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Indigenous Rights

Holy Trinity acknowledges that we gather in the Dakota Homeland. We are committed to education and advocacy around the rights of indigenous people of the United States and, specifically, of Minnesota.

The Indigenous Justice Task Force

The Holy Trinity Indigenous Justice Task Force was created to address the injustices done to the
Native people of Minnesota, and issues raised by the Doctrine of Discovery. The premise of the Doctrine
is that the mere discovery of Native land justified the taking of that land and the enslavement and
extermination of its indigenous people.

The Indigenous Justice Task Force addresses two goal areas: education and advocacy. The Task Force
helped develop the Holy Trinity Land Acknowledgement Statement and is promoting education about
this statement and call to action.

In pursuit of these goals, the Task Force has provided education via adult forums, presentations of
pertinent films, and adding valuable book resources to the Holy Trinity lending library. The Doctrine was
also the subject of Holy Trinity’s Johnson Symposium in Fall 2019, which featured Mark Charles as the
keynote presenter and in Fall 2022 featured Winona LaDuke as keynote.

In the area of advocacy, the Task Force developed and is promoting a piece of legislation along with
Native colleagues which, if enacted, would generate a significant legacy fund for Native programs in the
state. The fund would be financed by a small increase in the state deed tax.

In addition, the Task Force supports Native Youth programs such as the summer canoe trips of youth
from Red Lake and Migizi in partnership with Wilderness Canoe Base and supports Land Recovery efforts
in partnership with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation.