Minnesota History

Minnesota moves to protect Native children as Supreme Court decision looms
A case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court could affect how American Indian children are treated in the foster care system. In response, Minnesota lawmakers took steps this year to strengthen a state law designed to keep Native children connected to their families and communities.
Panel explains pivotal role of birchbark canoes in connecting cultures 
The American Craft Council is hosting a free online panel discussion Thursday exploring the historical and cultural importance of traditional watercraft. “Woven Through Water: How Boatbuilding Connects Communities and Cultures” looks at the contributions of Native people in transporting goods and fueling America’s early economy.  
Searchers locate two of three shipwrecks from 1914 Lake Superior tragedy
Three ships from a giant lumber company’s fleet foundered in a Lake Superior storm in 1914, with the loss of all 28 crew members. Now, more than a century after the tragedy, searchers have found two of the three vessels.
St. Paul joins effort to clear racial real estate covenants
The University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice project has identified nearly 33,000 properties that have race-based restrictions written into their very legal basis in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties.  
College students uncover history of racist housing deeds in Stearns County
The students from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University found dozens of discriminatory covenants in St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Cold Spring and Sauk Centre — proving that attempts to prevent people of color from owning property extended well beyond the Twin Cities.
Two Harbors council nixes proposed townhomes
The Two Harbors City Council has rejected a concept plan to build high-end townhomes on Lighthouse Point along Lake Superior. The controversial proposal rekindled memories of a fight over a similar development 20 years ago.
25 years after Minnesota tornado outbreak, severe weather forecasting has advanced greatly
Wednesday marks 25 years since tornadoes ripped across southern Minnesota, causing major damage in Comfrey, St. Peter and other cities. Since then, forecasting severe weather has advanced significantly.
25 years after tornadoes tumbled southern Minnesota, residents still carry the lessons learned
It’s been 25 years since a tornado outbreak devastated several southern Minnesota communities, killing two people, and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. The lessons and stories the destruction left behind still have an impact on those who witnessed the storms and rebuilt their lives afterward.