A legislative update from Lieutenant Governor Flanagan
By Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Boozhoo! I’m honored and humbled to serve another term as your Lieutenant Governor with Governor Tim Walz as we work to make Minnesota the best state in the country for all kids and families, including across Indian Country. Governor Walz and I are committed to building strong government-to-government relationships with […]
An emotional farewell for the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo
By Lee Egerstrom Thirty years ago, Mike Goze was leading a search committee to find a new pastor for All Nations Indian Church in Minneapolis. When he and team members went to interview the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo (Ho-Chunk Nation), he told her they were looking for someone “who wore moccasins and could walk on […]
MN Legislature ends session without passing Native bills
By Lee Egerstrom What looked like an eleventh-hour compromise to push through extensive bills in the Minnesota Legislature, including several for the Minnesota Indian community, ended with a whimper when on May 17 the Legislature adjourned. “We humbly ask Governor (Tim) Walz to call a Special Session and for legislators to return to the Capitol […]
Minnesotans cheer Washington team’s name change
By Nina Moini / MRP News Outside the American Indian Center in Minneapolis on July 13, Clyde Bellecourt leaned on his walker as he watched a few people tacking a sign to the outside of the building. It reads: ”We are still here.” For decades, Bellecourt has been at the forefront of the pressure campaign […]
Not Your Mascot protests Washington DC team’s racist name
Native Americans and allies gathered outside the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Oct. 24 to protest the Washington Redskins’ racist name. The rally was organized by The National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media, which featured speakers like Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. According to MPR News, […]
Legislature update: PIIC can enforce state criminal laws
By Lee Egerstrom A large number of bills sought by Native American groups and tribal governments approved by the Minnesota Legislature is becoming law, including a unique cooperative arrangement for the Prairie Island Indian Community’s (PIIC), to enforce state criminal laws on tribal land. The Minnesota Legislature adjourned in late May. Issues important to Native […]