This week on Minnesota Native News, we check in with two promising developments. First, there’s a new urban farm with a focus on indigenous food and medicine.
And second, an update on housing in the American Indian Cultural Corridor.
Laurie Stern has both stories.

The Minnesota Department of Health is further easing restrictions on long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 17, long-term care facilities will be able to allow indoor visits, as long as the facility hasn’t had a COVID-19 case in the prior two weeks … also, the positivity rate in the county the facility is in has to be under 10%.

This week on the Minnesota Native News Health Report, the number of Covid- 19 cases in Minnesota now tops 100 thousand.
The virus is outpacing the state’s ability to track – let alone control it.
But public health officials are determined to do what they can. One of those mostly rural areas is Beltrami County. That’s where most of Red Lake Nation is. Reporter Laurie Stern talked with Tribal Secretary Sam Strong about how Covid 19’s spread is affecting his community.

COVID-19 safety guidance has been updated in Minnesota for public school indoor sports and events — and the state’s bars and restaurants.

Three months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the about half the land in Oklahoma is within reservation boundaries, a decision that not only had far-reaching implications for criminal law but which seemed to reaffirm some promises and treaties made with Indian people, the EPA invoked a 2005 law that effectively strips dozens of tribes of their sovereignty over critical environmental issues.

By the end of September, Minnesota was seeing a number of days when daily COVID case numbers neared 1,000 or even surpassed it. That had a lot of people wondering: Is Minnesota experiencing a coronavirus second wave?

Today on the show, host Leah Lemm hears what’s on the minds of Native youth in Minnesota. It was back in March, when Governor Tim Walz announced that schools would close. Since then, school officials, teachers, and parents have grappled with so many considerations like IEP plans, mental health support and nutrition services, and basic instructional materials. We have talked quite a bit on those topics on this program. Today we turn to young people to find out what is most important to them during this time.

The 2020 Native American College Fair goes virtual…
And Lt Governor Peggy Flanagan talks about the significance of the Native vote….

Minnesota revenue officials say over 100,000 people in the state may be eligible for, but have yet to receive, an economic impact payment. Now, those who are eligible have more time to register.

Minnesota health officials say there is a potential risk that transmission occurred at the Duluth Trump rally in late September and other events associated with Trump’s visit.