Columnists
By Mordecai Specktor It’s murder in Minneapolis I stopped by the Pow Wow Grounds coffee shop on Sunday afternoon, January 25. It was the day after Border Patrol agents gunned down Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the VA hospital in Minneapolis. Pretti was pumped full of US government bullets on Nicollet Avenue just […]
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By The Circle It is with sadness that The Circle remembers our longtime columnist Kristine “Kris” Shotley, who wrote under the byline “Ricey Wild” for more than 25 years, and whose sharp wit, honesty and heart earned her loyal readers across Indian Country. Shotley, 63, of Cloquet, Minn., died Oct. 8 after a brief illness, […]
By Mordecai Specktor Revising the Wounded Knee Massacre On Sept. 27, the New York Times reported that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will not revoke Medals of Honor for soldiers who took part in the 1890 massacre of Chief Big Foot’s band at Wounded Knee. “More than 300 Lakota Sioux men, women and children were […]
By Mordecai Specktor A visit to Gichigami In early August, I traveled with my wife, Maj-Britt, up to Gichigami (Lake Superior) — it’s my favorite area in Minnesota. We enjoyed the beaches, state parks and the sound of wind through the trees. Our base camp for three nights was a resort up in the hills […]
By Mordecia Specktor Trump, Epstein and the R-word In July, the current occupant of the White House was bombarded by questions about the late child rapist Jeffrey Epstein. Trump and Epstein had a long, close friendship — a Google search will reveal numerous photos and videos of the pair partying together. There are also photos […]
By Joe Nayquonabe Sr. / Transcribed by James Clark Editor’s note: Orignally published in in the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Inaajimowin newspaper. This month I would like to talk about my uncle Johnson Nayquonabe. I met him very early in my life when I was staying with my grandparents. In the summer months, we’d […]
By Ricey Wild The outdoors has transformed into glorious greenery and I’m waiting for lilac season, which only lasts for up to a week. Transient fragile beauty that has the power to heal souls. My Sun and I would take ‘Lilac Walks’ and I would bury my face in the fragrant bushes in the city. […]
By Mordecai Specktor Defunding Indian health care In my April column, I wrote about the chaos created by Trump 2.0 administration and MAGA congressional policies: a proposal to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act and reorienting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further the president’s call to “drill, baby, drill.” I also […]
By Ricey Wild Greetings and Blessings to all my Relations from other Nations! M’wah! I pray all is well for yooz. I have a story to share about cheffin’ up my first waaboozwag (rabbits) My Unk shared some waabooz with me after I expressed a desire to eat some. He suggested I use a slow […]
By Mordecai Specktor Ma’iingan, Brother Wolf, in danger The Musk (Trump) administration continues apace to dismantle the federal government. And a number of the changes wrought by the DOGE wrecking crew and the president’s sycophants are impacting tribes across the country. For example, Trump’s minions are seeking to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species […]
Review by Deborah Locke One characteristic of a gifted writer is the ability to present a character who is so compelling, so believable, that you can’t wait to learn where she ventures next. “Broken Fields,” (Soho Press, 2025) — Marcie Rendon’s fourth book in the Cash Blackbear mystery series — delivers a fast-paced plot set […]
