The Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam stands on land that belonged to the four Dakota tribes of Minnesota, and now organizers are looking to use that land for a project that will center Native American voices.

The University of Minnesota will soon be involved in discussions on how the land will be used and how students will be able to engage with it, such as a potential outdoor classroom. Organizers also hope to offer to return the land to the four Dakota tribes.

Robert Lilligren, a tribal citizen of White Earth Ojibwe and president of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), said he has learned more about Native American history in his city through his engagement in the lock and dam project.

“It has become really apparent to me how much damage colonization and industrialization did to sacred and pristine sites on the river, and how much opportunity there is right now to stop desecrating these sites and start respecting the first peoples’ stories along the river,” Lilligren said.

One of these sacred sites, Spirit Island, was located right next to the St. Anthony Falls. The land was quarried for limestone in 1899 and later fully removed to clear a channel for ships.

The new project will temporarily grant the federally-owned land surrounding the upper lock and dam to the city of Minneapolis this December. Friends of the Falls and NACDI are working with the city to develop this project, hold conversations with tribal leaders and potentially offer the land to the four Dakota tribes that are in Minnesota. As they are still in conversation with tribal leaders, the ownership and involvement has not been determined yet.

President of Friends of the Falls Mark Andrew said his goal is for visitors to gather and learn about the connection Native Americans have to the riverfront land and how colonizers forced them from it.

Lilligren said he is excited about the opportunity to center Native voices in this project on land that was stolen from their ancestors. He said many Native American people are used to empty promises when it comes to their participation in such projects. However, after six months of dialogue, Lilligren said he was convinced of the Friends and the city’s “authenticity and sincerity in doing this.”

Lilligren said conversations with members of the four Dakota tribes about the project and their involvement have been promising.

“The descendents of the people who were here first … have expressed interest and gratitude in being engaged so early in a process rather than just reacting to other peoples’ visions,” Lilligren said.

Organizers, tribal leaders and community members are still determining the land design, but suggested ideas include a natural park representing Indigenous culture and a contemporary visitor or interpretive center.

Andrew said there is strong potential to partner with the Department of American Indian Studies and College of Design at the University to create one or more outdoor classrooms for students.

John Koepke is professor of landscape architecture with Ojibwe heritage at the University serving as a liaison between the University community and Friends of the Falls. He said there could be opportunities for students to engage in language learning, traditional ceremony and broad education about important issues in Native communities.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the University to strengthen its relationship with the Dakota community and for [all] students to be more aware of the history of Native peoples in our state,” Koepke said.

The project will likely not be completed for years, but the design and engagement processes are now underway after being stalled by the pandemic. Community organizations and individuals can share their ideas during ongoing public meetings hosted by Friends of the Falls, NACDI and the city.

Andrew said several of these meetings will likely take place on the University campus. Koepke said that students, especially those with Indigenous ties, will have the opportunity to directly engage with the project.

“I really foresee the board reaching out to the American Indian students on campus and the American Indian Studies Department, and involving them in thinking about the planning or the programming, what kinds of activities they might want to see there,” Koepke said.

Governor Tim Walz signed Minnesota’s omnibus higher education bill into law on June 26, establishing the University of Minnesota’s budget for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

The five University of Minnesota campuses received 40% of the total budget, totaling $692.8 million per year for 2022 and 2023.

After initially requesting $46.5 million, the University system will receive an additional $38.5 million over the next two years to address economic difficulties from the pandemic.

House Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL) said she believes the legislature has a duty to fully fund the needs of the University.

“Every time we come in below the asks of the University, we ourselves are putting that cost on our students, and that is something that has to shift,” Klevorn said.
Federal aid programs have largely covered the University system’s financial losses from the pandemic, except for the loss of revenue from athletics, said Myron Frans, University senior vice president for finance and operations. He estimated this created around $35 to $40 million in deficits that cannot be addressed with state funding.

Frans did not detail how state funding will be used, but said it will support long-term goals in the University’s 2025 plan. He believes that in conjunction with the increase in tuition for next year, the University will create a more valuable experience for students.

“Our goal is to continue to have the University improve its teaching, research and service,” Frans said. “We want to be more supportive of those areas going forward, and I think this budget will do that in a pretty meaningful way.”

New financial aid programs

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), which offers college students financial aid, received $546 million. The bill reestablished previous aid opportunities and created several new grants, scholarships and programs.

Changes include expanding the hunger-free campus grant program and establishing grants for students who are currently or formerly were under foster care. High school students that meet certain criteria will now receive automatic acceptance into Minnesota public universities.

For students going into the education field, new aid is available for student-teachers of underrepresented minority groups. Starting this year, people of color and Native Americans who are enrolled in a teacher training program can apply for the aspiring teachers of color scholarship with awards up to $10,000.

“There’s empirical research that shows that all students, especially students of color, have better outcomes when they are exposed to more diverse teachers,” legislative analyst Nathan Hopkins said.

All grants and scholarships offered through the OHE will have application requirements posted on the OHE website. Students will be eligible to apply to aid opportunities that fit their individual characteristics or educational path.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey proposed $28 million toward new programs for those in need of stable housing, which will go to the City Council for approval on July 2.

The city received nearly $89 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to address economic recovery, public safety and basic income in Minneapolis. Frey’s proposal of $28 million is divided among 17 programs that address housing and homelessness.

Some of this money will go toward public housing in the University of Minnesota neighborhoods. Federal guidelines require that the money be spent by the end of 2026.

Promising programs

Of the total funds, $4.6 million will go to the Scattered-Site Construction program. Under the program guidelines, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) will repair scattered-site public housing units and replace 16 existing units with 84 higher-density units.

Ward 3 Council member Steve Fletcher said this initiative holds great promise for large-scale renovations and redevelopment, and some of the units are within the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood near the University.

“[MPHA is] revamping their scattered-site housing so that they can add units and create housing all over the city that is deeply affordable for families,” Fletcher said.

The renovations include making the scattered-site units energy efficient and restructuring single-family homes into four- or six-unit properties.

However, not all community members share his enthusiasm for the program.

Ladan Yusuf, campaign organizer for Defend Glendale & Public Housing Coalition, said she is concerned about the plan’s impact on individual families who live in the existing scattered-site structures.

“They want to demolish 16 units of scatter-sites and replace them with 84 units of privatized apartments, and those families will not come back,” Yusuf said. “Why did they have to go after 16 families who make that community their home?”

MPHA asserts that existing tenants will not be forced to relocate and there will be little change in rent. Yusuf said she would prefer that MPHA invest in new locations instead of reconstructing existing homes.

“Why can’t you [build] on empty lots if you’re trying to expand public housing?” Yusuf said.

Envision

Another program included in the proposal is Envision, which will be transitional housing that provides an “intentional community that is designed and led by residents with lived experience of homelessness.”

The $1.2 million project will consist of one-bedroom “microhomes” organized around a central house. David Hewitt, the director of housing stability for Hennepin County, said the first priority is to “get people who are currently homeless into housing, not into shelter.”

Envision’s organizers opened the Avivo Village tiny home community in a North Loop warehouse on March 8, and the success of this initial project helped lead to the investment in Envision.

“They’ve already placed a lot of people into some more permanent housing, so that process is working,” Fletcher said. “Getting people into supportive transitional housing … gives them the time and space to take care of themselves enough to be able to look for the next step.”