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.