Tribal Flags at the Military Museum, and NativeCare Opens Dispensary in Maplewood

Transcript

[Music: Minnesota Native News Theme]

Marie Rock: For Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. This week, a new military museum honors tribal veterans with a flag ceremony, and the state's tribes continue to expand their cannabis initiatives.

First, reporter Travis Zimmerman talks with Fond du Lac band member citizen and Minnesota Military Museum board member Billie Defoe.

Travis Zimmerman: The Minnesota Military Museum, located near Camp Ripley, hosted opening events for their new facility earlier this month, including a flag ceremony honoring Minnesota's Ojibwe and Dakota tribal communities.

Billie DeFoe: So we had the opening, the blessing, which John Benjamin did. He spoke all good things to make sure that we were opening the museum the right way.

Travis Zimmerman: That's Veteran Service Officer for the Fond du Lac Band, Billie Dafoe. a veteran of the United States Navy, who has also served on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Military Museum for the past three years.

Billie DeFoe: Mille Lacs Honor Guard was there, Leech Lake Honor Guard was there, Fond du Lac Honor Guard was there, and Red Lake. Honor Guard members from all of those Honor Guards were there. And so we were able to march the Eagle Staffs, then the United States flag, and then all 11 tribal flags, then the POW/MIA flag in.

Travis Zimmerman: Dafoe remembers when museum Director Randal Dietrich reached out to her.

Billie DeFoe: Randal and General Nash called me up and asked me if I would like to meet them for lunch and talk about this museum. They wanted to make sure that every Minnesotan was represented on the board.

Travis Zimmerman: Defoe wanted to make sure that natives also felt welcome at the museum.

Billie DeFoe: When you come in the building, the first thing you see on the left is the tribal flags.

Travis Zimmerman: When asked about what this museum means for Indigenous people, Defoe said she hopes they are proud to be Natives and Americans.
Billie DeFoe: All my kids and grandkids, they know how important it is to me to be a veteran and I'd like to bring my kids here and my grandsons and let them take a look around and see and let them feel the way that I do.

Travis Zimmerman: For Minnesota Native News, I'm Travis Zimmerman.

Marie Rock: Next, reporter Dan Ninham learns more about the expansion of tribal cannabis dispensaries in the state.

Dan Ninham: Shortly after celebrating three years of business, Red Lake Nation's tribally owned recreational cannabis dispensary, NativeCare, opened a fourth location in Maplewood. a suburb of St. Paul.

Red Lake Nation citizen Shy McDaniel is the Director of Production at NativeCare.

Shy McDaniel: Our plans and hopes for the future are to continue to grow and get more product out across the state. We want to be able to offer more variety.

Dan Ninham: After Minnesota legalized recreational cannabis in 2023, Red Lake Nation was the first tribal nation to open a dispensary. Last year, the state entered into compact agreements with several tribes. Since then, Red Lake Nation joined in the expansion of tribally owned recreational cannabis dispensaries operating outside of tribal lands.

McDaniel says the move supports the nation directly through profits and job opportunities.

Shy McDaniel: We're super proud now to have our other stores open off the reservation and be providing jobs to a lot of people now, especially our own members on and off the reservation. We're over 100 employees now and we're at over 80% tribal members.

Dan Ninham: According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, tribal nations are seeing a sustainable long-term path in Minnesota's industry with products appearing across the state.

Kari Taylor: For the Red Lake Nation to be able to bring its products into state jurisdiction for commerce is most definitely a big deal and really significantly helps support the long-term viability of cannabis as a business within the Red Lake Nation.

Dan Ninham: That's Carrie Taylor, NativeCare CEO. She emphasizes that their products sold on NativeCare shelves are grown by the tribe.

Kari Taylor: There's a great deal of pride and commitment that goes into every flower. And so I hope that, when people receive those products, that they also receive that feeling.

Dan Ninham: For Minnesota Native News. I'm Dan Ninham.

Marie Rock: That's all for this week's episode. Join us next time for more voices and stories that inform, uplift and shape our communities, right here on Minnesota Native News.

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Marie Rock: Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS, Minnesota's community radio stations, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.