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[sound element: flute music (Minnesota Native News theme)]Anchor Marie Rock: This is Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock. This week, Spring updates and plans, including art, education, and plans for upcoming American Indian Month.
The Native American Community Clinic is planning more than just a building — it’s making a space rooted in healing, culture, and community. And right now, they’re inviting Indigenous artists to help shape it. Here’s more from reporter Emma Needham.
Emma Needham: In the heart of Minneapolis’ Indigenous Corridor, a new development is rising.
[sound element: subtle city sounds fading into construction ambience]Emma Needham: The Native American Community Clinic — or NACC — is building more than just a new six-story facility. They’re building Owáŋka Okáwitaya — a place for the people to gather.
[sound element: drum sounds]Emma Needham: From the ground up, the planned space centers Indigenous knowledge, art, and design. And right now, NACC is calling Indigenous artists to help bring that vision to life.
Angela Two Stars: We have, like kind of multiple areas for incorporating art.
Emma Needham: That’s Angela Two Stars, Director of All My Relations Arts, a project of the Native American Community Development Institute, or NACDI. NACC, NACDI, and Full Circle Indigenous Planning and Design are seeking Native artists, age 21 and older, with a deep connection to Indigenous culture and community. Opportunities can include sculpture, digital design, mural or other artistic materials.
Angela Two Stars: There’s approximately five areas where artists would be able to develop designs that would be incorporated into the construction of the building.
Emma Needham: Themes include health connection to the land and traditional healing practices.
Angela Two Stars: Once we have the application, we’ll be able to select who would work back for each section of the project that we’re doing on the exterior art.
Emma Needham: Timing is important. Construction is already underway and expected to be completed in March 2026.
Angela Two Stars: That’s why it’s important for us to get as many applications as you can, so that we can line up the artist with the area that they’re going to be working in for the exterior art.
Emma Needham: The deadline to apply is April 14, at 11:59pm Central. Contracts will be awarded by April 30. Owáŋka Okáwitaya will house new clinic facilities, healing spaces, and community housing. Interested artists can learn more and apply at: nacc-healthcare.org.
[sound element: construction sounds]Anchor Marie Rock: Looking ahead, American Indian Heritage Month kicks off in Minnesota on May 1st. Community organizers and Minneapolis Public Schools plan to kick the month off in style at the Little Earth Community.
[sound element: Pow wow music and sounds]Emma Needham: This May, the Little Earth community in Minneapolis invites you to a celebration of strength, unity and tradition. The annual Native American Heritage Month kickoff is back — rooted in culture and led by community.
Joe Beaulieu: My name is Joe Beaulieu. I am the Executive Director at Little Earth Resident’s Association, and I am from the Red Lake Nation. Every year the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, or MUD, comes together to host this big kickoff event for the month of May. We always start at Little Earth here at Cedar Field Park.
[sound element: Crowd applause sounds]This year we’ll be gathering at 9am we will have a few speakers and opening prayer and blessing, and then we will kick off the parade. All different types of organizations throughout the city are going to be bringing some floats.
[sound element: Crowd and parade sounds]Emma Needham: From Little Earth, the march will head down 24th Avenue.
[sound element: Crowd, cheering, and parade sounds]Joe Beaulieu: There’ll be a big float contest. This past year, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center won the float contest, so they’ll be defending their prize. But I think Little Earth has it this year. Last year, we did two of them, actually. So, one was for our Elder’s Group. They decorated one of our staff’s vehicles and put bingo sheets and bingo daubers all around the car. And their theme was “keep bingo sacred.” And then our Little Earth float itself – we used our Little Earth van and we painted it with the Seven Grandfather teachings all around it. And our youth were able to kind of showcase some of their programs through that.
Emma Needham: Beaulieu says the parade
Joe Beaulieu: …will be ending on Franklin and Cedar to celebrate with Indian Health Board the groundbreaking of their new behavioral health building.
Emma Needham: Then head over to the Minneapolis American Indian Center for a powwow celebration from three to 7pm.
[sound element: Pow wow music and sounds]Emma Needham: Want to build a float or join the parade? Visit the Native American community development institute on social media to sign up.
Joe Beaulieu: It’s a good time for us to kind of showcase our community here, and just a really nice time to be able to gather and visit.
Emma Needham: For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham
[sound element: flute music (Minnesota Native News theme)Anchor Marie Rock: Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota’s communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
More from Minnesota Native News
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This week, how REAL ID requirements impact Indigenous people, especially Two-Spirit individuals. Also, New Native Theatre’s latest play runs April 16-May 4. - Ziigwan Biidaajimowin (Spring News): NACC Issues Call for Artists and Little Earth Kicks Off American Indian Month with a Parade
This week, Minneapolis’s Native American Community Clinic (NACC) seeks artists to commission pieces for their new building. Plus, nearby, the Little Earth of United Tribes housing community will kick off May’s American Indian Month with a celebration organized in part by the Minneapolis Public Schools American Indian Youth Council, Ogichida Oyate - Indian Child Welfare Law Challenged at MN Supreme Court and Native Nations Impacted by Proposed SAVE Act
This week, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could reshape child custody laws for Native American children. Also, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would require all Americans to prove their citizenship in person with official documents when registering to vote.
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Indian Child Welfare Law Challenged at MN Supreme Court and Native Nations Impacted by Proposed SAVE Act