Minnesota Native News

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.