Why Treaties Matter exhibit coming to St. Cloud State

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Students and visitors to St. Cloud State University will have the opportunity to learn about the continued importance of treaties when “Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations,” a nationally recognized and award-winning traveling exhibit, is displayed on campus.

It will be on display Aug. 25-Sept. 12 in the Cascade Room Lounge in the Atwood Memorial Center. St. Cloud State is the first stop “Why Treaties Matter” is making on the 2014-2015 tour of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) campuses.

The exhibit explores the relationships between Dakota and Ojibwe nations and the U.S. government through video and 20 banners featuring text and images. The exhibit shares information on how treaties affected the lands and life ways of the indigenous peoples and how these agreements among nations still matter today.

“St. Cloud State will model the type of interactive, hands-on learning that can take place for students, faculty, staff and community by hosting this exhibit on campus,” said Jeanne Lacourt, American Indian Studies professor. “All will benefit from seeing and participating in the activities associated with the exhibit.

“The university has a history of acknowledging and supporting the tribal people of the state of Minnesota and recognizes the unique relationship tribal entities have with the state and federal governments. St. Cloud State strives to teach and learn from the histories and cultures of Minnesota’s indigenous people,” she said.

The exhibit will be accompanied by preview events the week of Aug. 18, with an opening ceremony on the first day of fall classes on Aug. 25. Talks by representatives from Minnesota tribal communities, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and professors of St. Cloud State will also accompany this exhibit. St. Cloud State students will visit the exhibit and incorporate what they learn into their in-class experience, and an educator’s reception will introduce St. Cloud School District administrators and teachers to the exhibit.

“St. Cloud State is pleased to host this important exhibit, which will further educate our students, staff and visitors about the histories and cultures of Dakota and Ojibwe nations,” said St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter, III. “This exhibit is another opportunity for St. Cloud State to inform students about the world around them and to help them become responsible global citizens.”

To date, more than 46,000 people have engaged with the exhibit at more than 33 locations including three MnSCU campuses — Bemidji State University, North Hennepin Community College and Riverland Community College. The exhibit is a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, this project is funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with a vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008 and The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation.

About the Minnesota Humanities Center

Founded in 1971, the Minnesota Humanities Center is a nonprofit organization. The Humanities Center is a resource of the state of Minnesota and affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Minnesota Humanities Center works to build a thoughtful, literate, and engaged society through education, partnership, and public programs.

About the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council was established in 1963 MN Statutes Chapter 888, Sec. 2 (3:922). The Council is a liaison between the State of Minnesota and the 11 tribal governments in the state. The Council provides a forum for and advises state government on issues of concern to urban Indian communities. The Council administers three programs designed to enhance economic opportunities and protect cultural resources for the state's American Indian constituencies.

About the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

Established in 1989, through an Act of Congress, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is an institution of living cultures dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the life, languages, literature, history and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. The museum includes the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall; the George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum in lower Manhattan; and the Cultural Resources Center, a research and collections facility in Suitland, Md.