Minneapolis is divided into 83 neighborhoods and approximately 11 communities. Folks may identify by region (North, South, West, East) or colloquially. Being a tourist, I chose cardinal directions which brought me to the East Side of Minneapolis. I know I am rehashing old history whenever I mention the forced removal of the Indigenous people from their ancestral lands by colonizers/pioneers/immigrants. But I need the constant reminder because it continues to be mind blowing to me.
I’m not sure if numbers matter when compared to thousands of years.
The US government had a lot to do with the movement, and thanks to the yet another act=1956 relocation act which defunded many reservation services and paid for relocation expenses to the cities in an attempt to assimilate the country’s indigenous peoples (much more on the “other” forced assimilation at Indian Boarding Schools in the Great Plains region in another post- the main thrust of my pilgrimage), the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area is home to one of the largest and most tribally diverse urban American Indian populations, numbering well over 35,000. I was looking for a specific place that I learned of long ago. In my small world of cycling into poverty after divorce, I know all too well about section 8 urban housing developments (we called them the projects).
Stark fact= About 45% of Minneapolis’ American Indian population lives in poverty. Sadly, I knew this going in. I also knew the housing development people had no need or desire for me intruding on their lives, so my visit was a drive by. I wish I had the time or the connection to have a sit down. I would explain about the many similarities we have. I would proudly boast about taking full advantage of every government hand-out to lift myself out of the misery, danger, and trauma that cycles of poverty mixed with alcohol and drugs brings to people who give up and give in to the vices. I am a teacher I would proclaim! I am a life-long learner and I want to learn about you I would say. But I didn’t. I just snapped and drove away.
Little Earth
Little Earth is a 9.4 acre, 212-unit Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidized housing complex located in the urban industrial core of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Little Earth was founded in 1973 and remains the only American Indian/Native preference project-based Section 8 rental assistance community in the United States.
In 2017, Indigenous Roots installed its very first series of murals on the 7th Street Cultural Corridor, in partnership with several organizations (such as Good Space Murals, Dayton's Bluff Community Council, MN350, Youth Water Protectors and local businesses.
In 2019, residents, artists and businesses began to call 7th Street the Intertribal Cultural Corridor to honor the Indigenous Dakota peoples of this land while honoring the many immigrants who have made the East Side their home and/or first home in the Twin Cities.
Not many folks out in the sweltering heat of an approaching 4th of July in 2025. But there was beautiful art and one stayed with me.
It was on a side street from 7th Ave, where I drove to park my car. So vivid, proud, yet brooding. Of course I stopped to read the smaller portrait on the right.
This mural honors the life of Cordale Quinn Handy, who was born on July 27th, 1987. In 2017 he was murdered by Saint Paul Police and his family continues to work to receive justice for Cordale and others who have fallen victim to gun violence and police brutality. This memorial continues to honor his life and brings light to the police brutality occurring in the Twin Cities. Artist: Xena Goldman (IG: Xenadecia)
Healing Practitioners offering wellness services and products to the community of Saint Paul, Minnesota and beyond.
Contributing to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing through traditional Indigenous healing modalities and a variety of hand crafted self-care products.
Roots Cafe is a youth lead creative economic development program launched by International Indigenous Youth Council- Twin Cities and incubated by Indigenous Roots. This place was open + the shy sweet young lady who waited on me needed some help from an elder to settle out my purchases. I was glad to find a local business to purchase something from.
I headed South of this crazy twin place; looking not for anything either of the competitive modern cities had to offer, but still searching for the ancient history.
Oddly enough, despite traveling South, I ended up on a hill that overlooked some more city. Yet this place was completely quiet. It was across the street from a lovely neighborhood, and after my long stroll, I did not want to ever leave this place. Talk about a spiritual draw!
Wicaḣapi Regional Park
In May 2025, the City of Saint Paul adopted the recommendations of state Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to rename two culturally significant and sacred Dakota sites. The cultural landscape encompassing Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Regional Park is now designated as Imniżaska (white cliffs, pronounced e-me-NE-zha-ska). Within this landscape, the two individual sites will now be designated as Waḳaƞ Ṭípi (Dwelling Place of the Sacred, pronounced wah-KAHN TEE-pee) and Wic̣aḣapi (Dakota cemetery, pronounced we-CHA-ha-pee), respectively. This action reflects the city’s commitment to preserving Indigenous heritage and strengthening its long-standing partnership with Dakota leaders and communities.
During the consultation process, these site names, their translations, and appropriateness were vetted by multiple Dakota first language speakers and Dakota language instructors. The spellings are in the Dakota orthography developed by the University of Minnesota’s Dakota Language Department.
The Indigenous burial ground of Wicaḣapi has been a sacred site and place of burial for over a thousand years. It is significant to living Indigenous Peoples as a cemetery where their ancestors are buried. It is a place of reverence, remembrance, respect, and prayer. When the City of Saint Paul established a park in this location in 1892 with the purpose of protecting the historical setting and spectacular views, connections of contemporaneous Indigenous Peoples to the sacred site were not understood, considered, or valued. Over the last century the condition, name, and use of the landscape as a park have become beloved to the surrounding community. Yet many non-Indigenous people have wondered about this powerful landscape without knowing how to learn more about it. Through public gatherings with generous sharing by Indigenous Peoples and members of the public, strong support for protection of this sacred site has been revealed.
Although a scorcher of a day, having this most sacred, beautiful, and scenic site all to myself was magical. All that cosmopolitan hunk of development seemed to be an eternity away. I got in my car and headed out of these twin cities to look for more on the outskirts and in the great plains. I left city life and its hidden treasures for more than a week and only returned for my plane ride home.
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