NEWS FROM The Water Protector Covid-19 deaths of tribal Powwow story for children A NATIVE Spring is coming elders leave a void will dance into your heart AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY WWW.THECIRCLENEWS.ORG [email protected] Like us on Facebook! Follow Us on Twitter page 3 page 6 page 12 Facebook.com/TheCircleNews @TheCircleNews FREE MAY 2021 • VOLUME 42, ISSUE 5 FREE Mpls community organizations helped COVID-19 still infecting Native Minnesotans keep peace during Chauvin trial BY LEE EGERSTROM most groups in Minnesota and especially by the ethnic com- munities. A feared reaction like ith Minneapolis the damage that followed on pins and nee- Floyd’s death a year ago didn’t W dles during the happen. recent Derek Chauvin murder “Although the trial of former trial, the city reached out to Officer Chauvin may have con- seven community organizations cluded, the trauma it evoked in to form community patrols to our communities continues to help keep the peace and lessen have an impact,” said Sasha tensions. Cotton, director of the city’s The Native American Office of Violence Prevention Community Development (OVP). Institute (NACDI), in the heart She said creating community of the Native community in the patrols with cultural and com- Phillips Neighborhood, was munity organizations was one of them. The nearby important for OVP to work Corcoran Neighborhood with the city’s diverse commu- A Covid-19 vaccine poster from the Indian Health Board. Minnesota’s tribal nations are ahead of the general Organization and T.O.U.C.H. nities. public in getting members vaccinated, but estimated 78 percent of Minnesota’s Native population lives off Outreach was another, and the “We understand that tension reservations and tribal lands. (Courtesy of IHS.) We Push for Peace group, in the city was and remains BY LEE EGERSTROM which has extensive operations high,” Cotton said in a state- within Phillips and the Cedar- ment for The Circle. innesotans were told they can ferent ethnic and racial lines. Riverside area of Minneapolis “One of the best ways to return to more “normal” activity A category for people identified as multiracial as well, was also a patrol part- address tension, stress and M as April came to an end although, and non-Hispanic account for 2 percent of ner. trauma is to ensure that people it appears, the new “normal” also means a cau- Minnesota’s population. MDH researchers In announcing the plan, the are getting resources and infor- tious lifestyle in the months ahead. said they also accounted for 2 percent of all city said it had awarded about mation from within their own Readers can get swamped by COVID-19 Minnesota diagnosed cases, 3 percent of hos- $1 million to the seven groups cultural and geographic com- news and statistics that change daily. At pitalizations and ICU hospitalizations, and 1 in contracts that will run munities, which was one of the month’s end, however, Minnesota data kept percent of total deaths. through the rest of the year. major focus areas of our com- by the Minnesota Department of Health These numbers included 16 additional Each organization had submit- munity patrols.” (MDH) do show state numbers improving for Minnesota deaths and 1,877 new cases of the ted budget proposals for up to The Chauvin trial is far from Natives and other communities in the state. virus tallied that day. This is a statistic, not a $175,000 to provide patrols and the end of the trauma that Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers that source of comfort for the sickened or their offer outreach assistance for the began with the death of Floyd may underestimate Minnesota’s Native popu- loved ones. city. a year ago. lation, given that many Indigenous people have What is positive about the data is that it rep- George Floyd, a Black man, Sentencing for Chauvin is set multiple ethnic and racial identities, health resents a statistical improvement, a measure died while in police custody on for June. Legal experts antici- reports suggest Native impacts from the global that we are making progress after another wave May 25 last year. His death, pate the verdicts will be coronavirus pandemic is close to the norm for of COVID-19 infections in early April. The while under a knee of former appealed. And a trial for three all Minnesota groups. threat to health, however, is still with us. police officer Chauvin, was cap- other former Minneapolis In monthly data released April 30, MDH In First World countries where COVID-19 tured on bystander video and police officers who were with researchers used the Census estimate that testing is widespread, the World Health shown around the world. Chauvin when Floyd was mur- American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) Organization (WHO) said testing samples It triggered civil rights activity dered is set to begin in August. represent about 1 percent of Minnesota’s total should have less than 5 percent positive rates throughout the United States All can be flashpoints and population. They currently account for 1 per- before states, provinces and countries reopen and in some parts of Europe as lead to more civil unrest. cent of all COVID-19 cases in Minnesota, 2 their economies from virus safety precautions. well. It also caused unrest in “Keep in mind, we have percent of hospitalizations, 2 percent of the The month-end data for Minnesota showed Minneapolis and St. Paul, shootings all too often and more serious Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hos- the positive rate had fallen below that bench- resulting in looting, fires and other acts of violence in our pitalization, and 1 percent of Minnesota’s 7,144 mark, to 4.57 percent. damage to property. communities,” said Trahern cumulative deaths from the virus. A jury on April 20 found Pollard, founder and chief exec- Actual numbers may be higher since Native Chauvin guilty of second utive of the We Push for Peace Minnesotans are known to be found across dif- – CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 – degree and third degree mur- groups that was started in der, and of a lesser manslaugh- 2004. 4 – Covid: Great Outdoors is calling 13 – Book reviews: Story of Ho Chuck ter charge as well. These 10 – Native Americans in Sports Congresswoman inspires verdicts were well received by – CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 – 11 – Chauvin guilty of murder, manslaughter 15 – It Ain’t Easy Being Indian HealthHealth carecare can bebe expensive,expensive, especiallyespecially asas wewe age.age. IfIf youyou have troubletrouble payingpaying forfor youryour Medicare,Medicare, you maymay bebe ableable toto getget help.help. MedicareMedicare SavingsSavings Programs cancan helphelp paypay somesome healthhealth carecare costs,costs, and thethe ExtraExtra HelpHelp programprogram can can covercover some prescription drugdrug costs.costs. SaveSave moneymoney for yourself andand forfor youryour tribe.tribe. CallCall Minnesota’sMinnesota’s SeniorSenior LinkAgeLinkAge LineLine®® to find outout more.more. mn.gov/senior-linkage-line/mn.gov/senior-linkage-line/ 2 May 2021 The Circle: News from a Native American Perspective http://www.thecirclenews.org ENVIRONMENT The Water Protector Spring is coming BY WINONA LADUKE months: the Jordan Cove Pipeline (another Canadian pipeline project, re you going to shoot us for heading for the Oregon Coast and a Canadian pipeline com- Chinese exports) and the Keystone XL A pany? Or put another way, if Pipeline. No pipeline projects can prove this pipeline is such a good idea, why that they could protect the environment, are there so many cops up north? or meet a climate test, let alone benefit The Minneapolis Star Tribune just the people. revealed that Enbridge has laid out What we know is that before the court $750,000 to northern police forces, not decision will come, Enbridge will return, counting an undisclosed number of pri- after a hiatus due to road restrictions, vate security forces. That includes non and they will be moving as quickly as lethal weapons like batons, tear gas and possible. In the meantime, investments riot gear. Beltrami county, for instance, into the tar sands have been plummet- took $183,000 or so, and they don’t ing, and Enbridge is hoping to blow life even have a new Line 3 pipeline corri- into the industry – literally the dirtiest dor. Contractors work on the Line 3 replacement project outside of Oliver near Superior. and most expensive oil on the market. It seems that Governor Walz decided (Photo by Elizabeth McMahon/WPR.) In a time of climate crisis, this is about to approve this pipeline because it would have been ardent supporters of spilled more than 1,200 gallons of petro- Canadian oil and Canadian profits. We create jobs and economic prosperity in Enbridge, and now refunds due to leum near Fort Atkinson, contaminating will see how the Home Team does. The the north, and that Enbridge proposed Enbridge exceed their annual tax levies. soil and groundwater, and did not report Court Decision is due at the end of this pipeline would be a safe one. The For larger counties, refunds – “in the the spill to regulators for more than 15 June. problem is that is not true. best-case scenario” – could still lead to months. On April l, the company sent home Enbridge promised that 50% of the tax increases, service cuts or depleted Enbridge is running a huge campaign, about 3000 workers due to road restric- jobs would be from Minnesota, but the reserves, Matt Hilgart of the Minnesota touting “reconciliation” with tribes, yet tions. Although the company has told Star Tribune reports, “…at the end of Counties Association said, calling it a the company is suing the Bad River the media the pipeline is almost 50% December …just 33% of the 4,664 work- “tsunami” of the worst possible decision.