Miiskogihmiiwan “Miisko” Poupart-Chapman is a Dakota and Ojibwe writer, artist, dancer, and media professional based in Minnesota. She is Dakota from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, an enrolled member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Bear Clan.
As a writer and social media coordinator for The Circle, Miisko shares stories about Indigenous arts, culture, community events, and issues affecting Native people. Her work includes articles, graphics, video, and digital storytelling that connect readers with Native voices and perspectives. She also serves as a producer for Native Roots Radio, supporting conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, advocates, and community members.
Beyond her media work, Miisko is a jingle and fancy dancer whose creative practice includes digital illustration, beadwork, sewing, and regalia making. Her experience coordinating Native youth programming informs her interest in education, cultural expression, and opportunities for young people to explore their creativity. Across her work, she celebrates Indigenous beauty, strengthens community connections, and highlights the many ways Native people carry their cultures forward.
Before a federally funded or permitted project moves forward, who gets a say in whether it could damage historic places? Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 allows Tribal Nations, preservation officials, and the public to help answer that question. It requires federal agencies to consider how their projects could affect historic […]
Native women secured historic victories in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, winning seats in Congress and the governor’s office in Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Kansas. In Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, became the first Native woman elected to the U.S. Senate. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor lieutenant governor defeated Republican Michele […]
Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) has released its October 2026 Native Youth Grantmakers Impact Report, highlighting how Indigenous youth are reshaping philanthropy through cultural values, leadership, and community involvement. The report centers the experiences of 13 Indigenous youth leaders from the program’s first two cohorts. The program brought together 18 participants representing 28 Tribal Nations, […]
More than two years after Allison Lussier was found dead in her Minneapolis apartment, prosecutors have charged her former boyfriend with murder, crediting her family and community’s continued demands for accountability. Charles Henry Foss, 36, was charged Oct. 22 with second-degree unintentional murder and stalking in the death of Lussier, a 47-year-old Indigenous woman. He […]
Danielle Boyer, an Anishinaabe entrepreneur and enrolled citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, has won the 2026 Pow Wow Pitch grand prize, earning $25,000 to expand technology resources for Indigenous youth. Announced Oct. 21, Boyer’s win recognizes her work as founder and CEO of The STEAM Connection in Troy, Michigan. The […]
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation announced Native Advantage on Oct. 15 in Tulsa, describing it as the country’s first and only tribally owned Medicare Advantage plan. Owned and operated by the Nation, the plan aims to expand healthcare choices while helping Native patients continue receiving care within the Tribal healthcare system. At a press conference at […]
The Oct. 11 fire began at Dollar Plus, a Somali-owned store at 1300 E. Franklin Ave., and spread to the connected Minnesota Chippewa Tribe building that houses urban tribal offices. The store and offices occupy connected buildings; the fire did not begin in the urban offices. The cause remained undetermined Monday. Store owner Abdullahi Omar […]
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) on Oct. 5, leaving Minnesota court decisions in place supporting the placement of Red Lake Nation twins with their maternal grandmother. The case, N.R. v. Ellison, challenged both ICWA and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). Former non-relative […]
Lochiel, Arizona — A centuries-old cottonwood known as the “grandmother tree” was cut down Oct. 5, after activists spent 71 days protecting it from border wall construction. The tree stood near the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Rafael Valley, southeast of Tucson. Protesters took turns occupying a platform in its branches, keeping someone in the […]
As runners prepare for October races, Native Women Run is working to ensure Native women have a place at the starting line. This nonprofit organization represents and empowers Native women across the United States and Canada, creating opportunities to run while strengthening visibility, sisterhood, empowerment, and community. Founder Verna NezBegay Volker, a Navajo Nation citizen […]
A recent fire at the building housing The Circle’s office has created unexpected challenges for our independent Native newspaper.
Thankfully, with the help of community members, we were able to recover our newspaper archives dating back to the 1980s. These irreplaceable records preserve decades of Native community history, cultural knowledge, and stories.
Your donation will help The Circle recover from the fire, protect our historical archives, and continue sharing Native voices for generations to come.
Every contribution makes a difference.
Pinagigi — Thank you for helping preserve generations of Native stories.
