The Indigenous Peoples Task Force strengthens the wellness and education of our community.
We were founded in 1987 to develop and implement culturally appropriate HIV education and direct services to the Native community in Minnesota.
Since our founding, as we have provided culturally grounded services to the Indigenous Peoples of South Minneapolis and beyond. The evolution of our network of services appears tied together not unlike a dream catcher. In the Anishinabe ways, when an infant is born, the first months are spent in a cradleboard or swing. They observe everyday happenings secure in the cradleboard. A dream catcher is created usually with sinew and a hoop made from red willow. The dream catcher protects the mind and spirit of the infant while the cradleboard protects the body. The net allows only the good to enter.
First we began with the framework, our Mandoowahdak Odena Housing. The community was involved in the design process from the beginning. Once constructed these townhomes are beautiful, healthy living spaces for families. They are cedar sided with radiant floor heating and light from 7 sides. We created our HIV prevention care and services along side people living with HIV and their family members. We invited medicine people and the elders to share with us the teachings and medicines necessary for their survival and thriving.
Next we focused on Indigenous youth 12-18. We decided to create a youth theater ensemble, using the teachings of the 7 great laws of the Ojibwe. We teach our youth the stories that are as important today as they were hundreds of years ago. This is how they learn who they are. Within 3 months, they can introduce themselves in their own tribal language and where their people are from. They can hold a tobacco ceremony and sing the songs. We included communication skills, teen pregnancy prevention, violence prevention and suicide prevention. We taught them to use their creativity to maneuver through the tough streets of Minneapolis but always seeking out the good. We learned about the water and we have walked over ten thousand river miles across this country to let the rivers know, we love you and we thank you.
We turned to the babies and grew foods using regenerative farming techniques and created a baby food based on our ancient Indigenous foods, squash, beans, wild rice, berries, healthy nutritious foods for our babies. So they will have strong bodies and strong minds, free from diabetes.
Today, we are focusing on the young adults, 19-24 years old, who are unemployed, underemployed and undereducated. We recruit these young adults and mentor them, give them basic work readiness skills, mind, body and medicine practices along with how to build a sweat lodge, how to work in a garden, muck out the goat and chicken pens, press apple cider, in general how to be a community. Many of our interns have become employed in community agencies following an internship, some are in college and some have been employed in earth block construction working on IPTF’s new building. They have skills but more importantly, they know who they are, and will figure out where they are going. We cannot lose this generation to drugs, violence and lack of hope.
To the outside eye, people may not see the congruence in these disparate programs, but there is the thread of culture weaving these teachings together, as the sinew weaves the dreamcatcher to protect the new born from harm. This is IPTF!
Board of Directors
- Susan Allen, Chairperson
Susan is Ojibwe/Lakota and an attorney at law and retired from the - Don Crofut, Secretary Treasurer
Don is Muscogee Creek and the President of Shakopee Prior Lake Credit Union - Karen Clark, Director
Karen is a retired state representative for the Minnnesota House, formerly representing the Phillips Neighborhood. - Kelley Lindquist
- Misha Loeffler
Misha is Ojibwe and is the Cancer Equity Coordinator for the American Indian Cancer Foundation - Dr. Anthony Stately
Dr. Stately is Ojibwe/Oneida and the CEO of the Native American Community Clinic
