Social Issues

Explainer: What are the charges ex-cop Kimberly Potter faces?
Prosecutors argue that Kimberly Potter, who quit the Brooklyn Center police force two days after the shooting, committed first- and second-degree manslaughter when she killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during an April 11 traffic stop.
Reviving Ojibwe spiritual traditions, one pet at a time
Several members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota are working to address animal neglect on their tribal lands — and in doing so bringing their community closer to its spiritual roots.
Family, friends mourning after Austin community leader is killed in Ethiopia
“He was a great example of uniting cultures and saying, 'We all want to be better together.' And so he lived that,” a friend of Chol Okey Opiew recalled. “And that's what we need more of in today's world. So it's hard to lose someone that did that so well."
Native American organizations in MN seek capital to replace "dilapidated" facilities
16 Native American organizations in Minnesota are raising funds together to replace buildings they say are outdated and dilapidated. Joe Hobot, president and CEO of American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center, spoke with host Cathy Wurzer about the importance of a thriving nonprofit sector to the Native American community.
A St. Olaf football player is building a barbershop — and a platform for student-athletes
Oles Against Inequality, a group of student-athlete activists at St. Olaf College in Northfield, has organized a pop-up barbershop on campus to better serve their school's diverse communities. Aidan Lloyd, the founder of OAI, told host Cathy Wurzer why he thinks it's important for athletes to speak up and take action.
The white ghosts haunting Native Americans in 'The Sentence'
Louise Erdrich's novel turns the trope of the haunted Indian burial ground on its head with the story of a Native-run bookstore being visited by the ghost of a white woman obsessed with indigeneity.
A Native American man wants police reform in Duluth. His son wants to be a cop
Blair Powless is part of a community effort to reform Duluth’s Police Department, work that stems from a long personal history of negative interactions with law enforcement. But some of those same hurtful experiences have fueled Powless’ son Key to want to become a police officer.