Nikki Love (Pieratos): Keeping Relatives and Neighbors Safe in Uncertain Times

Transcript

[Music: Native Lights Theme]

Nikki Love: I think it's really important to ground ourselves in who we are, past, present and future, and not be so caught up in the present or a fear of catastrophizing what will come because our ability to manifest with our words. And when you speak words of fear, of hate, of division, you are actually bringing it into reality.

Leah Lemm: Boozhoo, hello. Welcome to Native Lights, where Indigenous voices shine. I'm your host Leah Lemm. Miigwech for joining us. Native Lights is more than a podcast and radio show. At its core, it's a place for Native folks to tell their stories. Every week we have great conversations with wonderful guests from a bunch of different backgrounds, musicians, doctors, community leaders, educators, you name it, a bunch of different passions. So we talk with them about their gifts and how they share those gifts with their community. My co-host and sibling, Mr. Cole Premo, is not here today. We are breaking format again to talk about what's happening in South Minneapolis with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in the Cities and across Minnesota. So I'm very excited to speak with Nikki Love. Nikki Love is an enrolled citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, and she's the executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, a community organization that serves Native people around Minnesota. She's also part of the Metro Urban Indian Directors and really on the ground there in South Minneapolis, doing community work around the ICE surge down there, so witnessing what's going on. So I'm happy to welcome Nikki Love to Native Lights. Aaniin. How are you?

Nikki Love: Good. Yeah. [Speaks in Ojibwe-mowin.] Good evening, Leah, Nikki Love, or Nikki Pieratos and my spirit name is Bright Up the Sky Woman. I'm from Bois Forte, so I'm Anishinaabe, but have relocated to the Twin Cities about eight years ago now. And I'm the executive director at Tiwahe Foundation, and also serve on the leadership of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, or MUID. So Tiwahe Foundation is a Native community foundation. So we do grant making. We've had our American Indian Family Empowerment Program. We're also known locally as AIFEP, and it serves the seven-county metro area. It's like our flagship program. That's what Tiwahe started with. We do grant making. We have two different grant rounds a year under culture and language, health and wellness, economic independence and education. We also have a leadership program. We do this because we don't really believe in programming anymore, but called the Oyate Leadership Network that started a number of years ago as well, kind of like an outgrowth from AIFEP, people wanting to go farther and deeper with community members. But it's been re-envisioned the last couple years. Graduated our second cohort this past November, really focused on how do our leaders, community leaders, how do our future youth leaders coming up come to embody our values? If we say those seven sacred laws, those seven sacred grandfather teachings, are how we live our life, a lot of our people haven't had the opportunity to actually live that out and be raised in what does respect mean? It's one thing to say something. It's another thing to live it well.

Leah Lemm: Nikki, why don't you tell me a bit about what's been going on in the Cities from your perspective?

Nikki Love: That's a very layered question. But we're doing well. We're safe. We have a lot of the spaces that we travel. There are a lot of community patrol. I will say that a week ago yesterday, we did have a roll up of ICE, but due to community patrol, the whistles, everything else, they actually drove off from my vehicle. And so that was like a non-incident. Could have very well been an incident, but it was a non-incident. So I just appreciate our folks that are out there, not only providing public safety, but also looking out for our families. There's definitely some fear and uncertainty, but also togetherness, like at Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. I was just over there earlier today, actually, with me and my kids, dropping off some donations, and that's just part of what we get, monthly donations for coats and winter gear. Nothing actually directly to do with what's happening in the city, but I would just say that togetherness. People feel safer being together. So some people would wonder if South Minneapolis is like a hot spot for some of ICE activity initially. Why is everyone coming in together? Because people do feel safer when they're together. And I would say you don't have as much of like the concentration of patrols in cities that are in the suburbs. So it actually might seem ironic, but it is safer even in some of these hot spot parts of the city than it is in the suburbs, where you are kind of on your own and isolated.

Leah Lemm: Well, can you tell me a bit more about the neighborhood? Kind of lay it out for me.

Nikki Love: There's a lot we could say about the Phillips neighborhood, South Side of Franklin Ave, right? That's the American Indian Corridor, and that's where ICE had rolled up on my vehicle. But there was Many Shields, I think, AIMsters out there, looking out for us, especially our women and children and our elders, also making sure folks are able to go to and from, eventually from businesses, for school, safe. And I would just note that when we're doing the temperature check in South Minneapolis, just have to raise up that there was a humanitarian crisis well before ICE hit the city. It's made national headlines that, oh no, Native Americans are disappearing right there. We are being detained. They are bringing us to Fort Snelling. If people look at the history of what Fort Snelling is to our people here, especially our Dakota people, it's more than ironic, right? It's like an insult to injury that we're the first people here and being detained for what is supposed to be a target towards non-citizens, right? So just, but just to say we were in crisis before, both with human trafficking, also Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, not to just paint a picture that it's deficit only. But we had a lot of overdoses and opiate fatalities. So just to say those things existed prior to this. I think it's been overshadowed, and I just wanted to lift that back up. But it's a beautiful community. We have tons of our own businesses. I know American Indian CDC, Community Development Corp, has really like claimed a lot of the real estate in the Franklin Ave corridor. So when we talk about land back, or buy back, those things have been going on for a couple decades. And it's, it's really like a gathering spot for, you know, Native people, American Indians, from just across the whole entire metro.

Leah Lemm: And what about other communities nearby? I know there is a pretty significant Somali community. Can you say a bit more about who you share that area with, or who are your neighbors?

Nikki Love: Even though it's called, right, the American Indian Cultural Corridor, it's also a heavily area populated by our Somali neighbors. So there's a lot of like, even in the Ancient Traders Market, you can visibly see a presence of restaurants, of clinics. It's really diverse, but it is largely Native and Somali in terms of just when you're out and about in that part of the city. But I think just something to note that, you know, on Sunday, I think it was January 11, Arvol Looking Horse came into town, and so did a lot of other leaders and spiritual leaders to come together for a day of prayer. Those days are still continuing. I think it was Mary had said a lot of our people have many different rivers, you know, flowing through us, and that was her way of just also elevating how multi-ethnic our own people are in terms of our identities. And that's true of Native people, wherever you live, regardless of you're on or off reservation. But it's obviously more true for those that are like second and third generation urban Indians, right? Living and growing up in the Twin Cities,

Leah Lemm: You're listening to Native Lights, where Indigenous voices shine. Native Lights is produced by Minnesota Native News and AMPERS, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Today, I'm speaking with Nikki Love, enrolled citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. Nikki is executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, which is a community organization serving Native people around Minnesota. Is there coordination among communities?

Nikki Love: There is a coordination among communities, I'll just say, from my perspective. So just speaking of what I've seen, and talking to some of the on the ground organizers, when we're talking about community care, a lot of our other communities are the targets right now. So we know that if Native people get detained, it's not guaranteed, but it's more likely that we're going to come home. We've heard that some of us have been detained for several hours. For 12 hours. It's indeterminate there, of course. What made the headlines was that there were four Oglala tribal members that were taken from under one of the bridges, right? So it's incredibly important to be offering protection for our unsheltered relatives. But it was not determined whether they were actually detained. I think one of them was and released, but we're not also very, I mean, you can imagine, very confident that we can believe what ICE is telling us as well.

Leah Lemm: It's concerning, if you can't confirm, yeah, yeah. That seems like it would be a big concern if you can't even find out.

Nikki Love: Yeah, the Tribal Chair of Oglala came out this past week, went into the detention center, couldn't find their, the other tribal members. But again, that doesn't affirm that they weren't there or that something didn't happen. But I will say, in terms of those other communities you were asking about, they are the official target right now. So they cannot be, you know, for obvious reasons, as demonstrative, as public. And so what I've seen is that our Native people literally putting our bodies on the line, always running in solidarity and protecting because it's the right thing to do. So if our protectors are taking care of South Minneapolis, by the same token, they're also taking care of the other people who live within those communities and are not able to move around freely, right? I would just say that that kinship network extends. And what I've also heard is that our white neighbors, our white allies, are also putting their bodies on the line. We know that from January 7 with Renee Good, but we know that also with others every day that are peacefully observing, but also showing a stance of protection for people in these communities that either are the targets or people like me that look like they could be of a targeted community. I would also say there was a lot of talk within our MUID community, with others, some of the different jurisdictions, locally and across the state, about Jake Lang and others coming to town. And so we thought that was going to be a lot larger than it was. And so that took a lot of energy in the planning of what, like all the different permutations. And how do we keep our people safe, including those that are unhoused and living in South Minneapolis? Which was supposed to be, right, the Cedar-Riverside was like supposed to be one of their targeted areas. They never made it there. But just, but just saying, as we think about those things, it's hard to cover every aspect. But we're noticing, even with them coming into town, they showed that, I think he was physically escorted to safety by two, at least one, but maybe two Black men as well. And so he's still not issued a public thank you. In fact, unfortunately, what I've heard in a couple of the interviews since is like the opposite. But it shows that a lot of the people that are not of the targeted community or communities are doing everything they can to extend that protection.

Leah Lemm: Well, Nikki, if you can tell me, then what do you carry with you? How are you kind of preparing for the day, you know, if you have to go out and about?

Nikki Love: I think equally practical are the tools, like having whistles that are distributed. Pow Wow Grounds has been a hub of distribution for those kinds of things. But pretty much all over the city, community organizations and networks are distributing both whistles alarms. There's alarms that you know you can press. But I think a newer discussion of when those things are happening live, to be mindful of, they also drowned out when people are recording the conversations that are happening between ICE and those that they're interacting with. So it's like another new dynamic and something to think about. But equally important with those practical measures and just being mindful and being observant. There's also lists that have been shared of like, who are some of these suspected ICE agents, their vehicles, tips that have been shared that they usually have out of state plates. But now they have in-state plates. But some of them are even dressing just straight civilian clothing. But this had a stuffed animal in the back windshield and had a decal that said Deport ICE, right? So they're trying to throw you off, so it's really hard to identify. We've also been told there are larger and larger numbers of black and brown ICE agents in this latest round of agents that were sent to Minnesota, deployed to Minnesota, and you don't want people living in fear. But I would say the other side of that is being prayerful. Some people have said we should be what my sister would have called Cedar Bombing people, putting cedar in their shoes, but a lot of prayer. So I move around, not recklessly, because I have small children, but I also move around knowing I'm safe because I'm prayed up. I'm protected. Creator has me. That's very real for a lot of us here too.

Leah Lemm: As a part of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, is there coordination then for ceremony and prayer in the neighborhood?

Nikki Love: So the one that I was talking about that took place the week before, was actually organized on the ground by Indigenous Protectors Movement, which is led by Crow Bellecourt. His dad was Clyde Bellecourt. Rachel Dionne-Thunder and Vinny Dionne. They also have Many Shields and Women's Warrior Society, who have been providing on the ground support. And then I think they might have been organizing as well with Indian Collective for that initial prayer. But you have a lot of groups that are on the ground still organizing those things. And then for MUID, when we do come together, we actually open with prayer and song. People are able to smudge. I think at one of our last meetings too, it was pretty intense, and one of my staff just came around to smudge everyone down. Because it's, it's a lot the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, we're like, officially not a 501(c)(3), it's a collective. I didn't mention this for others that may not know. We have about 35-ish Native organizations or nonprofits in the metro, with most of them being Minneapolis. And then we also have a few in St Paul. But we've been coming together to just be gathering, like a repository of resources. So we've been having regular emergency meetings, but that includes like resource updates. So coordinating, for example, food deliveries, other basic necessities and direct services and care. We've been coordinating financial resources as well for those that are on the ground. But largely our goal with that, because we're not a legal entity, when people are reaching out, we're trying to direct them to the Native orgs that are within MUID through our different MUID members that are best aligned with what that institution or what that donor is looking to support. So, for example, organizations like MIGIZI focus on youth. There are others that focus on direct care and services for our unsheltered. That's one thing that we've been really wanting to direct people to. Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, American Indian CDC, because they've opened up over the weekend like additional space for our unsheltered relatives, and drop-ins, just keeping them safe. Because largely the Native people that have been detained and targeted have been those that are out there, right? The Oglala tribal members that were picked up were under the Cedar Bridge so, and I think they've been roughing up people as well.

Leah Lemm: Okay, and what about the Tiwahe Foundation? Is there a way that the Tiwahe Foundation is interacting with this effort?

Nikki Love: Tiwahe is, like a number of our other orgs where we have, like, looked into what is our existing budget for 2026? What can be redeployed and put to these immediate efforts? So I can't remember a ballpark dollar amount, but we've put a considerable number of resources to resourcing like the food and the on the ground efforts at the Community Hub space. I think Bob at Pow Wow Grounds was saying he's, this was when I was over there a couple days ago—they made at least 70 gallons of soup so far for people on patrol. And it costs, I think, to run that hub about $1,000 a day. So sponsoring a few days, I think collectively, a few of our Native nonprofits—Tiwahe being one of them—have pooled funds to have, at least for the next month, a coordinator who's coordinating like serves as like our central hub for not just community protection, patrol, food delivery, you know, other needs. Kind of like to quarterback all of that. And then we've also just been an informational source for those are like, where do we send funds right now? So directing them to Pow Wow Grounds directly. There's a Venmo at Pow Wow Grounds, Indigenous Protectors Movement, MIWRC. And then we actually are part of a group called—a partnership, similar to MUID, not a legal entity—but called Linking Leaders, which we have been meeting for years, and we're representing community organizations that are black and brown but have a leadership development component. A lot of our partners and friends and relatives in that network are part of these targeted communities. So we've talked together. Hope I'm not like cat out of the bag, but just to say that, we have talked about putting together something like a solidarity relief fund that can be accessed by all of our communities that we represent in ways that make sense for each of them, and we have started a donation page. Not to detract from those that are interested in on the ground efforts, but similar to COVID. Tiwahe had almost like what you would call an emergency relief fund then for those that were experiencing income loss from not being able to go to work, or if they're afraid to go to work, those that are afraid to make grocery runs, those that may be in a protector role, but not affiliated with an organization that's already receiving funds. So because I think one thing I'll just say, so many of our institutional partners and donors always think about institutions and they generally move too slow. Part of like our message is like, keep funding the people and the networks of people that are keeping people safe, not just the institutions. And so just something that Tiwahe's been known for is we do grant making directly to individuals, and probably one of the few foundations that does so.

Leah Lemm: You're listening to Native Lights, where Indigenous voices shine. Native Lights is produced by Minnesota Native News and AMPERS, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Today, I'm speaking with Nikki Love, enrolled citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. Nikki is executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, which is a community organization serving Native people around Minnesota. What do you do then, I guess, from day to day, to take care of yourself? You mentioned being prayerful. You mentioned the whistles. So, like physical, spiritual safety.

Nikki Love: A lot of folks have reached out, like to us, staff at Tiwahe. It's kind of, we are known for creating healing spaces and to be having discussions on identity, to be having discussions on embodying our values. That's our whole relaunched Oyate Leadership Network is focused on, how do we embody and live values? And that means with consistency, right? So part of what Tiwahe does, we help keep people connected, resource grounded, and that's in the past. It's in the present. It's what we're always going to do. I think it's really important to ground ourselves in who we are, past, present and future, and not be so caught up in the present or a fear of catastrophizing what will come because our ability to manifest with our words. And when you speak words of fear, of hate, of division, you are actually bringing it into reality. I used to think, oh, that's some like, New Age concept. That's not real. It is incredibly real. It is a spiritual law and principle, whatever your faith background, it's real. So I think that's important to be care taking your tongue, care taking how you're treating other people. I think there's this tendency to, in moments like this, saw it back in 2020, certain people or organizations aren't doing enough, or others are elevated because they're very visible. They're very visibly responding, while others might be more, you know, behind the scenes offering the support that they can. But there's this tendency to be measuring how much people care, and that, again, whatever we're putting out there with our mouth, with our tongue, has the power of life, or it has the power of Death, just like everything that happens in the world is either driven from fear, every negative thing is born out of that, and every other thing comes out of love. So what are we centering is incredibly important. And I think, for myself, taking the time to be with people. What's that song? "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine." To say, no matter what happens, you can have a center of peace, you can have a center of relationality and kindness, and you have a certainty about your future no matter what the world does. So when people ask me, like, how are you doing? I've had a lot of tragic loss, if you put it on paper this last year, we don't need to go into that, but that's not part of my identity. Those things are things that have happened to me that I didn't cause. They're not my identity. And I think that's something to really center when we talk about, how do we take care of ourselves? Everything that's happening in the world the last two weeks is not new. We've had crisis and things that have been there, and when we talk about like Native American Boarding School Coalition has talked about epistemicide, whether it's in spaces with other black and brown people, whether it is in white only, wealth-oriented spaces to not engage in epistemic discrimination. But what do all those things trace back to? It's to break your identity, families and bloodlines of identity, and so when you come back to it on the other side, if you know who you are, you know who made you and you know why you're here, it sounds crazy, but you don't need to be caught up in a media frenzy of fear. It's not making light of what's happening. There's nothing light about what's happening. But I just say that however much of this makes the cut, I just think it's important to say, if you have that spirituality, wherever it comes from, but you're certain in it, then you will be okay. The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good seems to be like kind of this inflection point, and we're all here, right, where the whole nation is again, looking at Minneapolis, just like the murder of George Floyd. That became an inflection point in 2020, where Minneapolis was kind of a precedent setting for the rest of the country and the entire world. And I think one thing that's important to state is that what's happening now in Minneapolis, it has direct impacts, because these things are already happening in other major cities. But how we deal with it and how we respond to it is also setting a stage and a precedent for the rest of the world, which is why we've uplifted as much as we can peaceful response.

[Music: Native Lights Theme]

Leah Lemm: Chi-miigwech, Nikki Love. Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. I really appreciated Nikki's reflections on how one can keep safe, whether it's physically, spiritually, mentally, but also making sure to speak out into the world what you want to see happen and not try to speak out of fear. Because that's what could be manifested. So I'm going to think a lot on that. That might keep me up overnight. But hey, it's good to reflect. So miigwech to our guest Nikki Love. I'm Leah Lemm. Miigwech for listening. Giga-waabamin.

You're listening to Native Lights, where Indigenous voices shine. Native Lights is produced by Minnesota Native News and AMPERS, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.