This week, the Minnesota Indian Education Association’s 2026 Conference honored teacher Dr. Jane Harstad with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and a music shop co-owned by a Native woman, the only one of its kind in the country, helps musicians tune their instruments with the changing season.
Producers: Travis Zimmerman, Deana StandingCloud
Editors: Victor Palomino, Deana StandingCloud, & Emily Krumberger
Anchor: Marie Rock
Mixing & mastering: Emily Krumberger
Editorial support: Victor Palomino, Emily Krumberger
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TRANSCRIPT
[Minnesota Native News theme]Marie Rock [ANCHOR]: You’re listening to Minnesota Native News. I’m Marie Rock. This week, the Minnesota Indian Education Conference recently honored teacher Jane Harstad with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Then we visit a music shop co-owned by a Native woman, the only one of its kind in the country. First, reporter Travis Zimmerman talks with Jane Harstad about her career and the award recognizing a lifetime in education.
Travis Zimmerman: Jane Harstad, former Director of Indian Education for the Minnesota Department of Education, was recently recognized by the Minnesota Indian Education Association during their annual conference, Harstad was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to American Indian students and their families in Minnesota. When asked what inspired her to get into education, Harstad immediately said her children.
Jane Harstad: I ended up in education after I had my first child and he maybe 18 months, started reading billboards on the side of the road, and I thought, oh my gosh, how do I help a child who’s smarter than me.
Travis Zimmerman: Besides her children, Jane credits others who have inspired and supported her during her 30 year career working in education.
Jane Harstad: I think some of the folks who have really helped me would be like John Tippeconic, who was the Director of the American Indian Leadership Program out in Penn State. He had previously been the Director of Indian Ed for the BIE and wrote few books, a lot of papers about what we really need to do and how we really need to fight for every little thing.
Travis Zimmerman: During her educational career, Harstad feels like there has been significant change.
Jane Harstad: What has been most transformative for Indian Education is getting Indian Education in the law and on the book. So it’s a requirement for schools to provide Indian education for students. The successes over the years and the change in Indian education has been that more people know it, more districts and administrators know it, understand it, and are trying to do the right thing.
Travis Zimmerman: One thing that keeps Jane hopeful for the future of Indian Education is Minnesota’s 2023 legislative initiative, Indigenous Education for All.
Jane Harstad: So that all students have a better understanding of American history in this state, because when when it’s ignored or not taught, we’re never going to know the truth, the real truth, the history accurately. We’re going to keep doing it until it really is infused into curriculum in schools, because it’s important stuff, and the more people, general Minnesotans know about American Indian history in Minnesota, the better off we’ll all be.
Travis Zimmerman: Do you know of someone that should be recognized for their lifetime dedication to Indian Education? Contact the Minnesota Indian Education Association for Minnesota Native News, this is Travis Zimmerman.
Marie Rock: Next, Minnesota is home to a unique music shop. Reporter Deanna StandingCloud takes us there.
Deanna StandingCloud: As the weather changes, so do musical instruments
Angela Vig: In Minnesota, because our seasons here, you really have to maintain your guitars. When it gets hot and humid, the guitar next will move one way, and then when it’s cold and dry, it moves the other way. You have to get your guitar work done.
Deanna StandingCloud: Angela Vig, a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, owns Vig Guitars with her husband Ted. The shop sits at a bustling intersection in St Paul’s midway neighborhood.
Angela Vig: We always have the coffee going, a nice sitting area up front, so when people come in, we’ll talk up there. And, you know, solve the world problems! One of our other specialties at my store is my husband makes hand wound pickups.
Deanna StandingCloud: Pickups act as tiny microphones that amplifies guitar sounds.
Angela Vig: They’re so important for guitar players and bass players because they differentiate you from other players. So that sound like I can tell when Jimi Hendrix is playing because he had these, you know, certain pickups and certain guitars.
Deanna StandingCloud: In addition to selling new and used string instruments, the guitars also repairs them. All within a shop adorned with Angela’s photography of local musicians like hip hop group Atmosphere.
Angela Vig: people come in and they’re like, they see themselves on the wall, and they’re like, oh this is my shop!
Deanna StandingCloud: Angela also works with the Twin Cities Native community. Vig Guitars is sponsoring an event later this month for the First Nations Kitchen, a nonprofit that serves healthy, organic meals at no cost. Learn more by visiting Vig – V I G – Guitars’ Facebook page. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Deanna StandingCloud.
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.
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