Minnesota Native News

The University of Minnesota is offering free or reduced tuition for Native students. And a youth group brings together different nations and generations to heal from the legacy of boarding schools. Feven Gerezgiher reports: The University of Minnesota has offered free tuition to American Indian students on its Morris campus from its founding. This goes back to 1909, when Congress deeded a boarding...

Marie Rock  0:08   Drug and alcohol addiction is an epidemic that has hit native communities particularly hard. I'm Marie Rock. This week of Minnesota native news, a native led sobriety group receives recognition for its peer recovery work. Here's reporter Emma Needham. Emma Needham  0:24    Soper Squad is a native led recovery group with a simple mission statement: To empower and support individu...

The fight against Line 3 has reached the United Nations. Now, the U.S. must respond to allegations of Indigenous rights violations related to the pipeline construction.  Tiffany Bui reports: In late March, Indigenous-led organizations writing on behalf of the Anishinaabe people asked a United Nations committee to take action against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.  The tar sands pipeline crosses thr...

Hundreds gathered along the Mississippi this past weekend for the Owamni Falling Water Festival - a celebration of indigenous Minnesota cultures. And President Biden proclaimed October 11 Indigenous Peoples Day.  Here’s Chioma Uwagwu with these stories:  This past Saturday, indigenous artists and educators gathered on either side of the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis for the Owamni Festival. Owa...

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up… The American Indian Cancer Foundation honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Indigenous Pink. And, legislation has been re-introduced that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities by establishing a commission to investigate the federal government's Indian Boarding School Policies. Here’s Leah Lemm with these...

Host: This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, the disparity in media coverage for missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives cases has once again been brought to the surface. Here's Leah Lemm with the story. Reporter: In the latest episode of the Counter Stories Podcast, the hosts and guests tackle the issue of disparities in media coverage head on. Podcast host, Luz Mar...

“A Special COVID-19 Report from MN Native News: Decision-Making and Being a Good Relative.” With hosts Leah Lemm and Dr. Antony Stately. This program was made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and is a co-production of TPT NOW and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities.

Title: Food For Thought- Bringing Back Indigenous Foods  Marie Rock: The movement to rebuild Indigenous Food Sovereignty is getting help from many sources. I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, reporter Emma Needham shares a story on  writers and community partnerships working to bring back Native food practices in Minnesota. Emma Needham: Anishinaabe writer Tashia Hart grew up on th...

Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up… Dr. Gwen Nell Westerman has been appointed the new MN Poet Laureate. And... A celebration is being held soon for the publication of five Ojibwe language books. And also… Dr Antony Stately, CEO of the Native American COmmunity Clinic, shares wise words on the radio. Here’s Leah Lemm with these stories... STORY #1: GWEN NELL WESTERMAN...

This week on Minnesota Native News, we dive into the new hit series Reservation Dogs, which is mid-way through its first season. Reservation Dogs is an all indigenous production. Diego Luke reports. Growing up, I never liked how Native Americans were shown in film and TV.  Dances With Wolves, The Lone Ranger, The Last of the Mohicans , Pocahontas - those struck me as offensive at best. But Reserva...

This week on Minnesota Native News, the Line Three protest comes to the capitol and – New Native Theater takes its new show to the street. I’m Marie Rock. MARIE Story 1 If you drove past  the state capitol this week, you saw lots of state patrol – and you couldn’t miss the teepees occupying capitol grounds. Laurie Stern explains: Laurie: Enbridge’s Line 3 is almost complete, yet, if anything, oppo...

Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up, applications for the 12th cohort of the Native Nations Rebuilders Program are now open. The program is operated by the Native Governance Center, and the Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis is now requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for its health center staff. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with these stories. Reporter: Native Nati...

This week on Minnesota Native News, the sound of young people growing and community healing. Laurie Stern reports on a new production that will soon be available for all to see -- Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, the sound of young people growing and community healing. Laurie Stern reports on a new production that will soon be available for all to see. TAPE  My name is Jennifer Cortez. I...

MR: This week on Minnesota Native News, a new state judge brings a wealth of Indian Country expertise.  And a new partnership gives Native students a place to practice traditional ways. I'm Marie Rock. MR: How can a lawyer who works on behalf of tribes make the most impact? Reporter Emma Needham tells us how and why Colette Routel became a judge. EN: Colette Routel is a professor of law and co-dir...

A new initiative focused on enhancing reporting on violence against Native women and girls in the United States has chosen a new director. And the Minnesota Historical Society announces recipients for the 2021 Native American Artist-in-Residence program.

This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear about the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s proposal to reintroduce elk to its reservation and surrounding area in an effort to build the elk population in Minnesota. We speak with the band’s wildlife biologist Mike Schrage for more on the repopulation effort. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.  In early...

Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock, coming up... the podcast Indigenized Connections On Air examines tribal issues and leadership through the lens of economic development and the Counter Stories podcast recently featured an in-depth conversation about Indian boarding schools and their intentional trauma. Here's reporter Leah Lemm with more. Reporter: The Indigenized Connections On...

Marie: This week on Minnesota Native News, Ojibwe Tribes take a stand for wild rice and a sculpture takes shape at the Walker Art Center. I’m Marie Rock. Story #1: In early June, Enbridge Energy applied for a new permit to displace 5 BILLION gallons of water as it makes way for its new pipeline. Laurie Stern reports on the reaction. LS: The new permit says Enbridge can remove 10 times what the ori...

This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from Karen Diver, who is the inaugural appointment of a new and unique senior-level tribal affairs role at the University of Minnesota. Plus, an update on the Line 3 pipeline replacement project that has sparked protest in northern Minnesota. Here’s reporter Cole Premo.  In early May, University of Minnesota...

This week on Minnesota Native News, we hear from water protectors continuing their work to stop Line 3 and a Red Lake elder speaks out on the impact of the illegal killing of a bear on the reservation. After 2 years of legal proceedings, Brett Stimac was sentenced on June 9th for illegally killing a 700 pound bear on the Red Lake reservation. Stimac is not a Red Lake citizen. He’s from Brainard Mi...

Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up… Northern Spark, the annual art festival, opens June 12th. The theme this year is Alchemy, which has different meanings, one of which being the process of transformation, creation, or combination. One of the opening public art pieces is called Braiding Our Stories Together. Reporter Leah Lemm has more. Reporter: Northern Spark is takin...

MARIE: This week on Minnesota Native News, it’s spring and the end of the Covid lockdown. I’m Marie Rock. Producer  Laurie Stern has the story of two very different new productions. Laurie: The first production is a podcast called Understand Native Minnesota with Rebecca Crooks Stratton. Rebecca Crooks Stratton is Secretary Treasurer of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, or SMSC. I have to...

This week on Minnesota Native News, efforts are underway across the Americas to bring back native languages. Emma Needham has two stories of Ojibwe Language revitalization in Minnesota.  Emma Needham  0:11   Leslie Harper is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and has worked in language revitalization efforts on both a local and national level for the past 25 years. Audio (Leslie Harper Ojib...

 This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. Coming up... The Mitchell Hamline School of Law seeks to address systemic racism in Minnesota’s criminal justice system…  and... A new scholarship program wants to help descendants of Indian Boarding Schools...  plus… do you or someone you know have an Indigenous story of Strength to showcase?  Online nominations are open! Reporter Leah Lemm has thes...

This week on Minnesota Native News, two important decisions that affect Native lands - and a Twin Cities park acknowledges the sacred.