‘Cover Stories’ Archives
“Liberty and justice for all” demands history of all
By Jim Graham Yes, we SHOULD look in depth at the history of Ft. Snelling. And then pray no one ever comes to “Re-Develop” us, our culture, and our children. Another advocate of unrevised history recently said, “What I learned from that experience with the state-hired historians, is that their information is hugely biased and not to be trusted, particularly when it comes to delineating the history of a mostly vanquished people who lived entirely in an oral tradition.” At an open house to receive “Public Input” a United States Park Service representative was quite aggressive in his assertion that their was NO history of the Cold Water Springs. (The sacred area near Minnehaha Falls that was violated during the routing of the Light Rail Transit and rerouting of Hiawatha Avenue in spite of disagreement and protest.) area having any documented religious significance for the Mdewakanton Dakota people. (more…)
Indigenous people focus of new “Movies and Music” series
Indigenous artists, filmmakers, producers and actors will be showcased this summer in a four-part music and movies series at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park in Minneapolis. The series is hosted by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Migizi Communications and the First Nations Composer Initiative. Musical performances will feature local artists Red Ponie, Blue Dog, Mitch Walking Elk, and Chase Manhattan. The series offers the opportunity to catch Indigenous films that have been shown at national and international film festivals, and been sold out at the Walker Art Center (Barking Water). The last evening in the series features the next generation of filmmakers with several student-produced short films from youth media programs such as In Progress and Migizi Communications, as well as Magic Wands, a new pioneering Ojibwe language film from Minneapolis filmmaker Elizabeth Day. (more…)
Summer of Solutions Workers Listening, Responding, and Supporting
by Martha Pskowski and Nalatlie Camplair At the beginning of June, six members of Summer of Solutions (SoS) moved into a house in Midtown Phillips. This summer residence serves as headquarters for the SoS program, a grassroots youth leadership program that focuses on building capacity and potential in communities to address social and environmental injustices. There are 15 full-time SoS members in the Twin Cities. Summer of Solutions, hosted by the non-profit Grand Aspirations, was formed by Macalester College students in 2008 and is now made up of young people from around Minnesota and the U.S. Participants will work on bike access, urban agriculture, energy efficiency and green manufacturing. Summer of Solutions will support existing local organizations that already work in these project areas and support them with their time and energy. For example, participants will be working with a variety of urban farms this summer, including several in East Phillips. SoS is [...]
