Our nations and communities are facing an intense and frightening moment as increased ICE activity continues to disrupt families and neighborhoods — here in Minneapolis, the home-base for Native Ways Federation (NWF), and across Mni Sota Makoce and the country. Less than two weeks after the killing of Renee Good, many of us are feeling the weight of this crisis in very real ways.
At the same time, we are witnessing the power of our people. Neighbors, tribal nations, local governments, faith communities, unions, businesses, and nonprofits are stepping up to organize, share resources, and protect one another.
Organizations like the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) are hosting emergency Tribal ID stations in partnership with nearby Tribes. The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) opened a culturally grounded warming shelter in south Minneapolis to protect unsheltered Native community members from both extreme cold and the risks tied to increased enforcement. Local Native community spaces like Pow-Wow Grounds have become supply depots where volunteers organize and distribute food, diapers, medicine, and other essential items for people who may be too afraid to leave home during enforcement activity.
We are grateful to our friends, and NWF founding organization, Native American Rights Fund (NARF) for sharing critical resources for individuals and organizations during this time, which many community members have found deeply helpful. Like during COVID, we are seeing mutual aid, care, and collective strength show us what is possible in a changed world. We are proud of this resilience.
At Native Ways Federation, we believe our safety comes from relationship, responsibility, and standing together. In solidarity with Ice Out of Minnesota: A Day of Truth and Freedom, our office will be closed on Friday, January 23. This is a day of nonviolent moral action, reflection, and collective care — no work, no school, no shopping — only community, conscience, and action. We join many other organizations across Mni Sota in observing this day. To learn more about how you can join too, visit www.iceoutnowmn.com.
Take care of yourselves and one another. Stay safe, stay warm, and stay rooted in community.
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