Today, tribal input allows northern Minnesota schools to keep their sports mascots. Then, how wildfires are affecting the state’s air quality, and what can be done about it. And, why the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area won’t be opening its Wildlife Drive this summer.
—–Executive Producer: Victor Palomino Producer: Britt Aamodt Anchor: Chantel SinGs Reader scripting: Xan Holston Fact checking: Joel Glaser, Victor Palomino Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Today, tribal input allows northern Minnesota schools to keep their mascots. Then, how wildfires are affecting the states' air quality, and what can be done about it. And, why the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area won't be opening its Wildlife Drive this summer.
I'm Chantel SinGs.
Two northern Minnesota schools will keep their Native-themed mascots — with tribal consent. After months of tribal and community input, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe voted unanimously to let Deer River schools keep the "Warriors" name and insignia, and approved continued use of the Grand Rapids "Thunderhawks" mascot. Until recently, schools had to get permission from all 11 tribal nations in Minnesota to use Native imagery or mascots. But a legislative change this spring means that districts only need the okay of their closest tribal nation.
In today's main story, the Canadian wildfires have dumped smoke into the skies over Northern Minnesota. Britt Aamodt reports on how this has led to several air quality alerts and questions about the state's overall air quality.
Britt Aamodt: This summer's Canadian wildfires have been some of the most intense on record, with over 3000 fires burning millions of acres,
Ryan Lueck: That ultimately leads to increased chances for Minnesota to be impacted by smoke.
Britt Aamodt: Ryan Lueck is an air quality forecaster with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, or MPCA. His agency issued multiple air quality alerts this season because of the fires, particularly up north. Northern Minnesotans have awoken to more than their fair share of hazy mornings and the smell of smoke.
Ryan Lueck: So 2021 there were 15 air quality alerts. In 2023, there were 21. And so far this year, there have been 15, and we are, I believe, on record pace. And the vast majority of those alerts have been due to wildfire smoke,
Britt Aamodt: With fire season expected to last through September, it's a good time to ask what those air quality alerts mean, and how concerned you should be about them. The air quality index starts at green (good air quality) and yellow (moderate). But the MPCA only begins issuing alerts at orange,
Ryan Lueck: Which is unhealthy for sensitive groups. And then once you get higher into those red, purple and maroon, that's when conditions worsen, and that air quality is especially hazardous for everybody.
Britt Aamodt: As a pulmonologist and intensivist at Essentia Health in Brainerd, Dr Greg Davis treats the population most impacted by poor air quality.
Dr. Greg Davis: The very young, the very old, and then people with respiratory disease, even cardiovascular disease.
Britt Aamodt: The group can also include smokers and people who spend a lot of time outdoors. With fires, it's the tiny bits of soot and dust in the smoke that's a problem.
Dr. Greg Davis: These particles are the right size that, when you breathe them in, they get all the way out into your distal lung, or far out in your lung, and they actually get into your circulation.
Britt Aamodt: He says this can lead to increased heart attacks, strokes and, of course, respiratory problems. Unlike in other parts of the state, the Twin Cities Metro is more likely to be impacted by poor air quality caused by ground-level ozone and pollutants. Dr Davis says that even though you can't see or smell ozone, a gas, it's important to pay attention to the alerts and maybe put off that daily jog.
Dr. Greg Davis: It has inflammatory consequences, not just in our lungs, but in our blood vessels. Most healthy young people can be exposed and recover, but you're probably doing more harm for yourself than good. And that doesn't mean that you can't exercise. But on those days, maybe try to exercise indoors.
Britt Aamodt: Ryan Lueck shares this general advice for poor air quality days.
Ryan Lueck: We recommend going indoors, making sure those windows are closed, making sure you have the right rated filter, which is MERV 13 or better.
Britt Aamodt: This is Britt Aamodt for North Star Stories.
Anchor: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Damage to a dike is preventing the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area from opening its 27-mile wildlife drive this summer. The Roseau River Wildlife Area is in the Northwest corner of the state. The wildlife drive is closed to vehicles, but bicycle and foot traffic is allowed and even encouraged. The self-guided wildlife drive takes you through wetlands, grasslands, and farmland, giving visitors the opportunity to view area wildlife.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.