Native News

The Native News Project is a new initiative from MPR News.

Stay informed with the latest news about local and national Native American communities, highlighting stories and issues important to Native American communities in Minnesota and beyond.

Our coverage includes cultural events, policy updates, community stories and more to provide a platform for Native voices, perspectives and important news.

Study finds large pay gap for Native American women
A new analysis by a national women’s advocacy organization finds Native American women face a significant pay gap in the workplace. The National Partnership for Women and Families found Native women earn just 55 cents for every dollar earned by white men.
Sometimes overlooked by campaigns, Native voters could decide major elections in 2024
A voting bloc that hasn't gotten as much national attention, Native voters are an influential constituency in several swing states, making them a group to watch in 2024.
Wayne Ducheneaux II is stepping down from Native Governance Center. Here's a look at his legacy
He was the Native-led organization’s first executive director and helped to grow its work from a single program to many — all of which serve tribes and their needs.
White Earth group has been quietly rewriting wrongs, correcting Native veterans headstones
Families visiting cemeteries on the White Earth reservation to honor and remember loved ones this Veterans Day might notice 12 new headstones. They were updated this summer because the names on the old ones were wrong. And this was a common problem for many serving in the Civil War who couldn't read or write — Native Americans, as well as non-native Americans.
Survivors of abusive Native American boarding schools to share experiences in Montana
Survivors of government-backed Native American boarding schools and their descendants are expected to share their experiences as U.S. officials make a final stop in Montana on their yearlong tour to confront the institutions that regularly abused students to assimilate them into white society.
'Unapologetically Indigenous' mural preserved for future generations
Constructed of western red cedar, the mural is monumental in size — 17 feet high and 95 feet wide. The mural was installed on the south face of the Minneapolis American Indian Center almost 50 years ago. The center has been under construction since last winter. 
Chef Sean Sherman honored with Julia Child Award for culinary activism, innovation
Chef Sean Sherman received the Julia Child Award at the 9th Annual Julia Child Award Gala for his work as a chef, restaurateur, educator and advocate for Indigenous foodways.
Minneapolis festival along Mississippi River celebrates its Indigenous past and present
The Mississippi River is “like the garden of Eden for Dakota people,” central to many of their creation stories, according to an organizer of the Owámni Falling Water Festival.