Our Mission

To address the socioeconomic conditions in the St. Paul and East Metro Indian community through systems advocacy, policy development, community participation, and Indian cultural knowledge.

Our Purpose

To ensure the mission of SIA is sustained

  • Provide a space for Saint Paul Indian agencies to address systems-level challenges and opportunities that affect our communities - fostering dialogue that is respectful, collaborative, and geared towards collective progress
  • Be the entity where all St. Paul American Indian agencies, businesses, institutions, etc. can come together and depend upon one another with policy issues and governmental concerns
  • Provide the Native and non-Native community with a respectful venue for new ideas and energy and a means to inform
  • Be the catalyst for advocacy and change as needed to protect the best interest of our Native communities and associations
  • Ensure our community is informed about the work of SIA
  • Be a recognized and respected leadership group renowned for their ability to transcend the voices of our communities into action plans that benefit our families, children and services

Members
Organization

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Resolution

Promoting Importance of Understanding the meaning of “American Indian Culture”

Whereas,

SIA’s membership consist of representatives of American Indian specific organizations providing services to the St. Paul American Indian community, and

Whereas,

SIA is a collective voice between state and local units of government in the delivery of services to many of the American Indians in St. Paul, and

Whereas,

knowledge of the unique American Indian culture continues to be limited and inadequately offered for study in America’s educational institutions, which further resulted in benign ignorance about its presence and importance in American Indian social norms, beliefs systems and traditional ways.

Whereas,

American Indian cultural values are intrinsically intertwined in their oral history. These values are at the core of native language, stories and ceremonials. Cultural values include wisdom, love, respect, courage, honesty, humility and truth.

Whereas,

culture is the shared values of American Indian people that are transmitted through cultural activities and is referred to as “ways of being or ways of knowing,” and

Whereas,

culture is what Indian people associate with (pow-wows, sweats, ceremonials, funerals, native language etc.), culture is the sum total of Indian people and their ways, which is the manner in which culture is transmitted from one generation to another, and

Whereas,

Minnesota’s American Indian population have the highest disparities in all sections of society, particularly in the city of St. Paul and the county of Ramsey, and

Whereas,

American Indian social service delivery programs are designed with a cultural focus reflective of the community.

Now therefore, be it resolved,

That SIA, effective immediately, strongly urge its member organizations to create a platform, in cooperation with state, local and other systems it works with, that will effectively demonstrate the vital importance of American Indian culture. This reflects a new beginning that traditions to our community’s healing, health and well-being are incorporated into all that we do together.

Be it further resolved,

that SIA membership urge action steps by state and local governments to incorporate training packages about the importance of American Indian culture in programs that affect American Indian individuals and communities, and when practicable incorporate cultural based programming as a form of “promising practices” within documents such as grant applications, reports and evaluations.

This Resolution was Adopted by St. Paul Indians in Action the 12th day of August 2015.

Contact Info

Executive Committee

Chair

Sheri Riemers
White Earth Nation of Ojibwe
[email protected]

Vice Chair

Kristin Kinney

[email protected]

Treasurer

Maggie Lorenz
Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake
[email protected]

Secretary

“ We operate on the unceded land of the Dakota Nation in Saint Paul, traditionally known as Imnížaska (White Bluffs) - a part of the Bdote region. Along the banks of the Wakpa Taŋka (Mississippi River), Saint Paul is home to sacred sites like Wakaŋ Tipi and numerous ancient burial mounds (Maka Paha). Today, Saint Paul is home to Native people from across Turtle Island.”

Maggie Lorenz, Executive Director & Wakaŋ Tipi Center Director - Lower Phalen Creek Project