Ben Blackhawk (Ho-Chunk) moved to Crystal in 1970. As a child, he traveled to powwows across the Midwest, including at his home reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska. Ben worked for 17 years as a high school math teacher at Providence Academy in Plymouth. While there, he also directed the choir, coached the math team, and assisted with track and field. Ben earned a B.A. in Math and Music Education from St. Olaf College. In 2023, Ben lives in Crystal and teaches math and music at Epiphany Catholic School in Coon Rapids.

In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement).