This is the second in a two part series about the small city of Bemidji and the work people there are doing to show that Native Lives Matter. Bemidji is a city of about 15-thousand in Minnesota’s north woods. Native Americans - mostly Ojibwe or Anishinabe - make up about 50 percent of the population in the metro region. The town is near the borders of THREE of the largest and most populous Indian reservations in the state — the Red Lake Nation on the north, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to the east and the White Earth Nation to the southwest.
Over the past 50 years, Natives and non-Natives have been finding ways to make American Indians here less romanticized and less demonized. And yet - deep racial disparities persist in hospitals, in schools and in jails.
In this half hour we’re hear about a new movement that’s building now.It’s focused on telling truths about the past to change minds and eventually the structures the maintain these racial inequities. Here’s reporter Melissa Townsend…
Copy all text below for MLA citation:
Transcript:
Shaynowishkong Statue Project, Facebook.com
RECENT STORIES
Powwows Present Challenges, Opportunities for COVID Precautions
This week COVID infection rates are on the rise. Reporter Feven Gerezgiher shares some of the latest data and connects with organizers about what they are doing to prevent COVID-19 at powwows and other large gatherings.
Copy all text below for MLA citation:
Renowned Anishinaabe Artist George Morrison Honored By US Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service is commemorating George Morrison, a key figure in Native American and modern art, with Forever stamps showcasing his work. Feven Gerezgiher reports
Copy all text below for MLA citation:
MN Native News: Talking About Vaccines with Three Expectant Moms
This week reporter Feven Gerezgiher speaks with three women about their experiences with the COVID vaccine and shares some of the recommendations for new mothers and pregnant people.
Copy all text below for MLA citation:
Transcript:
MN Native News: Reflecting on Pandemic Adversity and Staying on Guard Against Covid Mutations
At the forefront of the fight against COVID these last two years have been health care workers trying to deliver primary care while also keeping boots to the ground with vaccine and testing clinics.
Artist Carl Gawboy is showing brand new work in Duluth. The art exhibit, “New Paintings, Old Stories,” features Anishinaabe and Finnish culture, landscapes, and teachings. The exhibit is located at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center and was curated by Wendy Savage.
This week, an online program to order at-home rapid COVID-19 tests is now open in Minnesota and we connect with a young entrepreneur about challenges and opportunities during the pandemic.
Copy all text below for MLA citation:
Reflecting on the Pandemic as We Cross the Two Year Mark
Bridget Saice-Childs of the White Earth Nation is a resident of the Elder’s Lodge in St. Paul. This week, she shared with us how things have been going and what she’s been thinking about.
A conversation on suicide prevention brings culture, facts, and experience together. And we hear words from the late artist, Jim Denomie, with reflections on his work.