Minnesota Native News: Getting Back What Was Lost

STORY #1 - INCARCERATION EXHIBIT— 3:40
A new exhibit of photos provides a look into cultural education programs for Native inmates at Stillwater Prison in the 1960s and 70s.

Reporter Melissa Townsend explored the exhibit and has this story.

REPORTER: Well, let’s do an intro of you - do you want to introduce yourself?
BIRD: My name is Eric Bird and I’m archivist and curator at AIM Interpretive Center. (:09)

The center on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis is basically an archive of all things AIM.

BIRD: Yea, the center means to tell the story of the movement from the beginnings from a local anti-police brutality patrol to national and international activism for indigenous people. (:08)

Eric and I are standing in front of a wall of photos - part of the current exhibit called The Great Spirit within “The Hole”.

Each image is from inside Stillwater Prison in the early 1980s where Clyde Bellecourt and Eddie Benton-Banai led a program teaching Native inmates about Ojibwe culture.

They started it in 1962.

BELLECOURT: We had it twice a week, culture program. Every time we had a meeting we started with a drum because that drum was sacred. (:08)

Clyde Bellecourt says many of the men there were hearing these cultural lessons for the very first time.

BELLECOURT: You learn all about the Ojibwe culture and sundances and all that — which we didn’t know nothing about. They don’t teach that in the public and parochial school system. (:10)

Curator Eric Bird describes the photos.

BIRD: Some of the pictures show the walls of the classrooms are full of AIM posters and flyers from the broad so-called Red Power movement and Indian Resistance.
REPORTER: There’s something about it, like - without those pictures, drawings on the walls, they’d be blank right - so it’s a blank space that they then fill with the images that they choose. They are not compromised images right. They’re like, these are drawings we drew, and we are teaching ourselves … like we are creating our image of who we are.
BIRD: mmhmm. (:42)

As a young man in Stillwater prison in the 1960s, - Bellecourt was held in solitary confinement because he wouldn’t follow orders.

For one, he refused to work a prison job.

BELLECOURT: People got their fingers torn off from spinning twine for the state of Minnesota others had their fingers stamped from making license plates. (:11)

But - with the support of the warden — Bellecourt connected with Eddie Benton-Binai.

And the two created a space where they were asked Native inmates to explore their own identities as Native men.

Eric Bird, the curator of the AIM Interpretive Center exhibit says their experience in prison spurred many AIM founders to find power within themselves and a path forward - out of prison.

BIRD: The experience of incarceration is something that’s very important in autobiographies of AIM leaders. I’m thinking of Clyde Bellecourt, Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton-Banai. (:11)

These kinds of cultural education programs are no longer in Minnesota state prisons.

But one man is leading an effort to change that.

John Poupart is lobbying for funding for cultural programs to encourage Native inmates - both men and women - to find the Red Road.

It could ease re-entry into the community and reduce recidivism.

He says he is hopeful that with the first Ojibwe Lieutenant Governor in office — this issue may gain the attention it deserves.

For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.

STORY #2 — (1:24)
Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis has a small lake with a beach, a large meadow with trees, and an 18 hole golf course.

The Minneapolis parks board is currently redesigning this space.

And on January 9th, about 60 people - including park officials and community members met to hear about the Dakota history of this land.

NELSON: We started a conversation and we hope to continue it with people and build better relationships with each other and with our environment. (:08)

Denise Nelson is with the Healing Place Collaborative based in the Twin Cities.

And she organized Dakota members of the community to speak at the community meeting.

Ramona Kitto Stately talked about her family’s history here and how it’s often invisible.

Ethan Neerdaels spoke about the history of treaties and Dakota expulsion.

And Samantha Majhor talked about the power of the Dakota language and how it is everywhere — and yet not formally recognized.

The crowed of mostly white neighbors listened and were full of suggestions.

Could park signage be bilingual - in both English and Dakotah?

Could there be landscape elements that are significant to Dakota ways of life?

A representative from the Park Board says this is one of many community meetings that will inform the park board’s plans for the Lake Hiawatha land.

Minnesota Native News: Native Feminist Artists Dialogue Features Many Voices

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: Coming up…:
An engaging conversation featuring prominent Native artists… inspires audience members to reflect on their own artistry.

Here is reporter Leah Lemm with the story…

STORY #1 - GET REAL: A NATIVE FEMINIST ARTISTS DIALOGUE

REPORTER: The conversation called GET REAL: A NATIVE FEMINIST ARTISTS DIALOGUE, included several well-known Native artists, and drew so much interest… the location had to be moved from a gallery space to an auditorium at Augsburg University.

Choreographer Rosy Simas put the dialogue together…. It sprung from her latest dance project… WEAVE… a performance featured in the Ordway’s Music & Movement Series.
The conversation reflected WEAVE’S Native feminist foundation.

ROSY SIMAS: Weave is a dance project that is a piece… that is many stories woven together of individual people through a Native feminist lens. So the discussion that we had was really centering the voices of Native feminist artists.

REPORTER: The artists speaking on stage, included Rosy Simas, Sharon M. Day, Marcie Rendon, Elizabeth Day, Heid E. Erdrich, and Rhiana Yazzie.

ROSY SIMAS: Those particular artists are really the people who have been involved in Native performing arts in the Twin Cities for the last like 20, 30 years. It just so happens that, they're all women. All have very deep and strong cultural and community backgrounds.

REPORTER: This talk was one of several community engagement events aimed at complementing the WEAVE dance performance… which happens January 12th.

ROSY SIMAS: I hope that people will come to this show, but mostly I hope that they will begin to spend more time with Native women work.

REPORTER: During the talk, many different subjects were brought up, from grant applications to the significance of dreams.

I talked with several audience members who all found relatable and inspiring moments during the conversation. So I’ll let the audience members pick a few highlights.

Jada Brown is a a singer, pianist and spoken word poet. During the discussion the panel was asked about how they define excellence in their own art.

JADA BROWN: Marcy was talking about emotional exchange as a way of thinking about, um, like pushing back against this idea of like, excellent. And it's like this idea of emotional exchange that is really important and valued in that reflection of seeing one owns, seeing one another in ones work.

REPORTER: Here’s Marcy Rendon during the conversation.

MARCIE RENDON: I remember one of the first times that I read my poetry on stage, it was at the O'Shaughnessy and there was a role of Native women sitting in the front row. And I, and I was unsure of my poetic ability and so I would, you know, I was just looking down here, reading my things and I peeked up and the three of the women were crying.

And it was that kind of feedback that said that this, this thing that I was doing was worth continuing to do.

REPORTER: I also spoke with event attendee, Becky Wolf.

BECKY WOLF: The dialogue was very inspiring, just to see so many awesome creative women onstage is really amazing. I really love Heid’s piece at the end about the imagery of women coming together and movements.

REPORTER: Heid had commented on the Women’s March, Idle No More, and the on-going “women’s wall” for gender equality in India - how art and resistance are connected.

Heid E Erdrich: One of the things that strikes me is that, um, the power of imagery. In, you know, the power to create something like an iconic image of women's resistance and how that can be done.

REPORTER: And audience member and stage actor, Oogie, wants to branch out in various forms of artistic mediums.

OOGIE Pushetonequa: I think I'm just seeing them up there is really inspiring and actually sparked ideas for me that I can continue doing as an actor and a storyteller.

I want to transition into film acting, but I also, I don't know, I want to do multimedia productions. I'm just using video content and imagery and just finding different ways to tell stories using multiple mediums.

REPORTER: During introductions, the artists on the panel each listed off many types of artistry that they work in. Rosy added…

ROSY SIMAS: I have actually yet to meet a Native artist that works in one genre. So I think there's something about the like being able to express ourselves in multiple ways that… I don't know, there's just something about that that's just feels more natural.

REPORTER: More information about WEAVE can be found at ROSYSIMASWEAVE DOT COM.

For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.

MN Native News: ‘Ohiyesa: Soul Of An Indian’ Documentary

INTRO: This week on Minnesota Native News, we talk to historian and producer Dr. Kate Beane, who recently released the documentary, Ohiyesa: Soul of an Indian.

The documentary follows her on a journey – more than a decade long -- to examine the life and
historical significance of her relative, Charles Eastman, a celebrated Dakota writer and
physician.

Reporter Cole Premo has more.

-----

[Sounds of documentary/intro remarks on Eastman]

Recently released documentary, “Ohiyesa: Soul Of An Indian”, explores the life of Ohiyesa, who is also known by his english name, Charles Eastman.

Born in 1858 in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, Ohiyesa was part of the last generation to experience how Dakota life was before the tribe’s removal from their native lands.

He was only 4 years old when the Dakota war occurred, also known at the Sioux uprising of 1862. With his father thought killed in the war, Ohiyesa then lived in exile for 11 years in Manitoba.

Then, his family settled in Flandreau in eastern South Dakota.

That family includes Dr. Kate Beane, who now lives in Minnesota and works at the Minnesota Historical Society. She co-produced the documentary along with her father, Syd Beane.

In the Dakota way, Ohiyesa is Kate Beane’s grandfather. In the english way, he’d be considered her great uncle.

KATE:“I would say that my grandfather, Charles Eastman, he lived a really interesting life. I think that he lived a life that really highlights and is reflective of a lot of the struggles our community has gone through, um, but is also distinct and a lot of different ways.”

The film is not just a biography.

Not only does the documentary offer a view of Ohiyesa’s life, the documentary also follows Kate Beane’s journey of looking into his life and her own journey as a Dakota scholar.

I asked her why this technique was used…

KATE: “That was my dad's decision. Um, and actually it was something that I fought for 12 years. My Dad essentially asked me if I would help him do you work or do research work on this documentary and I love being in the archives. I love doing research. Um, I'm a very private person and so I said, yeah, I would love to do it. Um, and then he kind of tricked me and turn the camera on me.”

Kate Beane says what she thought might be a straight documentary with some talking heads became much more personal.

KATE: “I also trust and love my father and his vision. And what he really felt is that in order for the story of my grandfather to be better understood today, that he needed a younger storyteller, that he needed to make it relatable to contemporary society in some way to also highlight the ways in which the work that my grandfather was doing this still the work that we're doing today to make connections to the past.”

Back to Ohiyesa: his life would include cutting off his long native hair, going to boarding school and later Dartmouth college -- where Kate Beane would attend over 100 years later.

KATE: “You know, we started the film, we didn't know that I was going to get the Charles Eastman fellowship at Dartmouth. I hadn't even met my husband yet. I didn't know it was gonna end up moving to Pine Ridge. Um, and so it's interesting to me now looking back and seeing the way in which our lives really did parallel each other.”

Eastman then got a medical degree at Boston College, becoming the nation’s second native doctor.

One part of his incredible life experiences includes being the agency physician in Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He said it was a bleak and desolate place, but it’s also where he says he realized the dream of his life, to be of some service to his people.

In 1890, he also experienced the Wounded Knee Massacre.

[EXCERPT OF THAT FROM DOCUMENTARY] 29:24

In fact, Dr. Kate Beane says part of what sparked the inspiration for her documentary was the dramatic HBO movie, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee.

KATE: “Which was based on deep Brown's Book and which was a wonderful book, but the, the movie that they, that they showed, um, was very different than the book. And in fact, I think dee Dee Brown's descendants, I think his own son who was a historian, said they basically just took the title.”

She says that the TV story featuring her grandfather Charles Eastman was more fiction than truth.

KATE: ”They made him an English speaker who didn't understand his language. They also really changed our history and Lakota history and made for a confusing story that was really historically inaccurate.”

She says it was time for her family to speak up and tell his story correctly, in the documentary.

KATE: “I tried to get as much firsthand account information from relatives as possible as well as oral history interviews. And in doing that work, we started understanding our grandfather, Charles Eastman and in a very different way.”

Eastman is arguably best known for his writings. His first book, Indian Boyhood, was published in 1902.

KATE: “what I find really interesting in his writing is the way in which he starts talking about his life and Indian boyhood. And then from the deep was this civilization. And he kind of takes you on this journey with him. So Indian boyhood is from a child perspective, from the deep woods is from this young man's perspective. And as you went through live, his writing changed and became much more critical of the United States and of Christianity and of these things that he had embraced and he ended up going back to the woods because that's where he felt comfortable.”

Charles Eastman wrote a total of 11 books and all of them were successful, with many translated into multiple languages.

KATE: “our hope is that people honor him and remember him for what he contributed. And for the ways in which he helped share who we are as Dakota people with the world, you know, all the beauty of who we are and really focusing on on that positivity because that's a value that we have within the Dakota Wicohan, is to, to remember to be positive and to think about the beauty of who we are and where we come from.”

We only really scratched the surface of Eastman’s life… for more, you can stream or purchase the documentary “Ohiyesa: Soul of an Indian” online.

I’m Cole Premo.

Minnesota Native News: After short term shelter, then what?

HEADLINES This week on Minnesota Native News, the plan to help Natives experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis and beyond.

HOST INTRO:
For nearly 10 months a tent city has been growing along a 6 lane stretch of road on the south side of Minneapolis.

The encampment of homeless people has been dubbed the Wall of Forgotten Natives for the many Native people staying there.

This week a new shelter is opening on a plot of land in Minneapolis owned by the Red Lake Nation.

Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us more.

REPORTER: The 1.5 million dollar shelter is called a Navigation center and it is unlike any other shelter in the city.

it is staffed with people offering support services - hence the name,

It’s open 24 hours a day so no one is forced to leave during daytime hours —

and there are no sobriety requirements for entry.

It is also temporary. The shelter which opened this week is slated to close in May.

Minneapolis city officials say they are moving camp residents from their tents to the navigation center this week.

But they haven’t given any details on what will happen to the tent camp or the people who say they want to stay there.

Many Native led organizations in the area support moving people out of the camp into the navigation center.

GOZEE: I just haven’t found the camp to be a sustainable housing option. And I don’t agree that keeping people in such dire straits is such a good thing. (:15)

Michael Gozee is CEO of the American Indian Community Development Corporation.

The non-profit builds and manages permanent supportive housing complexes around the American Indian Cultural Corridor.

Gozee says the navigation center will help people stay safe and warm this winter but in the end - that’s not nearly enough.

GOZEE: That’s my concern with the Navigation enter—- we are going to provide a level of housing for a number of months. But then what?

While all this has been happening — the Minneapolis city council just passed a new plan with $40 million dollars to build new affordable housing in the city.

Gozee says that’s great - but will it be the kind of supportive housing he thinks folks in the camp really need?

GOZEE: The level of intensity that we need to help the people that are struggling the hardest is greater. (:09)

Gozee wants to see super affordable units with support services like case management.

GOZEE: We’ve been very successful with providing housing with supportive services. We have some case managers who can work with the people because I see that the more people we have helping them works best. (:15)

From the first city wide meetings about the homeless encampment, city leaders talked about developing a short term solution and a long term solution.

Apparently the short term solution is here — the Navigation Center.

Now, what about the long term solution?

How will city, county, state and tribal leaders provide appropriate housing AND SERVICES to help people move their lives in a positive direction.

GOZEE: There have been small conversations but there’s never been a strategic conversation with all the players brought to the table to have meaningful conversation in regards to next steps…(:16)

Gozee says it’ll take a lot of talk and a lot of money.

GOZEE: You know Minnesota really has the ability to provide a greater level of support for the less fortunate of every community no matter whether it’s here or Fergus Falls. I think that has to be looked at. (:16)

In the meantime there will be some folks int eh navigation center, probably some folks still in the camp and untold number of people scattered under bridges, and along road sides around the region.

For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.

Minnesota Native News: Native Youth Display Photography And A Language Teacher Reaches Learners Through Social Media

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: Coming up…:

Youth display their photography at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center in Duluth,
And a language teacher finds his own way to reach language learners…

Here is reporter Leah Lemm with these stories…

STORY #1 - AICHO YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

REPORTER: The American Indian Community Housing Organization or “AICHO” hosted an evening reception dedicated to a photography exhibit called Growing Our Way, a series of photos by Native youth that explores Indigenous food sovereignty.

The youth spent a week during the summer creating photography and writings related to their experiences.

Now, their work has culminated in an exhibit and AICHO’s 2019 calendar.

I spoke with Patience, a budding photographer:

PATIENCE: I am nine. I am in fourth grade. It's pretty much great. But there are a few problems with drama. I try not to get in it.

REPORTER: This wise young person spoke about her experience in the photography class and a few places they got to visit. The photographs depicted the youth near or in the water, in gardens, holding traditional food and medicines.

PATIENCE: We went up the roof to take a few pictures, and the garden, they took us to the shore by the water. There's a whole bunch of rocks and stuff so we all sat down on them and start taking pictures.

REPORTER: A couple photographs of Patience were featured in the exhibit and in the calendar.

PATIENCE: I have one of me holding strawberries.

REPORTER: And each photo had a phrase written by the youth.

PATIENCE: I said I like strawberries because it's spiritual food.

REPORTER: Patience’s mother was all smiles when talking about the opportunities at AICHO.

CHRISTIE: They have lots of children's programs and after school programs and stuff for the kids to get involved in, they have the gardening and just the better living, better living program, you know, healthier, healthier ways of living.

It was nice to see how mature she can be in handling them, you know, expensive cameras.

REPORTER: Way to go, Patience!

STORY #2 - LANGUAGE TEACHER USES SOCIAL MEDIA TO REACH LEARNERS

REPORTER: Next, I spoke with James Vukelich, an Ojibwe language instructor. He’s a Turtle Mountain descendent, who lives in Minneapolis.

JAMES VUKELICH: I really didn't hear the language until I was around 25 years old.

REPORTER: And now he reaches many people through daily videos shared on social media. Originally, he was studying French and happened upon an Ojibwe language class.

JAMES VUKELICH: I took it and it was the most fascinating language I have ever studied in my life.

REPORTER: And he kept it up.

I had a chance to record and do field work with elders and first language speakers and yeah, that's where I really began learning of the in depth mechanics of the language as well as spiritual teaching that would be embedded in so many words.

REPORTER: Now, James hosts Ojibwe Word of the Day on social media where he goes in depth, including spiritual teachings and history. Many videos are just minutes long, and few are over about 15 minutes… making the lessons very accessible for the daily listener.

What inspires James is that elders who didn’t speak their language can now freely learn. You see, James’ family is like many others… whose parents and grandparents were raised going to boarding schools, and not speaking their language or practicing their culture.

JAMES VUKELICH: My mom's example, what she shared with me was, she went to a boarding school. Her mother went to a boarding school, my grandmother, and they weren't raised with the language. They weren't raised with the culture, and that was the case with so many indigenous people here on Turtle Island, not just in the United States, but in Canada as well.

REPORTER: Language learners from these generations have expressed their thanks to James for sharing the words and teachings that he was able to learn from other elders. And they can do it easily on their phones or computers.

JAMES VUKELICH: How can I get this to as many people as possible who probably want to have a little bit of Ojibwe and their life every day. And it started off with just simply some words and a citation link to the dictionary so they could click on the link.

REPORTER: But he found that a lot of people needed to hear the pronunciation.

JAMES VUKELICH: So that's when I began making the videos to accompany each word so you could see them on your phone.

REPORTER: More information about James can be found at JAMESVUKELICH DOT COM, including a link to his Facebook page.That’s James V-U-K-E-L-I-C-H DOT COM. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.

MN Native News: MN Historical Society Works With Tribes On Historic Sacred Site

Far up in extreme northern Minnesota, at the US-Canada border near International Falls, lies a site of cultural and historical importance.

Let’s paint a picture of sorts...

[Sounds of wind/trees]

Along the Rainy River, there’s this grouping of native history called the Grand Mound Historic Site. It’s comprised of five sacred burial mounds, ancient villages and sturgeon fishing sites that were developed over 2,000 years ago.

The mounds stretch from west to east along the river. One of the mounds is a bit further inland than the other four mounds. This is the Grand Mound.

Rising out of the brush and trees at about 25 feet high and 140 feet long, Grand Mound is the largest Native American earthwork in Minnesota, as well as the largest surviving prehistoric structure in the upper midwest and the only effigy mound of this type in Minnesota.

It’s an area where native peoples gathered and fished for more than a millennia.

MATTIE: “These mounds were sites that were active in the springtime during the, the time when the sturgeon would spawn. And so native people would gather there, um, you know, during the spring and a village in a village, sites would, would pop up and they would have big feasts. but you know, as happens when, when native people get together, there'd be other things, right?”

That’s Dr. Mattie Harper. She’s the Program and Outreach Manager of the American Indian Initiatives team at the Minnesota Historical Society. She’s also Ojibwe and a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota.

MATTIE: “People often did secondary burials there, so maybe they would be out in the winter and smaller camps in a relative might die and they, they could put their remains. I'm usually on it like a scaffold. And then they would just bring certain parts of the body or the bone back to the village site.”

The fact that there are only parts of many of the deceased at the mound, means it’s difficult to pinpoint a figure of exactly how many are there. However, based on excavations of other mounds, they have an idea.

MATTIE: “There's not a certain count because archaeologists haven't excavated grand mound, which is a good thing to see how many people are represented there. But um, you know, it's estimated it could be up to 5,000 individuals.”

Dr. Mattie Harper says based on different forms of research -- like archeology, linguistic research and oral history -- it’s believed that Dakota, Ojibwe, Blackfeet, Cree and the A’a- ni-nin tribes have descendants of those buried at the site.

And that brings us to the news at hand.

The Minnesota Historical Society has owned Grand Mound Historic Site since 1970 and opened a visitor center in 1976. It was operated as publicly accessible histo ric site until budget cuts forced its closure in 2002. Since then, the site became an official National Historic Landmark in 2011.

But questions have remained: should the historical site be reopened to the public? Or should it remain closed, and be transferred to native control?

With the sacred site on track to possibly reopen in 2018, Dr. Mattie Harper -- along with Joe Horse Capture and Kate Beane -- worked and met with tribes for mon ths to answer these questions.

MATTIE: “It was just the overwhelming opinion of native people that the site should be closed to the general public, you know, that it wouldn't, they wouldn't be comfortable, would it be appropriate to have people sort of traipsing around and viewing it like a tourist site.”

Harper says that, during the process, the biggest challenge was building trust between tribes and the Minnesota Historical Society.

MATTIE: “MNHS has had a long and trouble relationship and history with native communities in the state. And so that is still evident when I go out and try to work with communities…. there have been a lot of times in the past or you know, MNHS hasn't really taken into account what native people feel and think.”

However, these meetings with tribes seemed to have struck a chord with MNHS leadership and the decision was made in late October to keep the site closed to the general public with the exception of Native Americans.

Harper says it’s a huge win for natives considering the fact that MNHS had a lot of political pressure from non-native communities to reopen the site.

MATTIE: “So this was really a big victory, I feel like for native Americans. It's kind of a signal of how MNHS as an institution is shifting to like sort of shifted priorities because by, by making this decision to close the site to the general public and keep it open for native Americans, it's really signaling that the institution is listening to native communities.”

Harper said she’s been pleased to see how well tribes are working together on this issue, despite differing cultural opinions.

MATTIE: “Ojibwe and Dakota people have been working really well together and have expressed a mutual and shared interest.”

No decision has been made on the site’s immediate future, but the Minnesota Historical Society says it’s working on a quote “long-range plan that could include a the possible transfer of the site to a Native American tribe or tribes.”

MATTIE: “In the interim, which could be one to five years, um, we have to figure out how to manage it appropriately and so that is to keep it close to the general public, but we also are going to provide educational materials and interpretation and in some places.”

I’m Cole Premo.

Minnesota Native News: Midterm Elections Make History And A New Play Makes Its Premiere

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: Coming up…:

We’ll hear from Minnesotans and their reactions to Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan’s historic election…
And, a new play by a Navajo playwright makes its world premiere in the Twin Cities…

Here is reporter Leah Lemm with these stories…

STORY #1 - HISTORIC GOVERNOR’S RACE
The 2018 mid-term election had many firsts throughout the country… and Indian Country. Two Native women, Sharice Davids of Kansas and Debra Haaland of New Mexico, have been elected to Congress.

And in our own state, Lieutenant Governor-elect Peggy Flanagan, citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, will be the next Lieutenant Governor. She is the first Native woman to be elected to a state-wide executive office in United States history.

I spoke with Kayla and Waase Aubid in their home in Grand Rapids, MN about the election, and specifically what Peggy Flanagan’s new role means to them.

KAYLA AUBID: Women have always been leaders in our communities from time immemorial, from our creation stories until now. It’s exciting to see someone like Peggy who has a knowledge of what it's like to grow up as a native person in this position.

REPORTER: Kayla’s husband Waase also had thoughts, as he held their 3 month old daughter in his arms.

WAASE AUBID: I think it's a great thing that we have Native Americans getting into positions now. Especially a woman. I'm all, I'm all for empowering women and uplifting my wife and my daughter to be all they can be in just here to support and help.

I also traveled over to Old Central School in the heart of Grand Rapids and spoke with artist Leah Yellowbird.

YELLOWBIRD: This is really, really exciting and I hope that we can do something with the Native population here in Minnesota and really advance on what we have to offer.

She then showed me a piece of her artwork that was hanging in the studio that she made for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

It took a moment to look beyond the floral designs and intricate beadwork and quillwork to see faces and red hand prints. Although the artwork was beautiful, for me, it also carried a sadness below the surface.

Leah described Peggy Flanagan’s new role as a new opportunity to reveal more issues that Native people face in an honest manner.

YELLOWBIRD: Let's just talk pretty. And that's kind of what it's like being marginalized. There's so many underlying things. Maybe this, this lady will find those things and bring them to the surface.

That lady’s a warrior.

REPORTER: She then put her finger to my jacket…

YELLOWBIRD: We are warriors.

REPORTER: The Minnesota Constitution lays out the official role of Lt Governor as to simply take over as governor in the case of a vacancy for whatever cause. State statutes though include prescribed duties such as any function delegated by the governor.

From chatting with others, it’s clear that Peggy Flanagan has already begun her work as a point of hope and inspiration. Here’s Peggy Flanagan on election night:

FLANAGAN: I want every young person in Minnesota tonight to know - Black, White, Brown, or Indigneous - that you can grow up and you can lead this state.

STORY #2 - RED RUNNING INTO WATER TOURING TWIN CITIES

REPORTER: Next, New Native Theatre is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a season full of new and classic plays, including the world premiere of the play RED RUNNING INTO WATER, which is now touring in the Twin Cities.

The play follows Nana Blackrock, a young Navajo woman, and the women in her family… whose clan is Red Running Into Water.

Blossom Johnson is the playwright. She is currently a Master of Fine Arts candidate in Dramaturgy at Columbia University in New York City, and has worked with New Native Theatre in the past, including the theatre’s ten minute play festival.

JOHNSON: I never saw so many stories that I related to. It sort of turned a switch on and gave me hope for Native theater and Native stories. New Native Theatre does work with the Native community, and that’s something that I’ve always wanted to do - to connect my plays with a Native audience.

REPORTER: The play explores issues such as sexual assault and land rights. There is a trigger warning on the event’s description.

The play runs through Sunday, November 18th, and takes place at various locations throughout Minneapolis and Saint Paul. More information can be found at newnativetheatre.org.

For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.

Minnesota Native News: Healing & Homelessness in Minneapolis

4 people have now died at the homeless encampment in Minneapolis.

The site - also called the Wall of Forgotten Natives for the many Native residents there — was established by individuals and families without shelter.

But it’s become the central focus of many urban Native agencies in the Twin Cities.

On October 29th those agencies gathered the community together to talk about how to move forward.

Reporter Melissa Townsend has the story

REPORTER: So, tonight, community meeting - first of possibly many?
LILLEGREN: I hope it is the first of many community meetings. There’s so much going on, so much community response going on to the people living along the wall. But we just haven’t taken time to do this - do what we did tonight. (:18)

Robert Lillegren is President and CEO of NACDI - the Native American Community Development Institute in Minneapolis.

This - tonight - what’s he’s talking about - was a meeting of about 100 people at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

I don’t have a recording of the scene to share with you because this gathering was for the community - not the press.

I debriefed with Lillegren just after it was over.

Who was there?

LILLEGREN: I was a little disappointed there weren’t more camp residents here. We had organized to get camp residents here, but there were some. And there were voices that had been missing from a lot of the dialogue for a while. (:10)

There were also people who volunteer at the camp and others from the surrounding community.

There were also folks representing the city, county and police.

Lakota elder Lemoine Lapoint focused the crowd on one key question: Despite our current situation, what’s working well and what more needs to be done to make it better?

One idea was about communication — It’s hard to know what’s happening in the camp. What exactly are the city, county and tribes offering and what do the residents of the camp need more of?

It’s a tough question because this camp didn’t start as a coordinated effort to send a message or ask for help.

LILLEGREN: At Metro Urban Indian Directors - early on in response to the camp we tried to put some systems in place like communication - how do we get information into the camp, how do we get it out. Individuals and organizations starting playing their roles and it is working. Is it workign seamlessly and flawlessly? No. But it is working to a point. (:23)

Another concern came from a number of people in the crowd about how to better protect women in the camp from being trafficked.

At the meeting one police officer said if anyone hears about a specific case, he would like them to call the police.

But honestly - judging from the crowd’s response, it seemed unlikely anyone from the camp will call the cops.

REPORTER: There was a woman here tonight who said we will take care of this our way.
LILLEGREN: You know to me, when I hear someone say we can take are of this our way - I think they mean in a Native way, in an indigenous way. Looking back to tell how to move forward. Now as you can tell from the comments in the room, it means different things to different people. So defining what our way means in a complicated, urban setting, with dozens and dozens of different tribes and traditions represented- that’s the work we were doing here tonight. (:30)

One traditional approach some are talking about is building a women’s lodge at the encampment.

It would be a safe space for women to rest under the protection of other female volunteers.

It sounds like a place that could be around for the long term.

Which begs the question — how long will this encampment be here?

How far into the future should the community be looking?

City, county and Red Lake tribal officials are building the temporary shelters on Red Lake’s land in Minneapolis.

Those are expected to be available in December.

But, no one here tonight could say who would move or how long the camp will stay.

It’s partly a question of availability of affordable housing, but also a question of how to address the generational or historical trauma that has lead to this point.

Lillegren says this is where the community needs to put more energy — into healing…

LILLEGREN: Where does healing even come in the affordable housing system or the sheltering homeless system. Not really anywhere. And I think what we had here tonight was a step toward healing. (:10)

Robert Lillegren says the Bush Foundation has given NACDI a grant to continue these community conversations.

The goal is give the community space to envision how everyone can contribute to a coordinated effort to help heal historical trauma.

The trauma that that leads you to live in a tent, against a wall, next to a 6 lane stretch of road, in a Minneapolis November.

For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.