Cante Maza to Speak on Decolonization at Plymouth Congregational Church Jan. 25

Professor Neil Cante Maza McKay will speak on the history and contemporary reality of colonization in the United States — and potential and strategies for decolonization, at the next Discussions that Encounter event. Cante Maza is the Dakota language senior teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Spirit Lake Nation of Dakota people.

The presentation and dialogue will be: Thursday, January 25 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis in the Jackman Room. All are welcome, free of charge! Supper and social begin at 6:30 p.m. with program from 7-8:30 p.m.

Free parking is available in the main church lot, access parking from Franklin Avenue or from LaSalle Avenue, then enter the main door (door 1) and check with reception.

Events: Unity March; Screening of Dakota 38

A Unity March is being planned for Friday, May 12, 3-7 p.m. from the State Capitol to the Governor’s mansion. The march is being organized by Wicapi Otto, who has opposed both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the proposed Enbridge Line 3 crude oil pipeline expansion through northern Minnesota. But this march is about unity. This is what Otto’s event page says about the march.

We have all raised awareness as individual groups, from each civil rights group, to community awareness issues. While each group has their success in what they have done, I would like to bring all groups together to stand in solidarity and raise awareness that we are united … America IS Great when we are UNITED. While we unite our respective groups, we have not tried uniting our groups together and standing to raise awareness that we ALL matter. All groups, all ages, all genders, all races. The PEOPLE matter. As the motto of the United State goes “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”. Let us Unite, Stand, and Raise the Awareness that we are UNITED as the People of the State of Minnesota. We MATTER! We will March from the Capital to the Governors Mansion to raise this awareness and show the world we are going to be the first example of full unity.

Those who can’t walk that distance are welcome to join at any point along the march.

Dakota 38 Screening

The group Discussions that Encounter is hosting a screening and discussion of the film Dakota 38 on Thursday, May 11. at the Phillips Community Center, 2323 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis. A light supper and social time begins at 6:30 p.m., with presentation and discussion from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. All are welcome, free of charge! (Parking for the center is available free in their lot entered from 24^th Street.)

According to the film’s website:

In the spring of 2005, Jim Miller, a Native spiritual leader and Vietnam veteran, found himself in a dream riding on horseback across the great plains of South Dakota. Just before he awoke, he arrived at a riverbank in Minnesota and saw 38 of his Dakota ancestors hanged. At the time, Jim knew nothing of the largest mass execution in United States history, ordered by Abraham Lincoln on December 26, 1862. “When you have dreams, you know when they come from the creator… As any recovered alcoholic, I made believe that I didn’t get it. I tried to put it out of my mind, yet it’s one of those dreams that bothers you night and day.”

Now, four years later, embracing the message of the dream, Jim and a group of riders retrace the 330-mile route of his dream on horseback from Lower Brule, South Dakota to Mankato, Minnesota to arrive at the hanging site on the anniversary of the execution. …

This film was created in line with Native healing practices.