Events: An Evening with Anne McKeig, First MN Supreme Court Justice Who Is Native American; Red Lake Youth to Perform Super Bowl Week

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig will be speaking at an event titled “A Journey for Justice,” Thursday, Feb. 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Carondelet Center Dining Room, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.

According to the announcement:

[McKeig] rose from poverty and other challenges in the tiny town of Federal Dam, near Leech Lake, to become the 94th associate justice—and the first Native American—on the state Supreme Court. A descendant of White Earth Nation, McKeig has specialized in child protection and Indian welfare issues.

The event is being hosted by: Justice Commission Native American Working Group and the Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelet & Consociates.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Red Lake Youth Get Gigs on Super Bowl Week

The Little Bear drum group from Red Lake will be performing on Nicollet Mall, tomorrow, Jan. 28, as part of Super Bowl festivities, according to a story in the Bemidji Pioneer. A dance troupe from Red Lake Elementary will perform. “Each of the youth traveling to Minneapolis will create a lanyard that will be given to Super Bowl staff and athletes,” the story said

 

 

 

First Native American Jurist Appointed to Minnesota Supreme Court and Other News

Gov. Mark Dayton has appointed Anne McKeig to the Minnesota Supreme Court, the first Native American appointed to the state’s highest court.

The Star Tribune and other outlets report that McKeig is “a descendant of White Earth Nation.” Huh!? That seems like a bizarre way to say it. Are they trying to give the impression that while McKeig is a descendant of White Earth, she is not claiming it herself? Are they trying to say that White Earth Nation is gone, and all that are left are the descendants?

I don’t know how the “descendant of White Earth” language got rolling, but let’s go with the more straight forward description published on line from St. Catherine University, McKeig’s alma mater. “McKeig is a member of the American Indian Bar Association, and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, White Earth Reservation.”

McKeig specialized in child protection and Indian welfare issues, according to the Star Tribune. Also, the Minnesota Supreme Court now has a majority of women for the first time since 1991.

Keep reading below for:

• Native American sue for voting rights in North Dakota
• A book review of ‘An American Genocide’
• The Washington Cathedral to remove Confederate Battle Flags from stained glass windows (think Minnesota State Capitol)
• Ancient Mexican Temple Damaged