Down the memory hole
Arizona became notorious in 2010, with the enactment of a punitive anti-immigrant law, SB 1070 – known as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The law allows local police to question a person’s immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion,” if a person is stopped for another criminal violation. As I wrote in my July 2010 column, the law had been decried as an invitation to racial profiling; it was feared that Latinos, or anyone with brown skin, would become the targets of law enforcement authorities under the new law.

This last December the Blandin Foundation held a banquet in honor of their new President and CEO Dr. Kathleen Annette. The arrival of Dr. Annette, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, as the executive head of the organization marks an important turning point in the organization's history.
Founded by Charles K. Blandin, the foundation has offered communities in Minnesota over 5,600 grants totalling $336 million in value in the nearly seventy years of its existence. Focused in the Grand Rapids area, the foundation seeks to build strong economies in rural Minnesota, and emphasizes the even distribution of benefits and burdens within the tight-knit communities which it serves.
Succeeding Jim Hoolihan, who left the position of CEO this last October, Dr. Annette  served on the Foundation's board from 1991 to 2003, and headed the Foundation's American Indian Advisory Committee since 2004.
Dr. Annette was the first woman from the Minnesota Ojibwe Nation to become a physician. She was also the first woman in the Bemidji Indian Health Service to serve as an area director. To her, responsibility and leadership are second nature.
"I started my practice years ago on the Leech Lake Reservation, and lived my entire life in northern rural Minnesota. What is different about people who live on the reservation? We have extra responsibility, is what I've always thought," Annette said.
Important to Dr. Annette is the leadership programs the foundation provides. Teaching and developing community leader's skill sets, and helping community leaders to work together towards a common goal are some of the values the foundation emphasizes through its leadership training.

This last December students of Metro State University held a protest rally to decry the lack of Native American Studies classes on their campus. Specifically, the students came together to protest the fact that two classes; 'American Indian Spirituality' and the class 'Genocide, Survival, and Recovery' were not being offered in the spring of 2012, the 150th anniversary of the War of 1862.
December 7th students gathered around the New Main building to hold a peaceful rally that included student speakers, professors, community leaders and representatives from the American Indian Movement (AIM).
One of the professors involved with the protest, Dr. Chris Nunpa, took the time to explain the grievances of the student body. "I had talked to the ethnic chair department, and told them these classes should be taught in the year 2012, in that it represents important years in the history of the Minnesota Dakota peoples as well as the state of Minnesota itself," Nunpa said.
Dr. Nunpa is a Professor of Native Studies, and would have been scheduled to teach the two classes at Metro State. When students learned that they would not be attending classes with Dr. Nunpa this semester, they sprung into action.
Students who helped to organize the event included Shannon Geshick, Zack Anderson, Matthew Sanchez, Keith Van Beek, and Di Roberge, among others. Word about the rally was spread through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and the event attracted nearly a hundred protesters.
"Stop marginalizing Indigenous students, Indigenous professors, and Indigenous viewpoints! Create a Department of Indigenous Studies at Metro State!" one Facebook organization proclaimed.

MAICC honors community members at 25th Anniversary dinner
The Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) celebrated 25 years of service at their Annual Dinner & Awards Banquet December 8, 2011 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Shakopee, MN. Highlights of the event included awards to American Indian organizations for outstanding contributions to their communities and a scholarship presentation to a American Indian student.
The annual awards dinner recognized the achievements of five American Indian businesses and community organizations. The honors included:
The Spirit of the People Award: Andy Arlotta, Co-Owner and Vice President of the Minnesota Swarm. For a variety of lacrosse programs that not only introduce youth to this traditional American Indian sport but also emphasize healthy life skills and the importance of education. 
The Turtle Award: Theresa Foster (White Earth Band of Ojibwe) Foster Mayers Associates, LLC. Foster was recognized for her volunteer time, energy and service work to support and promote the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce and its efforts to promote American Indian business. She is the owner of a Land Surveying and Wetlands Delineation firm in Minnesota.