Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Minnesota, as part of the Midwest, has a number of tribes living here, according to the National Congress of American Indians.

The Minnesota Humanities Center has been a partner in the creation of the Bdote Memory Map, a beginning point to reclaim the history of the Dakota people in Mnisota Makoce.

wolf statue at Ancient Traders Market

Photo by J. Harrington

The St. Croix River valley, where we live, has long been home to the Chippewa (Ojibwe) and the Dakota.

Some of our favorite authors are Native Americans, among them are:

• Heid Erdrich


• Louise Erdrich


• Linda Legarde Grover


• Joy Harjo, and


• Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose Braiding Sweetgrass has been a major influence in our ponderings and reflections during the past few years.

Winona LaDuke, an internationally renowned activist working on issues of sustainable development renewable energy and food systems. who lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota has recently published a very though-provoking and hopeful response to the question: What kind of ancestor do you want to be? She responded with guidance on How to Be Better Ancestors.

Native American art gallery on American Indian Cultural Corridor

Photo by J. Harrington

As we observe, often with dismay, the proceedings in our state and national capitols, we wonder how much better things might be if we could, at a minimum, adopt the philosophy of learning to consider our decisions and whether that are in accord with the Seven Generations. It seems to us that we have, if we are wise, much to learn from those who inhabited a managed "wilderness," "discovered" and still later colonized by Europeans.

If you're ever in Minneapolis, visit Franklin Avenue and stop at the Ancient Traders Market and the All My Relations gallery. They're definitely worth a visit during Heritage month or any time. In fact, it's been too long since we've visited and eaten at Maria's Cafe. That goes on our list of things to do soon.

                     The Theft Outright

By Heid E. Erdrich
after Frost

We were the land's before we were.

Or the land was ours before you were a land.

Or this land was our land, it was not your land.

We were the land before we were people,

loamy roamers rising, so the stories go,

or formed of clay, spit into with breath reeking soul—

What's America, but the legend of Rock 'n' Roll?

Red rocks, blood clots bearing boys, blood sands

swimming being from women's hands, we originate,

originally, spontaneous as hemorrhage.

Un-possessing of what we still are possessed by,

possessed by what we now no more possess.

We were the land before we were people,

dreamy sunbeams where sun don't shine, so the stories go,

or pulled up a hole, clawing past ants and roots—

Dineh in documentaries scoff DNA evidence off.

They landed late, but canyons spoke them home.

Nomadic Turkish horse tribes they don't know.

What's America, but the legend of Stop 'n' Go?

Could be cousins, left on the land bridge,

contrary to popular belief, that was a two-way toll.

In any case we'd claim them, give them some place to stay.

Such as we were we gave most things outright

(the deed of the theft was many deeds and leases and claim stakes

and tenure disputes and moved plat markers stolen still today . . .)

We were the land before we were a people,

earthdivers, her darling mudpuppies, so the stories go,

or emerging, fully forming from flesh of earth—

The land, not the least vaguely, realizing in all four directions,

still storied, art-filled, fully enhanced.

Such as she is, such as she wills us to become.

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