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.