take care of people during this time of heartbreak. Donations to organizations like MIGIZI have been substantial. Community members have been helping to protect organizations from violence. A week after George Floyd’s death on 38th and Chicago, jingle dress dancers came and danced at the same intersection. The jingle dress has been shared to provide medicine and healing.
Miiskogihmiiwan Poupart-Chapman told her story of witness and healing at the ceremony, and shared these words with MN Native News team member Justus Sanchez:
Miiskogihmiiwan Poupart-Chapman: My name is Miiskogihmiiwan Poupart-Chapman. I'm 19 years old. I attend Augsburg university. I live in this area. I have family members just around the corner. Um, I represent the Minnesota Indian education association and I'm a woman's powwow dancer.
Justus Sanchez: Fantastic. Who are you dancing for today?
Speaker 1: I'm dancing for the people. I'm dancing for healing. I came here with compassion in my heart with empathy. I know how these families are feeling because it happens to ours and it happens to all these families daily. You see it in the news all the time and it's not every day that we get to record what's happening and you know, a movement like this, we're all hurting and I'm here dancing for the people. That's why all these dancers are here. The jingle just came in the 1920s when the pandemic was happening back then too. And it's not a surprise that it's showing back up in these times. We need healing and that's what these dances are for.
SOUNDS
STORY #2: DIVISION OF INDIAN WORK HOLDS ART CONTEST FOR AMERICAN INDIAN MONTH
May was American Indian Month in Minnesota, and had a very different look to it this year through the pandemic and distress in Minneapolis. No celebration, no powwows, no smell of Indian Tacos down Franklin Avenue. but it was still celebrated.
One such event came from The Division of Indian Work. They announced the winners of their Video/Art Contest. Attendees joined over video conference to appreciate the art of the community and to choose their favorites. Hosting the event was Ashley Zukowski from DIW.
Ashley Zukowski: "All of the artwork here was submitted by a large variety of people, mostly in the Twin Cities, but even from Wisconsin. A lot of younger kids, lot of varying age ranges. Uh, we really appreciate everyone that submitted things. I think this is just something fun to be able to look at and experience today. You know, this month has been difficult for a lot of people, especially this week, and it's nice to be able to have something to enjoy and come to."
There were art pieces painted by youth, traditional dancers, and even some lively chalk art all celebrating this years theme of We Are Still Here.
Though there were over a dozen entries, only three could win. Co-host of the event, Afton Delgado, introduced the first place winner Adam Nelson’s piece.
Afton Delgado: "And this is Adam Nelson. So this is a great piece. It really shows the importance of how the Plains and how everyone feels about Bdote, which is the center of a lot of our communities."
Reporter:… with hashtag We Are Still Here displayed in the center.
STORY #3: TASHIA HART RELEASES GIDJIE AND THE WOLVES
In other news, Tashia Hart from Red Lake Nation has a new young adult novel that recently made its debut. Gidjie and the Wolves is the first in a series of books called the Intermediaries. Gidjie, a young Anishinaabe girl has friends and loved ones who are intermediaries, beings who walk as both animal and humans.
Tashia Hart: This series, like this first book gets you in the wolves. It's sort of like the intro into this world.
Reporter: Tashia describes the novel as embracing both the real and the fantastical, all the while embracing Anishinaabe culture and the landscape of Minnesota. Find out more at Tashia hart DOT com. T-A-S-H-I-A H-A-R-T DOT COM
For Minnesota Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
Headlines: This week on Minnesota Native News, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe elections and more. This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
STORY 1: MCT Postponed Primary Happening on June 9
HOST: The 6 Bands who are part of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe are holding their primary election on June 9. Reporter Melissa Townsend has the details.
MELISSA: Mille Lacs, White Earth, Boise Forte, Leech Lake, Fond du Lac, and Grand Portage will be choosing candidates for Band Chairmen and several District Representatives seats. The primary election was postponed from March 31 because of safety precautions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gary Frazer is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
FRAZER: I think the voter turnout is going to be way lower at the polls because they’ve been requesting people vote with absentee over the last month and a half. (:10)
He says tribal leaders are taking a number of precautions to keep voters safe. MCT members can vote by absentee ballot up through June 9.
At polling places, some Bands will practice social distancing and some may require a temperature check before you can vote. If a person has an elevated temperature, they can get an absentee ballot.The candidates who make it through the Primaries will run in the General Election. That’s scheduled for August 18.
In other news… Some tribes in Minnesota are reopening their casinos.
All tribes in Minnesota closed their gaming enterprises in mid-March as a part of social distancing to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Joe Naquanabe, the head of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s Corporate Ventures says that decision to close was really tough.
NAQUANABE: It was really scary knowing what the properties represent to the region and especially the Mille Lacs Band. (:08)
But he says - the decision to reopen is even more difficult.
NAQUANABE: It’s harder because there’s this fact that we will be increasing the same risks that we are trying to avoid by closing. (:13)
The Upper Sioux community opened their doors earlier in May. The Shakopee Mdewaukanton Sioux Community, Prairie Island Indian Community, the Red Lake Nation and the Mille Lacs and the Bois Forte Bands of Ojibwe casinos are reopening this week.
Angela Heikes [HIGH-kiss] is President and CEO of the Shakopee Mdewaukanton Sioux Community Gaming Enterprise. Both Naquanabe and Heikes say their tribes are consulting both with their own internal health and safety departments and outside agencies.
HEIKES: We are really watching and understanding the guidance coming form the federal government, the CDC, different health organizations, coming from the state of Minnesota. We also have our own tribal public health department. (:19)
The casinos are not opening to full capacity so that patrons can practice social distancing. Customers will have their temperature taken at the entrances. Shakopee is requiring everyone to wear masks; Mille Lacs is not. Other tribes around the country are also reopening their casinos.
GILES: Casinos in different states are further along in the process, particularly Oklahoma. (:05)
Jason Giles, Muscogee Creek, is Executive Director of the National Indian Gaming Association. It’s a non-profit advocacy organization for tribal gaming operations.
GILES: To be honest it’s not without its hiccups right off the bat. There are reports of employees showing up a-symptomatic but they have the virus. There have been other reports of people showing up not wearing a mask. (:15)
Giles says there are some tribes who say they will NOT reopen their casinos in the near future.
GILES: There’s plenty of tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico - some of the tribes that just don’t have strong health care systems on the reservation and are a commute away from the nearest hospital, they are at particular risk if the virus starts to spread. They just can’t afford to have it run through their populations. (:20)
Here in Minnesota, tribal casino heads say they will pay close attention to what’s happening and adjust as needed.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
HOST: And finally, The Leech Lake tribal newspaper, the Debahjimon [dih-BOJ-ih-mon] is reporting that the US Environmental Protection Agency has reached a decision on the Superfund site located within Leech Lake reservation boundaries.
The agency has gone agains the wishes of the tribe and has decided to retain the contaminated soil on site rather than truck it off the reservation.
This decision comes after decades of consultation over the St. Regis Superfund site where the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe voiced opposition to this very plan.
The Band is exploring their options for further action.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: Twin cities based non-profit, Dream of Wild health, is expanding its farm operation to help meet community needs.
but first…
STORY #1 - MMIW
Marie: The state of Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force is continuing its work to create recommendations for the state in its response to the MMIW crisis.
Due to the pandemic, no in-person meetings are scheduled for community input, but people can share their stories on-line, over email or on the phone.
Mary Kunesh-Podein: (00:42) If you or someone you know would like to share their personal story of a missing or murdered loved one, we have extended the listening period to May 18th, 2020
Marie: State Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein announced the May 18th end date and encourages the stories be submitted to help guide the work of the task force. Mary Kunesh-Podein stresses that stories will kept private upon request.
Mary Kunesh-Podein: (01:26) please know that your information will be held sacred and private.
Marie: The phone number to submit a testimonial is (651) 280-2661.
Email submission is also available at MMIWtaskforce@wilder.org. MMIC TASKFORCE AT WILDER DOT O-R-G
And, comments can be submitted on the office of justice programs page on the department of safety website D-P-S DOT M-N DOT G-O-V
Transition Music
Marie: Next, Dream of Wild Health is adding 20 acres to its existing 10.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with the story…
STORY #2 - Dream of Wild Health Expands FARM ACREAGE
Reporter: Dream of Wild Health has been providing food to the community through the Indigenous Food Share, Farmers Markets, and Youth Programs, community gatherings and more. Neely Snyder is the Executive Director for Dream of Wild Health.
Neely Snyder: (00:15) we just seen over and over again the, um, the clear need for us to grow, um, to add additional acreage.
Reporter: The additional acreage didn’t look like a reality until the beginning of this year. And the pandemic has added additional hurdles, but food creation is essential.
Neely Snyder: (00:34) at that time, um, COVID wasn't really a thing, but we still had this longterm vision of, you know, eventually growing out that acreage and, um, providing more for our community - just being that provider, but then COVID hit. And, now it's just more apparent that we have to be ready to provide more food.
Reporter: Dream of Wild Health is also providing education and is teaching the food producers of tomorrow, and Neely hopes to grow in that capacity as well, where they can.
Neely Snyder: (04:53) I think it's really going to be a teaching tool for our youth and our community, I'm not sure if we'll be able to expand our youth programs because it's such a closely knit small group of youth that we get to work with. However, when we can bring families out there or have, um, some workshops and things like that, that would be a great opportunity.
Reporter: The land that Dream of Wild Health is obtaining is just a short tractor ride away from the original 10 acre farm. The new land was previously farmed for corn, and it’ll now be converted into a more bio-diverse community of plants, trees, birds and insects. Jessika Greendeer is Dream of Wild Health’s Seed Keeper & Farm Manager.
Jessika Greendeer: (01:28) we've been doing some invasive tree removal at this point, But essentially we're looking at adding different fruit and nut trees in the alleyways. Um, and then not only is it providing a windbreak for our crops that we're growing, but it's also providing habitat for insects and birds.
Jessika Greendeer: (03:19) we're looking at, um, adding a lot of cover cropping and soil amendments to the property. Um, a lot of the trees that are coming down are actually gonna get wood chipped. Um, and then we'll actually reincorporate it back into the soil so that way we've got, um, what they call micro remediation. So essentially adding some more organic matter into the soil to start building it back up again.
Reporter: The process will take years, but it’s already tillable land, it’ll be a bit easier than starting from untouched land.
Jessika Greendeer: (04:03) I'm grateful that we're able to start healing the earth in this particular spot and hopefully it'll help our, our neighbors want to expand that, um, expand that vision for the rest of the community.
Reporter: For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
MINNESOTA NATIVE NEWS: AMERICAN INDIAN MONTH KICKS OFF IN THE STATE, SHIFTS EVENTS DUE TO PANDEMIC
This week on Minnesota Native News, it’s May, and the 51st American Indian Month has kicked off in Minnesota! But this year… things are going to be celebrated a bit differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s reporter Cole Premo with how the month will be celebrated this year -- and more.
ROBERT (:30): “It is an honor to welcome you all to the Indian Month celebration”
That’s White Earth Ojibwe Nation’s Robert Lilligren, the CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, or NACDI… NACDI has helped organize past parades celebrating the month, typically held on May 1 in Minneapolis. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic changed that.
Instead, Lilligren kicked off a month of celebration with a live Facebook video on May 1.
ROBERT (0:40): “Our theme this year is, ‘We are still here -- honor life.’ And things are very different this year then they’ve been in the past...we only care about what we look like from the waist up.”
American Indian Month in Minnesota goes back to 1969, when it was just a week-long event. It began as an effort from the native community to change the way native history was taught in school.
ROBERT: 2:10 “This year, we’ll be celebrating in different ways… we’ll be online.”
Minnesota’s Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan also helped kick off the month on May 1, echoing the month’s theme and reminding those of another important issue at hand.
PEGGY (0:42): “Native people are here and will be here… it’s important as ever to make sure we’re counted by taking part in the census…chi-miigwech.”
As NACDI’s Robert Lilligren said earlier, many activities have shifted online this year and a full month of events are planned. Part of those online events are being facilitated with Twin Cities community radio station KFAI. I spoke with KFAI personality and Leech Laker, Melissa Olson, who talked to me about the special programming and how plans shifted due to the pandemic.
MELISSA: (03:23) it was a shift for us too, because usually we just covered parade on May 1st. We have one entire day of programming. Right. We do it from like eight until midnight. Well, obviously we can't cover the parade. It's not happening. Um, so Kathy, I contact committee, um, just you know, out a month ago, I said, what if we spread programming throughout the month?
Things are getting planned and situated still, but special programming will run on Mondays and Saturdays during the afternoons. On Mondays, part of the focus will be “open houses”... basically giving native organizations who would have normally held an open house during the month… to have a voice on radio and online that day. Some of the participants will be the Minesota Fund and Dream of Wild Health.
Saturdays will be more focused on current affairs, as well as arts and culture. Topics will include census mobilization, health issues.. And on May 23rd, there’ll be a “memorial program.”
MELISSA: (07:50)
“Talk about, um, relatives we've lost during the pandemic and to the pandemic. Um, and the idea is that because people can't gather for wakes and funerals, but it might be appropriate to memorialize, um, family members and relatives that have been lost during this time so that people, um, are able to memorialize in their own ways at home if they listen.”
On the same day, the 23rd of May, they’ll feature an “All My Relations” panel for artists who were going to showcase their work at the All My Relations gallery… that has been canceled due to the pandemic. The talk will also include, according to Melissa Olson…
MELISSA: “To some degree on how cancellation due to COVID-19 impacts artists.”
A lot of information on events happening during American Indian Month in Minnesota can be found on Facebook. Check out the American Indian Month in MN 2020 Facebook page AND the American Indian Month on KFAI Facebook page for the latest events happening during the month.
MELISSA :“I think it’s how native people lead in this moment, right? … ”
So, I asked Melissa Olson, and yes, these radio events will be live streamed on Facebook, too, if you’d like to get involved, leave comments and connect with the presenters -- that’s there for ya.
BIIDAAPI MUSIC PLAYS
AND…. before this Minnesota Native News episode concludes, I’d like to remind listeners that Minnesota Native News has a new podcast series, called Native Lights: Biidaapi. My sister, Leah Lemm, and I catch up with those in the native community… finding connection during these social/physical distancing times. We’ve spoke with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Ojibwe Word of the Day’s James Vukelich, author Marcie Rendon, and many, many more great individuals already, and we’re keeping it going during the pandemic. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts.
Not only that… we also recently released the second season of Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine. We’re so excited. Our second season is filled with amazing guests, telling their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. These are stories of joy, strength, history, and change from Native people who are shaping the future and honoring those who came before them.
Check that out AND Native Lights: Biidaapi. Go ahead, binge it! We won’t judge.
Miigwech. I’m Cole Premo.
STORY #1 - Native Organizations Move From In Person to Online
HOST: As shelter in place orders continue across the state of Minnesota, many tribes and urban Native organizations are moving their work online. Reporter Melissa Townsend spoke with leaders in the Twin Cities about how well it’s working.
REPORTER: The American Indian O-I-C in Minneapolis has moved all its programs online. That includes the accredited high school, the adult basic education and the career training programs. President and CEO Joe Hobot says the organization was well positioned to make this move.
HOBOT: For a good portion of 2018 and 2019 we had been already on-boarding internet based programming as a way to expand our reach, as our community often colocates between their tribal homelands and the twin cities metropolitan areas. (:15)
He says he expects a real drop off in the number of community member she can work with.
HOBOT: The pre-existing economic disparities around digital access really coming to bear in this crisis. Those who have means are accessing the internet based platforms, those who do not are probably the ones most in need. (:14)
Many leaders are concerned with being able to connect with people in the community. Patina Park was until recently the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center. She now works in the Walz-Flanagan administration.
PARK: For MIWRC, how do you provide services that are so needed while still honoring social distancing. How do you do outreach when you are not supposed to be out. (:11)
Park says this can impact the financial health of an organization.
PARK: To be closed, creates a dynamic that they don’t have work that’s billable necessarily. (:10)
Joe Hobot says the American Indian OIC is on good financial footing.
HOBOT: There are some contracts that are based on interfacing with the client and there will be a decline in the earned revenue there. But we should be good through the rest of our fiscal - if you can’t see me, I’m knocking on wood - but we should be good through the rest of our fiscal. (:13)
The Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis recently moved all their services online. Antony Stately is the head of NACC. He says the pandemic has put the clinic in an unstable financial situation.
STATELY: March was a scary month. April we’ve been kind of slowly working our way back. We’ve been able to successfully compete for some of the emergency funding. (:10)
Stately says the Native American Community Clinic is financially OK for now.
Nancy Bordeaux is a Lakota elder who has her own organization training others on how to heal through traditional culture. She is currently in the middle of leading a 12 month training based out of the Minneapolis American Indian Center, but she put it on hold right after the shelter in place order.
BORDEAUX: So I’m working on how to do a day and a half training on-line - the planning, development, and creation of all of that stuff. (:13)
Bordeaux says she believes the work can be just as powerful through online tools and social media.
BORDEAUX: The words that we put out there, the presentation, everything that we put out there, is still healing because we are a spirit. And our spirit travels with those words and our spirit travels with a presentation that we are telling because people can feel it in our hearts, so collectively we are communicating from heart to heart. (:27)
The current shelter in place order expires on May 4th.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend
STORY #2 - MOVIE REVIEW FOR ONLINE VIEWING
HOST: While we are sheltering in place, our film critic Gerald Zink has a few recommendations for movies available on digital platforms. Gerry is a 17 year old comics aficionado. He is Mnicoujou Lakota from Cheyenne River. He posts his movie reviews on Facebook.
ZINK: Bloodshot is based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name, and it stars Vin Diesel as the main character. It is a well done, turn-your-brain-off-style, super-powered, Vin Diesel action picture. Vin Diesel gives a fun performance that does a fine job anchoring the story and action scenes. The action scenes are massively entertaining, with colorful visuals and larger than life spectacle. The plot is the one point where the film stumbles. The writers try to give the story a deeper meaning, but the film focuses so little on them that they don’t really add anything. Bloodshot is an amazingly fun and entertaining super-powered Vin Diesel movie, and viewed under those guidelines it is well worth your time.
Birds of Prey is a Harley Quinn crime drama, that stars some of the most popular C-list characters from the Batman franchise. Margot Robbie finally gets to give the performance she wants to as Harley Quinn, and she does an effective job at centering the movie. The rest of the cast all give great performances as well. Birds of Prey is a surprisingly fun comic book crime drama that does a good job at balancing comedy and humor.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: Businesses, artists, and freelance workers, among many others… are being hit hard by the economic reach of the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions necessary to prevent the spread.
But as times get even more uncertain, there are adjustments and innovations that are being made.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with the story.
STORY #1 - BUSINESSES ADJUSTING DURING PANDEMIC
The University of Minnesota’s Extension Center for Community Vitality, Bii Gii Wiin, and Minnesota’s Indigenous Business Alliance came together tohost a conversation with the the community of American Indian businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs who reside in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Bemidji….
With the hope of further understanding the needs of Indigenous businesses right now, with the goal of helping find solutions and connecting businesses to resources.
Fawn Sampson is the American Indian Leadership and Civic Engagement Liaison for the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality.
FAWN SAMPSON: hoping that we would at least get three, maybe 10 people. So having 22 people, a part of that conversation, just even listening ears was really nice to have. Knowing that there's people that want to collaborate and want to give each other resources in some way.
REPORTER: Business owners, artists were on the call… but also those in philanthropy and other organizations willing to share their knowledge and resources were on the line as well.
The conversation was not recorded to allow for people to speak freely. But a theme that emerged from the conversation was… how can businesses and artists and entrepreneurs continue their work online? While not leaving many behind?
FAWN: this idea of moving things online is somewhat new. A lot of the younger generations can do that, but a lot of the craft in the way businesses work with American Indians is a lot of, you know, face to face selling going to was going to conferences.
So we wanted to see where they were at, if they needed help with technology. I know there's some places that, you know, maybe people use the library, you know, and libraries are colds.
REPORTER: Not only online, but also social media, which can make some people hesitant. So sharing these resources will be crucial. And this conversation is just the beginning.
FAWN: Speaker 1: (16:11) we've already been in conversations of talking about building webinars, having a podcast and kind of bringing in people just to, you know, talk more about either their leadership duties or even just their businesses highlighting businesses.
REPORTER: And in our own conversation, Fawn and I talk about cultural values that will help this work move forward.
FAWN SAMPSON: I think showing up and being present is courageous enough. Being humble, asking for help. A lot of people have to put aside their egos and remind themselves that sometimes we need to ask for help.
REPORTER: And in Duluth, the Indigenous First: Art and Gift Shop is a business that’s kicking their online presence into high gear.
JAZMIN WONG: the website started about a year ago and then we didn't have time to launch until about three weeks ago because it became a necessity to go online.
REPORTER: I spoke with Jazmin Wong who works at Indigenous First. The 3 year old shop is run by the American Indian Community Housing Center, AICHO, and is located inside their building. Even though the doors are locked, Jazmin is still at work, creating emergency food packages for tenants at AICHO and… preparing art for shipment or curbside pickup…
When the pandemic hit, Jazmin knew it was time to launch the site that had once been slowly worked on.
JAZMIN WONG: If you know, all this negativity, at least one thing at AICHO positively that came out of this pandemic, um, and it's getting our website pushed out there so our 70 different native American artists can continue to make an income from Indigenous First.
REPORTER: And the art that’s sold on the site, that’s supporting their artists, range from high quality prints, beadwork and jewelry, to some food items, and even seeds. And Indigenous First is open to new artists, though there is currently a wait time.
JAZMIN WONG: If we take on a new artist, the easiest way is to message us through Facebook, indigenous first arts and gift shop. Facebook. We're currently, we're on pause for probably about another month, but after that we would love to continue to take on new artists and do art shows.
REPORTER: Indigenous First: Art and Gift Shop is on Facebook and can be found online at Indigenous First DOT ORG.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we get an update on how tribes across the state are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also hear about a native film series you can binge while quarantined in your homes .. plus a new podcast series from us! Here’s reporter Cole Premo with more.
Lives are changing drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are out of work, more and more people are holding work meetings virtually, and everyone is making major adjustments. Students are also home from school. Which means families are trying to find ways to keep the learning going. And for Native students, there are online resources that provide culturally focused learning through language and art.
This week on Minnesota Native News - tribes make decisions about how to handle the Covid-19 virus outbreak and a reminder that humor helps heal. Here’s Reporter Melissa Townsend with those stories and more.
STORY #1 - COVID-19 RESPONSES
[Governor Walz]
In his press conference on March 13th, Governor Tim Walz said that the state is working with tribal governments to handle the Covid-19 outbreak.
WALZ: The tribal leadership has sovereignty over making sure… (:05)
Patina Park is the state’s tribal liaison in this matter. Leaders of each of the tribes in Minnesota are taking a number of steps to protect their citizens from the virus.
CHAVERS: We are meeting every morning with our senior management staff at 8:30 at the tribal government building.
Cathy Chavers is Chair of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. She is regularly updating tribal members through the Band’s Youtube channel.
CHAVERS: Events that are occurring on a minute by minute, hourly basis, we need to be aware of what’s to do and procedures and processes to put in place to ensure community safety. (:23)
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is also issuing updates on its Youtube channel.
According to online statements, many tribes have activated their emergency preparedness groups. They are following news from the Minnesota Department of Health and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Across the 11 tribes, meetings, events and gatherings have been cancelled and travel bans for tribal employees are in effect in many places.
As of March 18th, the Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe are the only tribes that have closed their casinos. They have committed to paying hourly and salary workers throughout their furlough.
These precautionary measures and more are in effect until further notice.
Many tribes have created a link on their webpages to find out more abouut the precautions they are taking.
STORY #2 (1:42)
In other news…The State’s new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force is moving forward.The group will create a list of recommendations on how the state can better handle the crisis.Those recommendations are due in December.
The task force had planned a set of state-wide listening sessions where people could come and share their stories. The first listening session was at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in Minneapolis last month.State Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein, a Dakota descendent, is on the task force steering committee.
KUNESH-PODEIN:There are plenty more stories to be heard if folks want to share them and it does help us when we go forward with recommendations with real life experiences.
But the task force has cancelled the remaining listening session because of the Covid-19 outbreak. However, people can still share their stories on-line, over email or on the phone.You can search for M-M-I-W on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website.Or you can call this number: 651-280-2661 and leave a message with your story.
That’s 651-280-2661.
Kunesh-Poein says you can opt to keep your story anonymous if you’d like.
KUNESH-PODEIN: We won’t publicize names, we won’t take these stories public, unless the person wanted to. But these are precious stories and we will treat them with the utmost respect.
There is no word yet if deadlines for the task force recommendations will be extended due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
STORY #3 - COMEDY NIGHT (1:05)
And finally… On April first the House of Comedy comedy club at the Mall of America was supposed to feature its first all Indigenous line-up of comediansRed Lake comic Jon Roberts had set it up.
ROBERTS: The booker had a post on facebook. He was asking for ideas for a new show and I just messaged him my idea - have a Native comedy, indigenous comedians night. It went from there, I think he ran it by the club owners and so they asked me if I could book some comics and…
And he lined up Rez Reporter Rob Fairbanks, Sheldon Starr and Will Spotted Bear. He did call a few female Native comics - just so you know - but they were booked.
Roberts says as a Red laker, comedy serves a special purpose.
ROBERTS: It’s our way of healing - we’re just sharing our stories. And we’re just here to help each other. (:05)
Since the Mall of America is now closed through at least March 31st, you will need to check back with the House of Comedy to find out when this fun show will happen! Eventually, Roberts hopes it will be rescheduled as a monthly event.
The Red Lake Nation has 12-hundred new citizens!
The tribal council voted to approve their enrollment at their February 11th meeting.
This is the first wave of new enrollees after a resolution passed last year changed the blood quantum rules for tribal citizenship.
Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us more.
[meeting sound]
In the Facebook Live video of the February 11th meeting, there is an overflow crowd seated in front of the tribal council.
There is some discussion about whether this is a good idea - to allow 1200 new enrollees into the tribe.
[A lot of people think they’re going to come here and get free medical, free everything…] (:10)
But eventually the tribal chair calls a vote and the tribal council says yes.
And they welcome 1,212 new Red Lake citizens to the tribe.
[welcome home, chi miigwech]
Simone Senogles is sitting in the room watching the discussion and the vote. Her mother is a Red Lake citizen. But she was not.
SENOGLES: I’ve always wanted to be officially enrolled in my family’s homelands.
Growing up, Simone spent the school year in South Minneapolis, but her summers were in Red Lake.
SENOGLES: I spent summers up there with my uncle Bradley Senogles, probably one of the proudest Red Lakers who ever walked the earth. (:08)
She would watch him set nets and clean fish.
As a teenager, he taught Simone how on the Red Lake back roads.
SENOGLES: He had this little house with a picture window in the front and the driveway went right up to the house. And I remember seeing all my little cousins looking at me out the window and I almost didn’t press the break in time. And I could hear my uncle saying wo, wo, wo, my girl, wo. [laughter] (:23)
Simone says she always wanted to be enrolled in her tribe.
SENOGLES: You know it’s like that’s my family, that’s our homeland. But on paper, I don’t officially belong. (:07)
But now — she does.
With the tribal council’s decision to approve the new enrollees, Simone is now an official Red lake citizen.
SENOGLES: I cried when they made the decision. It was funny because here I am almost 50 years old and there was this young girl there. And she cried too. And I was just thinking man, this is really affecting generations now and into the future.
STRONG: That’s the good part of it, seeing the people all in the audience that were very much impacted because their families could finally come home.
Sam Strong is the Secretary of the Red Lake Nation.
He shepherded tribal council action to change blood quantum rules and paved the way for these new tribal citizens.
STRONG: I see blood quantum as mathmatical genocide. Its’ like a cliff. That’s the way it’s been best described to me. When you get a certain number of band members who are in a certain blood quantum range, the next generation isn’t enrollable. And so for us, 85% of our population was between 1/4 and 1/2 blood quantum. (:24)
With those numbers, STrong says, within a 100 years there would be no Red Lake citizens.
But changing blood quantum rules scares folks for a lot of reasons - one of which is a possible big bump in enrollment.
STRONG: How do you make a change that doesn’t drastically impact the tribe and inundate its resources etc. with too many tirbal members?
Strong says the council projects there will be a 10% bump in enrollment; that’s1500 to 2500 new enrollees.
They will study the impact on their recourses and decide what needs to happen next.
Just a few days ago, Simone Senogles got her official letter in the mail welcoming her to the tribe.
It lays out the benefits of being a Red lake citizen and also the responsibilities…
SENOGLES: As an heir to our beautiful homeland, held in common by our people since time immemorial, you now share in the responsibility of sustaining and protecting our pristine environment, our natural resources, and carry on the legacy of our inheritance, our sovereignty, customs and traditions. The Red Lake band of Chippewa Indians welcomes you.
It’s really really - it’s really a big thing. It’s something I waited my whole life for.
Sam Strong expects more enrollment applications for Red Lake citizenship throughout the year.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.
MARIE: This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock.
This week on Minnesota Native News… The Minnesota Attorney General sides with tribal leaders in affirming that the Mille Lacs Band Indian Reservation still exists and has not been diminished…
And… We get an update on a major renovation… now approved for the American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul.
First up… Minnesota’s attorney general has reversed a decades-old policy position and now the state affirms that the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation still exists.
According to Mille Lacs Band Of Ojibwe Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin… the date Wednesday, Feb. 19th will go down in history… because on this date the official position of the State of Minnesota changed…. declaring that the reservation exists and was never diminished or re-established.
She said this means that quote “the State is in agreement that the original boundaries negotiated by our Tribal Leaders in 1855 are fully intact and always have been!” unquote
In a legal filing earlier this week, Attorney General Keith Ellison backed the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s assertion that 61-thousand acres across the south shore of Mille Lacs Lake… belong to the band.
Governor Tim Walz reportedly also supports Ellison’s move.
Ellison declared this position in a court filing… in response to a lawsuit filed against the State of Minnesota by elected officials of Mille Lacs County.
Mille Lacs County officials had argued that the State must pay their attorney fees in an ongoing dispute between the band and the county over who pays for law enforcement…. because the County was supporting the position that the reservation boundaries no longer exist.
Mille Lacs County officials believe the band has only a few thousand acres.
In this historical reversal… The State actually disputed the County’s request and wrote quote: “The County Attorney and County Sheriff are not acting on behalf of the State because the State’s position is that the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation has never been diminished or disestablished” unquote.
So, after years of contention whether the reservation or boundaries exist, it is now the position of State of Minnesota that the original boundaries negotiated by Tribal Leaders in 1855… are fully intact.
Mille Lacs County officials are reportedly warning of the impacts of the move, saying it may impact multiple government functions quote, “from business licenses to taxes to environmental regulations to perhaps southern-shore access to some of the lake’s prized walleye-fishing waters.” unquote.
But… Mille Lacs Band Of Ojibwe Chief Melanie Benjamin disagrees. She says the band has no authority or intent to impose business licenses or taxes on our non-Indian neighbors.
Benjamin said quote: “The EPA has exercised environmental jurisdiction on the reservation for many years without incident and there is no reason to expect this to change. Access to and regulation of the Mille Lacs walleye fishery also will not change” unquote.
Benjamin noted that while the acknowledgment changes nothing for non-native neighbors, it has great meaning to her people.
In other news, the American Indian Magnet school on the east side of St. Paul has school board approval for a multi-million dollar… major renovation.
According to the Star Tribune, the school was among multiple construction projects, which were approved by the St. Paul school board on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The remodel was previously estimated to cost $23-point-one million dollars, but that price jumped to $53-point-three million dollars after an external review.
The sharp increase in price prompted the school board to reconsider plans to start from scratch and build a new school, priced at nearly $89 million dollars.
The community pushed back, however, concerned over how the new school would disconnect their neighborhood. The pow wow space would have also been moved to a location away from the school’s parking lot.
In the end, the school board sided with those concerns and approved the reconstruction.
The school board also approved plans for improvements to the Frost Lake Elementary, Phalen Lake Hmong Studies Magnet, and the District Service Facility.
Laurie Stern reports on three events that highlight indigenous people's relationship with water.
Every week in the summer groups of people gather at the Native American Medicine Garden the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. They come to talk about indigenous knowledge of plants and the ecosystem here. Reporter Melissa Townsend recently got her own lesson from the garden’s caretaker, Francis Bettelyoun.
This week on Minnesota Native News we get a round up of tribal election news, we hear about the latest Nibi walk along the Wisconsin River and learn about the Native artists receiving statewide honors.
Treaty Rights, Climate Justice, and Decolonization were discussed in packed house in Duluth… and Franklin Avenue bustled with energy for Open Streets Minneapolis.
This week on Minnesota Native News, hard work is underway to address the housing crisis – and the wild rice harvest begins.
Concerned community members come together to show support to those battling addiction in Mille Lacs, and jazz guitarist Briand Morrison talks about his and his father’s art.
This week reporter Melissa Townsend has the latest on a homeless tent camp in Minneapolis. There are roughly 300 people - mostly Native - in the camp. Some are calling it “The Wall of Forgotten Natives”
This week on Minnesota Native News, we get an update on the Minneapolis homeless encampment, also known as “the wall of forgotten natives.” We also hear about a new police agreement between the Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe and the county sheriff’s office that ends a two-year impasse.
A tent encampment of homeless folks continues to grow in Minneapolis. There are about 300 people there, many of whom are Native. The camp shines a light on the crisis caused by the shortage of affordable housing, shelter beds, and culturally sensitive social and addictions services. Tribal and urban leaders are making plans to provide more sturdy shelter over the coming months. But what else is needed to support those living in these tents?
Six hundred people gathered at Mystic Lake Conference Center in Prior Lake for the Third Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition. Tribal leaders, nutrition practitioners, researchers, students, and many more gathered to learn, share, and visit with one another.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from the Prairie Island Indian Community, which has joined other Minnesota Dakota tribes in a lawsuit against the opioid industry. It’s a historic fight that extends far beyond Minnesota
An organization based in Minneapolis is raising breast cancer awareness with “Indigenous Pink Day” … And, comedian Rob Fairbanks talks about the power of humor.
his week on Minnesota Native News, the latest on the tent camp in Minneapolis, an all-out effort to recruit more Native foster homes, and getting out the vote in Indian Country.
4 people have now died at the homeless encampment in Minneapolis. The site - also called the Wall of Forgotten Natives for the many Native residents there — was established by individuals and families without shelter. But it’s become the central focus of many urban Native agencies in the Twin Cities. On October 29th those agencies gathered the community together to talk about how to move forward. Reporter Melissa Townsend has the story.
We’ll hear from Minnesotans and their reactions to Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan’s historic election… And, a new play by a Navajo playwright makes its world premiere in the Twin Cities.
This week on Minnesota Native News: We hear about the Minnesota Historical Society’s decision to keep a historic native burial site in northern Minnesota closed to the general public, and how tribes are working together to protect the site. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.
Youth display their photography at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center in Duluth, And a language teacher finds his own way to reach language learners.
For nearly 10 months a tent city has been growing along a 6 lane stretch of road on the south side of Minneapolis. The encampment of homeless people has been dubbed the Wall of Forgotten Natives for the many Native people staying there. This week a new shelter is opening on a plot of land in Minneapolis owned by the Red Lake Nation. Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us what's next for the residents of the camp and the shelter.
An engaging conversation featuring prominent Native artists… inspires audience members to reflect on their own artistry.
This week on Minnesota Native news we hear about an exhibit that tells the story of how AIM grew out of Stillwater prison, and a cross-cultural group of neighbors talk about the Dakota history of Lake Hiawatha in Minneapolis
This week on Minnesota Native News, tribes across the state work together to present a clear path forward to protect wild rice and AICHO in Duluth hosts a pop up event focused on nibi or water.
Jill Fish is one of the only Native doctoral students in the psychology department at the University of Minnesota. But she doesn’t feel alone, because her work connects her to the Native community. Laurie Stern has more.
February fourteenth is a day dedicated to remembering Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and People. Marches and gatherings happen all around the state, the US, and Canada. Data reveal the murder rate of American Indian/Alaskan Native women is almost 3 times that of non-Hispanic White women. And Minnesota is one of the top ten states in the U.S. with the highest case number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Reporter Leah Lemm attended the solidarity walk in Bemidji.
This week on Minnesota Native News we get the latest on legal maneuvers to stop the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement and Sharon Day remembers the beloved Grandma Josephine Mandamin [men DAH mIn] who led the first water walk on Turtle Island.
On March 29th, the Augsburg Native American Film Series, along with director Myron Dewey, presents Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock. The film documents the events at Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline from the water protector’s perspective. Here’s Reporter Leah Lemm with the story.
This week on Minnesota Native News, the passing of two powerful tribal leaders leads to new elections, and urban Native leaders in Minneapolis seek to find solutions for people facing homelessness in hopes of preventing another “tent city” this summer.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we visit the Mni Ki Wakan: World Indigenous Peoples’ Decade of Water Summit, held in St. Paul, and hear how it brings indigenous peoples from across the globe together to talk about the importance of water, and collectively think of its future. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we talk to historian and producer Dr. Kate Beane, who recently released the documentary, Ohiyesa: Soul of an Indian. The documentary follows her on a journey – more than a decade long -- to examine the life and historical significance of her relative, Charles Eastman, a celebrated Dakota writer and physician.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we talk to state legislator Mary Kunesh-Podein, who is Dakota, and hear about legislation she introduced to create a task force to address the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Here’s Cole Premo.
A native film festival has returned to the Walker Art Center for its second year of showcasing film that looks to the past, present and future to tell the stories and truths of native peoples.
On May 5 The James Beard Foundation will present one of only five 2019 leadership awards to Minneapolis-based chef Sean Sherman. In making the award, the James Beard Foundation honored Sean Sherman’s work to revitalize indigenous foods. Part of that effort is the new non-profit, NATIFS. Laurie Stern reports.
This week on Minnesota Native News, a new team is in place to help tribal members heal from addictions and the Indigenous Students Association at Augsburg University host a pow wow how-to.
Coming up, Twin Cities Native Lacrosse is recruiting new players and getting the word out about the sport. And, a food sovereignty initiative, grounded in community, strives to increase both food independence… and accessibility to Native foods.
It’s American Indian Month in Minnesota! This week on Minnesota Native News we take you to the kick-off event in Minneapolis and we hear about the Leech Lake Band’s efforts to overhaul their tribal education system.
This week on Minnesota Native News, we’re showcasing Isabella Callery, the Minnesota High School senior who recently won a national poetry recitation competition, Poetry Out Loud. She talks about the experience, shows off her poetry skills, and explains the importance of her connections to indigenous poets. Here's reporter Cole Premo.
This week on Minnesota Native News: young Native writers in Minneapolis publish a book and Leech Lake Tribal college gears up for another winning basketball season.
A new exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art honors indigenous women artists from many nations in North America.
The Minnesota legislature, the U.S. Supreme Court and water walkers are moving forward in ways that may impact Native Minnesotans.
Organizations along the American Indian Cultural Corridor have collaborated with NorthernLights.MN to bring the late night arts festival… Northern Spark… to Franklin Avenue.
This week on Minnesota Native News we hear the latest in an effort to connect global indigenous work on water, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe election results and the anniversary of a landmark court case.