Recently, two social media experts came
to The Circle office on a walking tour of Franklin Avenue to
ask two simple questions: “What kind of community are you trying to
build here” and “What are you most excited about in this
community”?
If you’ve followed the Adam Sandler
movie controversy, you’ve come across Vanilla Ice’s claims to
“Chactaw” [sic] ancestry as a way to defend the “The Ridiculous
Six” and its offensive portrayals of Native people. As the
reporters of the story eviscerating the erstwhile 90s rap star’s
claims noted, “Even most tribal members and leaders do not feel
comfortable speaking for their entire tribe or for all Native
Americans, as Rob tried to do in justifying the inexcusable jokes in
The Ridiculous Six.” So when answering those seemingly simple
questions, foreshadows of indignant Tweets, Facebook posts and
various other reactions run through this editor’s head.
Answering as accurately as I could
recall, I gave a history of this newspaper, from its inception as a
newsletter of the Minneapolis American Indian Center in 1980 to where
we sit now, an independent, non-profit chronicle of the community.
The second question gave me pause to consider the future of the Urban
Indian community and the momentum its built as an economic, cultural
and political powerhouse in 40 short years. From police brutality to
inaugurating Indigenous Peoples Day at the city level of government
and onward, the Native community in the Twin Cities has a great deal
to celebrate this American Indian Month. In my short time as managing
editor, it’s remarkable to see the texture, color and form of this
community change over the years; it’s truly an honor to record the
living history.
That being said, we are constantly
aware of where we miss the mark. If breaking news happens, The
Circle is not always in the best position to write the story in
real time. The Native community deserves better. But pointing out a
problem and solving it are two vastly different things, like armchair
quarterbacking and calling the play; simply wishing for a solution
and doing the work to make it happen require acknowledging the
investment we all have in this community.
The Circle functions as the
living historical chronicle of the Minnesota Native community and is
its platform to express opinion, tell stories and connect through
events. It has done so for 35 years and by the will and support of
the community, will continue to do so for decades to come.
Like any other business or
organization, we rely on our fellows to support us through
advertising, sponsorships and subscriptions. While individuals and
sponsors have always been more than generous with their financial
support of The Circle, the investment from other businesses
and organizations are not what they used to be. We have always served
the community best when it has recognized our contributions to its
own history, it’s a symbiotic relationship that does best when
attended to by both sides.
As we continue to be aware of where we
fail at news coverage, we approach the solution with vigor and
candor. On May 12, at 12:30 p.m., The Circle – along with
its media partner Twin Cities Daily Planet – will host the media
cafe “News from A Franklin Avenue Perspective,” where we invite
you to tell us what stories are happening, what views require
attention and how best to bring those to print. It is your
opportunity to demonstrate your personal investment in our living
history by guiding the coverage that we offer.
To that end, we continue to offer
reporting on subjects not ordinarily covered in Native media, much
less mainstream media. This month, The Circle welcomes veteran
journalist Lee Egerstrom, who will be writing about business and
economics in Indian Country. He was a long-time writer on
agriculture, rural development and cooperative business developments
for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He was also a Washington
correspondent in the 1970s for Knight Ridder Newspapers covering
agriculture, trade, Indian affairs and Congress, focusing on news for
the Pioneer Press, Duluth News-Tribune, Grand Forks Herald and
Aberdeen American News.
Most recently, Egerstrom was the
economic development fellow for the former Minnesota 2020 think-tank
where he specialized in researching and writing about developments
among various ethnic communities. Among awards and honors, Egerstrom
won the National Press Club’s Washington Correspondent of the Year
Award for Congressional Reporting, the Newspaper Farm Editor of the
Year Award from the North American Agricultural Journalists, and this
past year Canadian, U.S., Puerto Rican and Caribbean members of the
Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE) organization honored Lee
with the ACE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative
Education and Training.
What excites us at The Circle is
the broad view of our community’s story. It’s one that is never
ceasing, always changing and filled with people and institutions that
offer experience and hope for the future. We recommit ourselves to
your service and invite your investment in our well being.
