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We want to respectfully acknowledge that we skate on Dakhóta and Anishinaabeg land.
More so, 1/3 of our name comes from the Dakhóta word Mni Sota Makoce meaning "sky-tinted waters" or "sky-blue waters."
More so, 1/3 of our name comes from the Dakhóta word Mni Sota Makoce meaning "sky-tinted waters" or "sky-blue waters."
The native community of Minneapolis/St Paul is comprised of multiple nations, the largest being the Dakhóta (Dakota), and the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe).
In the state of Minnesota, there are 11 sovereign American Indian nations comprised of seven Ojibwe (Chippewa, Anishinaabeg) federally recognized reservations, and four Sioux (Dakhóta) communities. But that’s *federally* speaking.
Archaeologists have documented human activity in Minnesota land to at least 9,000–12,000 years ago.
So, no, white people were not even close to being here first. Minnesota always has, and always should be, Indigenous land.
So, no, white people were not even close to being here first. Minnesota always has, and always should be, Indigenous land.
Minnesota has also been an ongoing site of oppression for indigenous people.
Both the State of Minnesota and the United States Government carried out genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced removal against the Dakota and Ojibwa as a way to acquire and use land.
It’s not okay.
It’s not okay.
The Indigenous community of Minnesota is vibrant, living, and very much here to stay. It is an ongoing and key effort to support, learn, and ultimately return land to these folks.
How can you do that? Well —
How can you do that? Well —
LEARN! read Indigenous scholars and voices. Decolonize your bookshelf. Look for work from Waziyatawin, Anton Treuer, Edward Benton-Banai, Drew Hayden Taylor, Sherman Alexie, Debbie Reese, David Treuer, Louise Erdrich, and Kim Tallbear, to name a few.
Remember that unlearning takes more than a book being read; it’s often a lifetime of work. Start now.
DO THINGS! Look for opportunities to engage in mutual aid, donations, or help in your community. Here in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, there are some great orgs you can support:
And considering Minnesota is indigenous land, head outside. One visit of many could be to the Pipestone National Monument, where you learn about how the catlinite (pipestone) mines are sacred sites for many indigenous identities.
RETURN LAND! Yep, we have to work to return the lands to whom they belong. This land is stolen, and it will remain so until it is returned.
We see and acknowledge the systemic oppression which stole these lands we skate, unfairly profit from, and live on. It is up to us to do what we can in the ongoing effort to return lands back to the Dakhóta and Anishinaabeg people.
(These were the sources uses to write this thread; thank you to all authors and contributors!)
