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.

Debate over protecting Minnesota’s wild rice from sulfate pollution intensifies on Iron Range
State officials have proposed strict limits on sulfate pollution to protect wild rice, but the mining industry claims the cost of compliance is so high it could force mines to shut down.
New director of Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office takes the helm
Guadalupe Lopez, who is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, took over the office in July. The MMIR office was established in 2021 and seeks to address the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who go missing or are murdered.
‘More than a game’: Native lacrosse stages a comeback in NE Minnesota and beyond
Tribal members in Minnesota and Wisconsin are working to revive the game of Baaga’adowewin, the Ojibwe version of lacrosse that once was a vital community-building tradition around the Great Lakes — but then virtually disappeared during the boarding school era. 
Tribal nations’ flags raised in historic moment at Minnesota State Capitol
Flags of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state were raised for the first time Friday morning at the new Tribal Flag Plaza. Some tribal leaders say the plaza will serve as a reminder that tribes have been here long before the state.