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.

Children who died at a boarding school in the 1800s return to the White Earth Nation
Two Ojibwe boys who died more than a century ago at the St. John’s Industrial School in Collegeville came home to the White Earth Nation on Sunday. John Parker and Joseph Roy had been buried in the cemetery at St. John’s Abbey.
‘Kind of a big dill’: Urban Indigenous community gathers to crown pickling champs, promote food sovereignty
Judges chose the best pickles at the Third Annual Pickle-Off competition at the Four Sisters Farmers Market in Minneapolis. The event celebrated food preservation in preparation for the winter months.
‘We’re still here’: A new book explores how a small-town murder led to the restoration of Indigenous land
Cherokee author Rebecca Nagle stops in Minneapolis along her book tour for her newly released “By the Fire We Carry: The Generations Long Fight for Justice on Native Land.”
Little fires everywhere: A new arts collective goes on tour to build community in rural Minnesota and beyond
On a September evening at the Turf Club in St. Paul, the new arts collective “Fire in the Village” kicked off a fall tour blending music, upcycled fashion and printmaking to foster community connections and address rural isolation.
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center celebrates 40 years
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center celebrated its 40th anniversary this week in Minneapolis. The center was established in 1984 out of a need for addiction treatment centers that focused on care for Native women in Minnesota. 
Community healing: Groundbreaking honors ‘all lives lost and forever changed’ by 2005 Red Lake shootings
On Saturday, supporters will gather for a groundbreaking ceremony on the Red Lake Nation for a memorial dedicated to those affected by the mass shooting in 2005. Ten people died that day, including the perpetrator.
Gas pipeline approved near pipestone quarry sacred to Indigenous people, with conditions
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a permit to Magellan Pipeline Company along a route near a pipestone quarry considered sacred by many tribal nations. Tribal input over the past year resulted in the commission requiring the pipeline company to consult with tribes.
 ‘Rez Ball’ is a story for everyone
The Netflix film directed by Sydney Freeland and co-written by Sterlin Harjo is a story centered on a Native American basketball team fighting to be recognized as the champions they are.
Government food shortage persists in Minnesota’s tribal communities 
Tribal nations across Minnesota and the nation are still experiencing shortages in federal food shipments. The USDA delivers food to older people and low-income households. Tribal leaders say they are ready to reform federal tribal food programs through farm policy changes.