Indigenous groups turn out in Minneapolis for ‘No Kings’ protest, express centuries of resistance to political violence

Similar events took place in more than 3,300 cities throughout the country. Organizers said that Saturday’s third “No Kings” event was the largest collective action in U.S. history, with at least 8 million people attending the protests.

Several Indigenous speakers addressed the crowd, which was estimated at more than 200,000 people, making it the largest protest in Minnesota history. Tribal flags and regalia were visible among the many displays.

Many signs in the crowd referred to Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in January, during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge. Other signs displayed comments about the Jeffrey Epstein files, distrust in the administration and the power of unity.

“When I saw the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti it really shocked me to be seeing this in our country,” Betsy McDougall, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa tribal citizen, told Buffalo’s Fire. “As Indian people, we see this all the time as our people go missing and get killed. We’re trying to fight for our people to not be violated and harmed. It hurts to see power be so strong to now start killing people right in front of us.”

The fatal shootings of Good and Pretti sparked protests across the country against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state violence. During the 10-week Operation Metro Surge, the Native community organized a community space for families to gather along the American Indian Cultural Corridor after some tribal citizens reported being apprehended by ICE agents. Many tribes hosted pop-up events throughout the Twin Cities metro area to issue tribal identification cards.

“When we used to live on the East Coast, even to here, our people had to run,” said McDougall. “Indian women with children and our men, we were all shocked, and to me that’s how the government has been to us for centuries.”

Three marches began at noon in St. Paul and convened at the Capitol around 2 p.m., when speakers began to address the crowd. One of the marches included an Indigenous dance group from the Indigenous Roots Cultural Center, based in St. Paul, which demonstrated historical dance and song of Nahua traditions and culture.

“We’re out here bringing our dance of medicine from our community, in our traditional way to bless this space, to offer our prayers and protection of encouragement, of strength, of healing,” said Sam Torres, Mexica and Nahua, to Buffalo’s Fire. “There's no secret that the place here that we all find ourselves in has been the target of an unprecedented amount of state violence from ICE to DHS and even to our very own police departments. We've been fighting this fight for hundreds of years.”

The main stage of the event included speeches and performances by Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and many others, including Indigenous voices Heid E. Erdrich, Gwen Westerman, Dorene Day and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

Erdrich, a poet from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, said to the crowd, “The Twin Cities are home to the best poets in the English language, the Dakota language, the Anishinaabe language, the Somali language and more. In the past months, poets here have spoken truth to power, and like so many of us, poets pack boxes of groceries, give rides, cover rent.”

Dorene Day, a Bois Forte Band of Chippewa citizen, sang a traditional healing song in the Ojibwe language. “This is a healing song for all of those who have suffered during this time,” she said.

Pamela Fairbanks, a White Earth Band of Ojibwe citizen, shared why she came out to the event: “Just to be here, speak up, get out, and stand up for what's right.”