InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel
11 East Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Parking is available for a fee at the hotel, or at Capital City Plaza (50 East 4th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101) or on the street.
8:00 - 9:00 am Breakfast and Networking
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Conference Program and Lunch
WASH-MN will offer thought-provoking speakers, interactive breakout sessions, and a keynote presentation by Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee) Illuminative and Reclaiming Native Truth; she will share the groundbreaking national research on dominant narratives about American Indians in the United States.
Reclaiming Native Truth research findings indicate that the invisibility of and toxic misconceptions about Native peoples create very serious biases among diverse demographics and institutions, including the Courts, Congress, philanthropy and other sectors. Invisibility, perpetuated in pop culture, media and K-12 education, is one of the biggest drivers behind this endemic bias. - Illuminative
The research findings and presentations will inspire us to act and the break-out sessions will help us to identify a tangible path forward to tell our stories, influence change, and improve systems. Break-out session topics, including:
- Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization and Education
- Environment and Sacred Sites
- Employment, Entrepreneurship and Economic Equity
- Housing and Homelessness
- Arts and Culture
- Health and Health Care
The conference will also include a session for funders and philanthropic leaders to develop tangible strategies to support the recommendations stemming from the Reclaiming Native Truth research. The conference is for everyone; members of Minnesota's Indigenous communities and allies are encouraged to attend.
Additional speakers include: Syd Beane (Flandreau Santee Dakota), filmmaker, historian, community organizer, and Dakota elder; Athena Cloud (Red Lake Nation), a member of the Young Women's Cabinet appointed by Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan; Patrice Kunesh (Standing Rock Lakota) legal and policy expert on economic development in Indian Country, will moderate the discussion.
East Side Funders Group is a sponsor of the WASH-MN Conference on March 11; grant funds were made available to organize and plan the conference. Nexus Community Partners and the McKnight Foundation provided additional conference support.