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Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Rural Voice: Tribal rights and sovereignty

kerri miller talking to crowd
Kerri Miller kicked off the 2025 season of Rural Voice on Sept. 3, at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet with a town hall about tribal rights and sovereignty.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Smith/Rural Voice

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Rural Voice, the statewide town hall series amplifying perspectives from greater Minnesota, launched its 2025 season at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College on Sept. 3, with a robust conversation on tribal rights and sovereignty in rural Minnesota.

Moderated by Rural Voice co-founder and MPR News host Kerri Miller, the discussion featured a variety of voices and opinions emphasizing the inherent nature of treaty rights and the importance of Native Minnesotans relationship to the land.

Rural Voice at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
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Fond du Lac town hall meeting
Kerri Miller kicked off the 2025 season of Rural Voice on Sept. 3, at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet with a town hall about tribal rights and sovereignty.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Smith/Rural Voice
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Fond du Lac fish fry
On Sept. 3, the fish fry came via Famous Red Lake Walleye, led by Roland Hill and Charlie Smith. Wild rice and fry bread (not pictured) came from Taysha Killsenemy at Whitebird Services, and Delilah Savage, who owns and operates Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery, provided the wild rice cupcakes.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Smith/Rural Voice
2 of 16
Fond du Lac fish fry
On Sept. 3, the fish fry came via Famous Red Lake Walleye, led by Roland Hill and Charlie Smith. Wild rice and fry bread (not pictured) came from Taysha Killsenemy at Whitebird Services, and Delilah Savage, who owns and operates Baby Cakes Wild Rice Bakery, provided the wild rice cupcakes.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Smith/Rural Voice

Participants also touched on the challenges of building a Native middle class, how current tribal members are dealing with generational trauma and the importance of Native businesses in the area to create true economic vitality.