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Native News

The Native News Project is a new initiative from MPR News.

Stay informed with the latest news about local and national Native American communities, highlighting stories and issues important to Native American communities in Minnesota and beyond.

Our coverage includes cultural events, policy updates, community stories and more to provide a platform for Native voices, perspectives and important news.

Beyond 250 years: Minnesota River flows through time and history

Beyond 250 years: Minnesota River flows through time and history

As the Declaration of Independence was being signed, the Minnesota River was known as Mni Sota Wakpa to the Dakota people. Congress affirmed the Dakota name in 1852. The Minnesota River would become the state’s namesake a few years later.
by Chandra Colvin

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Quality coffee, Ojibwe bonds build a business on the Fond du Lac Reservation in NE Minnesota

Quality coffee, Ojibwe bonds build a business on the Fond du Lac Reservation in NE Minnesota

At a roadside kiosk on the reservation, Jackson Ripley and his family blend great coffee and Ojibwe culture together with a bit of magic. In the process, they’ve built new community ties, and they’re hoping to do more.
by Leah Lemm

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Native Americans commemorate victory at Little Bighorn with horse races, dance and song

Native Americans commemorate victory at Little Bighorn with horse races, dance and song

Native American tribes are marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass. Known to many as the Battle of Little Bighorn, it's an iconic symbol of resistance and resilience.
by The Associated Press

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History of Native American women leaders in the Twin Cities told in new book

History of Native American women leaders in the Twin Cities told in new book

A new book dives into the history of Native American women in leadership and the organizations they helped build in the Twin Cities. Authors Audrey Thayer and Colette Hyman will speak at Milkweed Books in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
by Chandra Colvin

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Tribal health experts gather to uplift traditional tobacco and confront commercial tobacco

Tribal health experts gather to uplift traditional tobacco and confront commercial tobacco

The National Tribal Tobacco Conference convenes in Minneapolis this week. Two participants joined Minnesota Now to talk about traditional tobacco, which holds a cultural significance, and public health efforts around commercial tobacco in the region’s Native American communities.
by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

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As Native American boarding schools project ends, survivors describe feeling honored and restored

As Native American boarding schools project ends, survivors describe feeling honored and restored

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition is wrapping up an oral history project in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The project has gathered video testimonies from over 360 Indigenous survivors across 19 states.
by The Associated Press

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Red, white and blue: A strategy for survival as Native Americans navigate 250 years of history

Red, white and blue: A strategy for survival as Native Americans navigate 250 years of history

America's 250th birthday marks a milestone of resilience for Native Americans. It's a complex history of displacement and forced assimilation as well as one of self-determination and, strangely enough, patriotism.
by Associated

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Years after oil pipeline protests, North Dakota and the federal government settle policing lawsuit

Years after oil pipeline protests, North Dakota and the federal government settle policing lawsuit

The state of North Dakota and the federal government have settled a lawsuit the state brought to recoup the costs of policing protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly a decade ago. The final settlement agreement includes a nearly $28 million sum determined last year by a federal judge after trial in 2024.
by The Associated Press

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