Two Indigenous People endorsed at DFL Senate District Convention

At a convention of mostly European American elders from DFL Senate District 2, endorsed two young Indigenous people for State Representative at the Senate District Endorsing Convention today, Saturday, March 17, 2018, at Mahnomen Elementary School. I'm willing to bet this is the first time this has ever happened.

Michael Northbird, Leech Lake (MCT) and has Red Lake (Ponemah) ancestry, and Karen Branden Metis (Ojibwe/French) her lineage out of Canada, were endorsed. Both were opposed by one candidate and both won on the first ballot. Northbird was endorsed for Minnesota House District 2A, and Branden was endorsed for 2B. A threshold of 60% of the vote must be attained to receive endorsement.

House District 2A includes all or parts of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, and Lake of the Woods counties. Cities include, Akeley, Bagley, Baudette, Blackduck, Clearbrook, Funkley, Gonvick, Kelliher, Laporte, Leonard, Roosevelt, Shevlin, Solway, Tenstrike, Turtle River, Warroad, Williams, Wilton, and the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

House District 2B includes all or parts of Becker, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Otter Tail, and Wadena counties. Cities include, Audubon, Bejou, Callaway, Detroit Lakes, Frazee, Lake Park, Mahnomen, Menahga, Nevis, Ogema, Park Rapids, Waubun, Wolf Lake, and the White Earth Indian Reservation.

Each Senate District has one Senator and two state reps. Today both state reps were endorsed, the Senate not up until 2020.

Northbird has been an Environmental Program Manager for the past nine years, currently employed by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Branden is a teacher, teaching Ojibwemowin at White Earth Community College. Northbird is from Farden township in northern Hubbard County, Branden is from Cotton Lake near Detroit Lakes.