Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings: Insights for Philanthropy

“For non-Native Minnesotans, we sincerely hope that this distillation of essential knowledge about the Dakota, Ojibwe, and other Native peoples who reside in what is today Minnesota will establish a fundamental basis for relating to their Indigenous fellow Minnesotans and better understanding of the rich but too-often-ignored history of the original inhabitants of the state.” - Quote from a new guide, Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings for Educators.

In March 2023, MCF and WASH-MN hosted a member briefing on Indigenous Education for All. One year later, we’ll follow-up from that earlier conversation. How are schools, and communities more broadly, changing our narratives about Native communities in Minnesota? During this conversation, we’ll discuss the most recent changes in legislation and the related challenges; we’ll explore new resources available to Minnesota’s educators and learners; and we’ll examine key points that philanthropy needs to know in the context of narrative change in formal education and community settings. 

Through this session, we’ll contemplate the roles philanthropy can take to support and promote a richer understanding of the Native communities in Minnesota.

Presenters

Ramona Kitto Stately, Director, Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings project and Executive Director, We Are Still Here Minnesota.

• Ramona will offer an overview of the new guide Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings for Educators. She will discuss the importance and uses of this resource which was released in February.

Jane Harstad, D.Ed., Director of Minnesota’s Office of American Indian Education.

• Jane will discuss the changes in legislation and what the Tribes are doing to support implementation. Jane will explore the question of philanthropy’s role in supporting the legislative changes.

Odia Wood-Krueger, Educational Consultant at Wood Krueger Initiatives.

• Odia will present the Guide to Reliable Native American-Related Teaching Resources, delving into key concepts for educators, for philanthropy, and for anyone who lives in Minnesota.

Details

Log-in details will be provided in your confirmation email. This event is open to MCF members and others interested in funding Minnesota's Native organizations. Contact Paul Masiarchin, pmasiarchin@mcf.org with questions.

*We Are Still Here - Minnesota (WASH-MN) is a collaboration fiscally sponsored by Indigenous Roots, an arts organization that supports a coalition of people, organizations and small businesses dedicated to the Reclaiming Native Truth research and its findings.