Support Indigenous Land Reclamation
As an organization dedicated to racial and economic justice, Twin Cities DSA acknowledges that we are operating on land stolen from the Dakota people, and that we must support efforts toward land repatriation and reparative justice.
Makoce Ikikcupi (Land Recovery) is one such project which intends, with settler donations, to build traditional villages in Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota) where Dakota people can re-establish physical and spiritual connections to their homeland. However, construction on the first village came to a halt in 2019 when state building inspectors deemed the traditional earth lodges to be in violation of state codes - despite being built according to traditions which predate the state itself. Bills HF1042 and SF1087, currently under review by committees in the MN senate, would provide an exemption process from MN state codes for indigenous people building traditional structures. If these bills are passed, work can resume on the first earth lodge, and toward a permanent Dakota land base in Minnesota. We support these bills, and encourage members to contact their senators and representatives as well as all members of the Senate Judiciary and House Labor & Industry Committee and urge them to support these bills as well.
The bill in the Senate, SF1087, has been referred to the Judiciary Committee and it is up to the chair, Republican Senator Warren Limmer, to put it on the agenda. Call Sen. Limmer today at 651-296-2159 and demand that he bring SF 1087 to committee ASAP.
Other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are:
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Sen. Mark Johnson (R), 651-296-5782
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Sen. Ron Latz (DFL), 651-297-8065
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Sen. Bruce D. Anderson (R), 651-296-5981
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Sen. Karla Bigham (DFL), 651-297-8060
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Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R), 651-297-8063
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Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R), 651-296-5655
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Sen. Andrew Mathews (R), 651-296-8075
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Sen. Sandra L. Pappas (DFL), 651-296-1802
SAMPLE CALL SCRIPT:
Hi! My name is ___ and I'm a Minnesota resident. I'm calling because I support bill SF1087 which has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill would provide an exemption process from certain parts of the state building codes for Indigenous people to construct new buildings in traditional designs. This would allow the Dakota people at Makoce Ikikcupe, near Granite Falls, to continue work on the earth lodge they have been constructing, and it would secure the rights of the Dakota people to build in traditional ways throughout their homeland. I care about this issue because … (insert your own thoughts here). I ask you to support this bill and move SF1087 forward to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a vote.
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