Indians in Minnesota

2006
Authors:

Kathy Davis Graves and Elizabeth Ebbott

The fully updated survey of American Indian communities in Minnesota

Characterized by a balanced perspective and a comprehensive approach, Indians in Minnesota provides an account of Ojibwe and Dakota Indians living in both reservation and urban settings. Compiled from interviews with tribal members, as well as data from the 2000 Minnesota Census and federal and state reports, the fifth edition of this resource examines the continuing needs of Indians in the twenty-first century.

The Minneapolis library system has long carried this valuable reference series in its collection. It captures twentieth to twenty-first century Minnesota American Indian history with the authenticity of being there when events unfolded.

Laura Waterman Wittstock, elected Trustee of the Minneapolis Library Board

In Minnesota, the legacy of the American Indian people is reflected in many ways. Twenty-seven of the state’s counties have names of Indian origin. The cities of Wabasha, Red Wing, and Shakopee are named for important Mdewakanton Dakota tribal leaders. With more than fifty-four thousand Indians currently living in Minnesota, their culture and values are well represented throughout the state.

Characterized by a balanced perspective and a comprehensive approach, Indians in Minnesota provides a historical and contemporary account of Ojibwe and Dakota Indians living in both reservation and urban settings. Compiled from hundreds of enlightening interviews with tribal members, as well as data from the 2000 Minnesota Census and federal and state reports, the fifth edition of this well-known resource examines the significant changes and continuing needs of Indians in the twenty-first century. Exploring Indians’s relationships with federal, state, and local governments—including the expansion of gaming and growing tribal sovereignty—this book includes extensive coverage of the status of Indian culture, natural resources, economic development, employment, education, social services, health, housing, and criminal justice issues. The authors also focus on central concerns facing Indians today, including widespread efforts to preserve sovereignty, culture, language, and reservations, and to build brighter futures for Indian men, women, and children.

The only resource of its kind, Indians in Minnesota offers statistics as well as insight into American Indian spiritual, cultural, and economic views to promote a better understanding of Indian communities and to create an invaluable tool for social change.

Kathy Davis Graves is the author of several research reports for the League of Women Voters, including a groundbreaking study on violence prevention.

Elizabeth Ebbott was the author of the fourth edition of Indians in Minnesota and contributed to the revision of the fifth edition prior to her death in 1998.

The Minneapolis library system has long carried this valuable reference series in its collection. It captures twentieth to twenty-first century Minnesota American Indian history with the authenticity of being there when events unfolded.

Laura Waterman Wittstock, elected Trustee of the Minneapolis Library Board

Indians in Minnesota is a highly accessible, informative, and insightful compendium.

Midwest Book Review

Indians in Minnesota is an easy-to-use and detailed reference source. It is useful for finding information on all aspects of the history and culture of Native American tribes in Minnesota. Researchers will find the maps of the Minnesota reservations, contact information for all the tribes in Minnesota, and the extensive bibliography particularly useful. The authors have written a well-researched and well-organized reference source that will be of use to anyone studying the current status of history of Native Americans in Minnesota. I recommend this book for purchase by tribal college libraries.

Tribal College Journal