Minnesota Native News

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.

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
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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 [email protected]’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.