The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Welcomes New CEO

Transcript

INTRO: This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock. This week, after an extensive search, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center welcomed its new CEO, Ruth Ann Buffalo. Reporter Chandra Colvin has the story.

Chandra Colvin: On March 7th, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, otherwise known as the MIWRC, held a meet and greet with new CEO, Ruth Ann Buffalo in Minneapolis. Board members, staff, and community members gathered to welcome Buffalo with light refreshments and conversation.

Buffalo is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations and is a descendant of the Chiricahua Apache. She is a former North Dakota State Representative, serving the 27th District from 2018 to 2022. Throughout her career, she has served on advisory councils focused on women’s health and leadership development. She also helped to create a law that focused on public safety, prevention, and awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and the creation of a Missing Persons Database.

MIWRC staff and community members expressed their excitement for Buffalo to join and lead the non-profit organization. Buffalo shares in their excitement.

Ruth Buffalo: I'm excited about everything, but I'm really excited to be a mentor and really provide a nurturing environment in the workplace. I think it's really crucial to have healing at the center of everything we do. But without saying it, you know, just to continue supporting one another. And I just really want to help build up the staff and share everything that I know and just continue to partner with each other in the community and continue serving the community the best way we can.

CC: MIWRC’s mission is to empower Native women and families to exercise their cultural values with integrity, and to achieve sustainable lifestyles while focusing on the advocacy of justice and equity.

The organization was founded in 1984 and provides several services to Native women designed to empower, educate, and assist those who are providing work to the community. Programming includes advocacy, support groups, healing spaces, family services, and community engagement, amongst others.

The center’s programs and services are in-demand. They have been looking to fill open positions, and are working to expand programs to better serve the needs of the community. Buffalo hopes that the MIWRC staff will continue to grow alongside the organization in the future.

RB: I want to make sure that the staff feel supported and that their funding is sustainable. And that we continue to grow our staff numbers. Right now, we're very low with staff numbers and really want to work with the staff to build our programs back up and to continue flourishing within MIWRC and the community.

I think there's so much opportunity to continue partnering with the community and other Native-led organizations and allies, but I think there's a lot of room for opportunity and growth, for sure.

CC: The MIWRC holds a unique and cherished position in the community as expressed by the community members who attended the meet-and-greet. Buffalo understands the center's impact on Native women and their families. She also expresses her sentiments about leading the organization.

RB: It's a real big honor to be called upon to serve the people and the mission, vision. And the history of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center is really dear to my heart. It's a huge responsibility, but I'm up for the challenge and I just want to continue supporting the staff as best I can. We want to make sure that we continue building on the program so that our doors remain open for seven generations ahead.

CC: Individuals can find the MIWRC in the Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis, located on 15th Avenue South. More information about programming and services that are offered can be found on their website at miwrc.org. For Minnesota Native News, this is Chandra Colvin.