American Indians in Minnesota

2007-2008 Series: Personal Histories

Linda Grover	Jim Northrup	Robert Powless	Karen Diver	Heid E. Erdrich	Lise Erdrich	David Larsen

"Human Rights Issues and the American Indian Community"

Monday, October 15, 7 pm, Kirby Rafters
A panel presented by the UMD Center for Genocide, Holocaust, and Human Rights Studies

Jim Northrup, writer and activist, Robert Powless, professor emeritus, American Indian Studies, UMD and Linda Grover, faculty, American Indian Studies, UMD presented human rights issue. Download Poster PDF

Karen Diver
Monday, November 5, 7 pm, Kirby Ballroom

Karen Diver is Chair of the Fond du Lac Band of Minnesota Chippewa tribe and spoke on “Best Practices in Governance and Economic Development at Fond du Lac: a Personal Perspective.” She discussed her role as head of a tribal government that employs between 1,600 - 1,800 people and has assets totaling over $300 million. Diver has long been dedicated to the interests of Minnesota's Indian community and was a founding member of American Indian Community Housing Organization. Her experience and knowledge of program and community development, of workforce and organizational development, and her particular expertise in women's issues and culturally competent programming, led to her appointment to the Governor's Workforce Development Council. Diver has a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (which she attended as a Bush Leadership Fellow) and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Heid and Lise Erdrich
Thursday, February 14, 7 pm, Kirby Ballroom

Lise Erdrich, is the author of Night Train, her first collection of short fiction. She has also published Bears Make Rock Soup and Sacagawea, two books for children. A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, she was born in Minnesota, lives in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and has been occupied in the fields of Indian Health Service and Indian Education for twenty years. Co-sponsored by Lake Superior Writers.

David Larsen
Thursday, March 13, 7 pm, Weber Music Hall
Presented by the UMD Center for Genocide, Holocaust, and Human Rights Studies

“History of American Racism and How it Affects us as People.” David Larsen, a Dakota educator and elder, former Tribal Chairman of the Lower Sioux Community, Tribal Historian, and descendant of Chief Wapasha (Wabasha) discussed the plight of American Indians over the past century. His words added the Native voice to understanding of Minnesota and American history. He brought the spirituality of the Dakota into his presentation, and emphasized today's struggle in the Dakota community to preserve Dakota language and culture.

See a video clip of this presentation

Terry Goodsky and the Duluth 709 Drum Group will open the David Larsen presentation

American Indians in Minnesota Committee

Cheryl Reitan, Publications Director, UMD University Relations; Rick Smith, Director, American Indian Learning Resource Center; Linda Grover, Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies; Alexis Pogorelskin, History Professor.

Co-sponsors

The “UMD American Indians in Minnesota Series” is co-sponsored ZMC Hotels, the MN Sesquicentennial Committee, as well as Lake Superior Writers and the following UMD departments and programs: Chancellor’s Diversity Fund, College of Liberal Arts, College of Education and Human Service Professions, Labovitz School of Business and Economics, American Indian Learning Resource Center, Anishinaabe Student Organization, English Department, History Department, American Indian Studies Department, Political Science Department, Center for American Indian and Minority Health, Royal D Alworth Jr., Institute for International Studies, and the Commission on Women.

For info contact the American Indian Learning Resource Center at 218-726-6379.

UMD home page editor, Cheryl Reitan, creitan@d.umn.edu
NEW RELEASES, UMD media contact, Susan Latto, slatto@d.umn.edu, 218-726-8830