Heritage
Apr 8, 2025

Cottonwood log transformed into 18th-century-style canoe

Communal project involved Indigenous youth


April 8, 2025

A unique canoe-building project, sponsored by Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi and Great Lakes Lifeways Institute, took place at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, where a 38-foot cottonwood log was transformed into an 18th-century-style dugout canoe. The Prairie Island Indian Community will receive the canoe as a symbol of gratitude for protecting the sacred Wakan Tipi site. Over three weeks, 263 volunteers, including local Indigenous youth and recovery groups, participated in shaping the canoe using traditional tools. The completed vessel will serve as a cultural and educational resource for future generations.

We provide the independent reporting that non-Native, extractive outlets often overlook. We give our communities the context and the facts they need to make informed decisions.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we exist to illuminate tribal government decision-making for everyone who cares about transparency about Native issues. Because the consequences of restricted press freedom affect our communities every day, our trauma-informed reporting is rooted in a deep, firsthand expertise. Every gift helps keep the fire burning. A monthly contribution makes the biggest impact.