“WHY TREATIES MATTER”: A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR MINNESOTA EDUCATORS”

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Dec. 22 – “Why Treaties Matter: A Professional Development Opportunity for Minnesota Educators” will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28, 9 a.m.–noon at the Minnesota Humanities Center (987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul).

The program, which is being held in conjunction with the showing of the exhibition “Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations” at the Minnesota State Capitol Jan. 24-31, will feature content presentations on tribal sovereignty, treaties, and treaty rights, and resources educators can incorporate into their classrooms, and a trip to the Capitol to view the exhibit.

The registration fee is $15, which includes content materials and light refreshments. To register online, go to https://minnesotahumanities.org/treatiesworkshop.aspx. Contact Elizabeth de Soto (651) 772-4263 or Elizabeth@mnhum.org for more information.

“Our goal for the program is that Minnesota educators will deepen their knowledge of treaties and tribal sovereignty,” says Minnesota Humanities Center President and CEO David O’Fallon.

“Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations” is a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in partnership with the 11 sovereign nations now residing in Minnesota. The 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 November 4, 2008, and The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation. For more information and itinerary updates, visit http://www.mnhum.org/treaties.

History of the Exhibition

In August 2010, a resolution creating a unique partnership of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. was approved by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and made it possible for the “Why Treaties Matter” exhibition to be developed as an educational tool for Minnesota audiences.

About the Minnesota Humanities Center

Focused on the future of the state, the Humanities Center brings the unique resources of the humanities to the challenges and opportunities of our times. We work in partnership across the state to build thoughtful, literate, and engaged citizens. With the unique resources of the humanities, the Center builds community and brings into public life the untold stories that deepen our connections to each other and help us imagine and create a vibrant future.

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.