Weekend Reading: The True Story of Pocahontas; Federal Bill Introduced on Native Children’s Trauma; Tribes Backing Gorsuch; and More

Here is this week’s offerings:

• The ugly truth about the Pocahontas story.
• U.S. Sen. Al Franken joins two other Midwest Senators to author a bill to heal the trauma suffered by Native children.
• Tribes are supporting Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Supreme Court, because he has shown he understands Indian law.
• Star Tribune oil pipeline story misses key local angle.

Reclaiming the Indigenous Identity of the “Jeffers” Petroglyphs; Criticizing Trump’s Use of “Pocahontas” as a Slur

Petroglyphs near Comfry, Minnesota. (Wikimedia Commons)

The “Jeffers Petroglyphs” are a collection of ancient carvings made by Native American ancestors more than 7,000 years ago in what is now southwestern Minnesota. As old as they are, they bear the name “Jeffers” because of a recent immigrant family that once owned the land.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) is working on giving this site a more appropriate name and interpretation. This is part of a growing interest in recognizing the original inhabitants of this land, their contributions, and their original place names, such as restoring the Dakota name Bde Maka Ska to Lake Calhoun.