American Indians and reserves (Minneapolis, Shakopee: travel, jobs, hospital)

[Eurogal]

I am going to move to MN and it's going to be my 1st experience of a place with Indian reserves. I have no clues of how does it work in terms of co-living between reserves and regular territories and I am curious.
I am from Europe, so the only knowledge I have is minimal and exotic. I wonder how both communities live together and how the independent territories are open to the public. Aside the casinos, is there something to see like the pow-wows? Something outlandish for a non-Native American like me or is it just some kind of touristic crap?

[jwmn]

I grew up just a few miles from an Indian reservation, but it was something I rarely even thought about. You could drive through the reservation without even knowing it.

[Minnehahapolitan]

The reservations are autonomous. You can drive on to them like any other placem butthey have their own jurisdiction. They are likely not policed by the adjoining cuty. Have own fire and police. Are administered by the feds, but tribal law usually transcends other laws. That is why if S. Dak. would have banned abortion, Pine Ridge still had the option of having legal abortions. Most of the reservations that aren't near a city are s h i t poor. There is rampant diabetes, alcoholism, abandonment, poverty. Sahnnon Co, S. Dak. is the poorest county in the nation. Places close to a city will usually open a casino. The Shakopee reservation in Scott County has millions of dollars in revenue and tribal members make six figures for being on the roster. Alot of places still have traditional ceremony, especially in rural areas. Pow-wows in the Dakotas are huge. Non-Indians can not live on the rez. Also, Minneapolis is known for its large urban indian population. A lot of them are packed into section 8 housing. While a building may be 96% Indian, they are open and anyone can live there. There is no urban reservation, just a Indian ghetto of sorts. The largest concentration I can think of is the area around 26th and Cedar, Haiwatha. Mpls. is also where the American Inidan Movement was founded back in the sixties. They have a long and interesting history. Google them. I think that covers most of it. Best of luck with your move
----Mnhapolitan

[Delaneyland]

Like the other posts said, there aren't necessarily borders but you will know it when you see it. My wife and I live within the boundaries of the Fond Du Lac reservation and although we own "private" land, there is plenty of Native owned as well. As far as I know, the only "closed" reservation left in MN is Red Lake. My understanding of it is on a closed reservation, just about anything goes. I've traveled through the Red Lake Rez and have to tell you, I wouldn't stop or travel it at night. They have their own ways. The Fond Du Lac have their own police deparment, school, health care center, etc. and frankly, I kind of like it. All the finances of the rez are produced by the Casino (just down the road from us) and whether you agree or disagree with the Native Gambling issue, it sure generates a lot of jobs and money for the Natives.

[Minnehahapolitan]

I didn't know you could live on the reservations. Is that something fairly new, or did i just miss the announcement?

[Delaneyland]

Nothing new at all. I believe the primary difference between open and closed reservations is the ability of a non native to buy property on the reservation. When I bought our place, I was advised to pay for a good title search to ensure the property had legally exchanged hands from the original native it was allocated to or the band could simply take it back. Apparently it was not uncommon years ago for natives to lose their allotment and tribes are now going back and taking back allotments that were not "legal". When I say lose, I really mean they got screwed out of it by some enterprising thief that saw an easy mark. At any rate, closed reservations can only be occupied by Natives, open by anyone.

[jwmn]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

I didn't know you could live on the reservations. Is that something fairly new, or did i just miss the announcement?

Take the White Earth Reservation, for example. This reservation covers all of Mahnomen county and parts of a couple other counties. The population of Mahnomen county is only about 30 percent Native American and more than 60 percent white. There are areas within the reservation that have a higher concentration of Native Americans like the towns of Naytahwaush and White Earth, which have populations of more than 90 percent Native Americans, but there's also a small percentage of whites living there, too.

[Born on the rez]

I was born on the White Earth rez way back when there was an active hospital there. My grand parents on my mother's side were active in the rez community. We helped them farm their land as well as the land my father's parents owned. When I tell my current friends that we had a fishing lake in our back pasture, they are very envious. As we grew up, I did not really know how poor the neighborhood was until I moved away and got aquainted with the rest of the world. Now I am proud of my heritage and would like to come home.

[Auntie Bob]

Originally Posted by Eurogal

Aside the casinos, is there something to see like the pow-wows? Something outlandish for a non-Native American like me or is it just some kind of touristic crap?

By and large, the Native communities here don't really do the 'touristy' kinds of things some of the southwestern tribes do. They do hold several pow-wows during the summer months that are open to the public.
Here's the website for one of the Reservations.
Fond du Lac Reservation Main Page
This one also own/runs a community college and they have a pretty neat Museum that's open to the public, free of charge.
Because of the casino, the Reservation is actually the largest employer in the county too.

[Newbauer]

There really isn't alot of areas like that. Way up north maybe, otherwise just around the casinos like Mystic Lake. It's stupid though... no race should get more rights than others. I'm for MN building a state casino, and I hope it puts the indian ones out of business. It'll be funny!!!!!!