Fatal shootings upend American Indian Month celebrations
A child watches from a man’s shoulders at a prayer gathering at Cedar Field Park in response to recent fatal shootings affecting members of the Native American community in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Tim Evans for MPR News
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Members of the American Indian community in south Minneapolis are mourning the loss of four people, all of whom are Native. The victims died in two separate shootings earlier this week, that were 13 hours apart. So far Minneapolis Police say no arrests have been made.
On Thursday, more than a hundred people joined a community prayer in south Minneapolis.
MPR's Native News reporter Melissa Olson spoke with Robert Lilligren, president and chief executive officer of the Native American Community Development Institute, about the reaction from the community and how they're supporting each other.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
[THEME MUSIC] NINA MOINI: This morning, members of the American Indian community in South Minneapolis are mourning the loss of four people, all of whom are Native. The victims died in two separate shootings earlier this week that were 13 hours apart. So far, Minneapolis Police say no arrests have been made.
Earlier today, more than 100 people joined a community prayer. A community leader, Carrie Aspinwall, spoke about the need to come together.
CARRIE ASPINWALL: This is no different than if we would have been celebrating. We come together at these times when we need each other. We need that celebration. But we also are reminded of the sorrow that comes with that. That's the balance. We took care of one another, and that's what we need to do today.
These are young men doing adult things. As elders, we need to stand up and pull them over here. They should be using those guns to protect our people and to be protecting us, protecting our little children.
NINA MOINI: That was community leader Carrie Aspinwall.
NPR's Native News Reporter Melissa Olson spoke with Robert Lilligren, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Native American Community Development Institute, about the reaction from the community, and how they're supporting each other.
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It's very hard on the community. It's not that large of a community, and so to lose this many people in 24 hours or less than 24 hours. And it's especially disheartening when it is on the eve of such an important and festive community celebration, which is American Indian Month.
Those events have been canceled. There was a march or parade that kicked it off, stepping off at 10:00 at Cedar Field Park, very near Little Earth, that would have marched up to the Minneapolis American Indian Center, and then on to the Indian Health Board for a celebration of a new building they're constructing on Franklin Avenue.
And so the parade and march has been canceled, the Indian Health Board event has been canceled, and there would have been a powwow at the Minneapolis American Indian Center on the evening, and that's been canceled, as well.
MELISSA OLSON: You work just blocks away from these events. How are you feeling?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: You know, it's always a little unsettling. It was interesting today, there were helicopters then hovering around the community, and so there was this sort of flashback to the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, when there were helicopters over the community 24/7. So that feels bad.
And I am-- I've been part of helping to plan events for Indian Month kickoff. And the community is so looking forward to it, so invested in it, and it's been being planned for months. And so now to have to cancel it last minute, it kind of hurts, or it makes me even a little angry, Melissa, that a few people behaving very poorly and violently can steal the joy from the rest of the community.
MELISSA OLSON: I understand leaders of various community organizations met with the mayor and the police chief this afternoon. I understand you weren't able to be there, but were given an update about what was said and the outcome of that meeting. Can you talk a little bit about what was said there?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: The police chief and some of the other leadership had requested that some of the organizational leadership, Metropolitan Urban Indian directors, meet today to process through the shooting last night. And once that meeting was already being organized, then the second shooting took place. And so I wasn't the room, but that was where the decision was made to postpone or cancel the events for Indian Month Kickoff.
MELISSA OLSON: So a lot to process.
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It is. I've been on my phone and texts and emails nonstop.
MELISSA OLSON: And how would you describe what you've heard today from community?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It's varied, right? People want to know, who's involved? People want to know, who's OK, who's not? Are they my relative? Are they my neighbor? So there's a lot of that immediate concern.
One of the things we'll be doing in our organization is trying to get as much good information out into people's hands. Several things are being rescheduled already. So it's conferring with the other planners and other organizations that were participating in the planning, confirming those. The schedule need to be adjusted.
And I think there's fear in the community, Melissa, about further retaliation. And so it just gives a sense of lack of safety throughout the community. Is this going to happen again, and if so, where and when?
NINA MOINI: You just heard Robert Lilligren, CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, speaking with our Melissa Olson yesterday. And there was another fatal shooting last night near 15th and Lake Street in Minneapolis. It's not clear whether there's any connection to the other shootings. Minneapolis Police are saying a man in his 50s died, but have shared no other details yet.
Earlier today, more than 100 people joined a community prayer. A community leader, Carrie Aspinwall, spoke about the need to come together.
CARRIE ASPINWALL: This is no different than if we would have been celebrating. We come together at these times when we need each other. We need that celebration. But we also are reminded of the sorrow that comes with that. That's the balance. We took care of one another, and that's what we need to do today.
These are young men doing adult things. As elders, we need to stand up and pull them over here. They should be using those guns to protect our people and to be protecting us, protecting our little children.
NINA MOINI: That was community leader Carrie Aspinwall.
NPR's Native News Reporter Melissa Olson spoke with Robert Lilligren, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Native American Community Development Institute, about the reaction from the community, and how they're supporting each other.
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It's very hard on the community. It's not that large of a community, and so to lose this many people in 24 hours or less than 24 hours. And it's especially disheartening when it is on the eve of such an important and festive community celebration, which is American Indian Month.
Those events have been canceled. There was a march or parade that kicked it off, stepping off at 10:00 at Cedar Field Park, very near Little Earth, that would have marched up to the Minneapolis American Indian Center, and then on to the Indian Health Board for a celebration of a new building they're constructing on Franklin Avenue.
And so the parade and march has been canceled, the Indian Health Board event has been canceled, and there would have been a powwow at the Minneapolis American Indian Center on the evening, and that's been canceled, as well.
MELISSA OLSON: You work just blocks away from these events. How are you feeling?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: You know, it's always a little unsettling. It was interesting today, there were helicopters then hovering around the community, and so there was this sort of flashback to the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, when there were helicopters over the community 24/7. So that feels bad.
And I am-- I've been part of helping to plan events for Indian Month kickoff. And the community is so looking forward to it, so invested in it, and it's been being planned for months. And so now to have to cancel it last minute, it kind of hurts, or it makes me even a little angry, Melissa, that a few people behaving very poorly and violently can steal the joy from the rest of the community.
MELISSA OLSON: I understand leaders of various community organizations met with the mayor and the police chief this afternoon. I understand you weren't able to be there, but were given an update about what was said and the outcome of that meeting. Can you talk a little bit about what was said there?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: The police chief and some of the other leadership had requested that some of the organizational leadership, Metropolitan Urban Indian directors, meet today to process through the shooting last night. And once that meeting was already being organized, then the second shooting took place. And so I wasn't the room, but that was where the decision was made to postpone or cancel the events for Indian Month Kickoff.
MELISSA OLSON: So a lot to process.
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It is. I've been on my phone and texts and emails nonstop.
MELISSA OLSON: And how would you describe what you've heard today from community?
ROBERT LILLIGREN: It's varied, right? People want to know, who's involved? People want to know, who's OK, who's not? Are they my relative? Are they my neighbor? So there's a lot of that immediate concern.
One of the things we'll be doing in our organization is trying to get as much good information out into people's hands. Several things are being rescheduled already. So it's conferring with the other planners and other organizations that were participating in the planning, confirming those. The schedule need to be adjusted.
And I think there's fear in the community, Melissa, about further retaliation. And so it just gives a sense of lack of safety throughout the community. Is this going to happen again, and if so, where and when?
NINA MOINI: You just heard Robert Lilligren, CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, speaking with our Melissa Olson yesterday. And there was another fatal shooting last night near 15th and Lake Street in Minneapolis. It's not clear whether there's any connection to the other shootings. Minneapolis Police are saying a man in his 50s died, but have shared no other details yet.
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