Core, a division of the American Library Association, acknowledges the original indigenous inhabitants and stewards of the land on which the 2024 Core Forum is held. Minnesota is the homeland of the Dakota people, and Ojibwe people lived, and live, here as well. We recognize the enduring, eternal relationship of these indigenous communities with their land. We also acknowledge that the U.S. and Minnesota governments perpetrated disgraceful actions against the indigenous people, including genocide, forced assimilation, and broken treaties.
This acknowledgement is a starting place, not an end to the conversation. Please take some time to explore ways to stand in solidarity with Native nations. The Native Governance Center, located here in Minneapolis suggests the following actions:
- Donating time and money to Indigenous-led organizations.
- Amplifying the voices of Indigenous people leading grassroots change movements.
- Returning land.
Core will be making a $500 donation to Second Harvest Heartland, which supports the Department of Indian Work food shelf.
To make a donation yourself, please scan the QR code or follow the link the Second Harvest Heartland donation form.
More information is available in the resources linked below:
Resources
1851 Dakota Land Cession Treaties
Deloria, Ella. The Dakota Way of Life. Sioux Falls, SD: Mariah Press, 2007.
The Dakota People. Minnesota Historical Society.
Native Governance Center, “a Native-led nonprofit dedicated to assisting Native nations in strengthening their governance systems and capacity to exercise sovereignty.”
The Ojibwe People. Minnesota Historical Society.
Oneroad, Amos E., and Alanson B. Skinner. Being Dakota: Tales and Traditions of the Sisseton and Wahpeton. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2003.
Peacock, Thomas D. “The Ojibwe: Our Historical Role in Influencing Contemporary Minnesota.” MNopedia, November 15, 2013.
Treuer, Anton. Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales and Oral Histories. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001.
Treuer, Anton. Ojibwe in Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010.
Waziyatawin. What Does Justice Look Like? The Struggle for Liberation in Dakota Homeland. St. Paul, MN: Living Justice Press, 2008.
Westerman, Gwen, and Bruce White. Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.