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New podcast series explores Native stories in Minnesota

Prior Lake, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC)’s Understand Native Minnesota campaign launched a new podcast series today, entitled Native Minnesota with Rebecca Crooks-Stratton. Hosted by SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, the series features conversations with thought leaders and changemakers in Minnesota and across Indian Country.

“Native American tribes and communities make important contributions to our state every day, yet their stories often go untold,” said Crooks-Stratton. “In this new podcast series, I sit down with inspiring leaders to talk about Native culture, history and accomplishments – and help dispel some of the misconceptions folks have about Indigenous peoples.”

The podcast is a project of the Understand Native Minnesota campaign. This strategic initiative and philanthropic campaign aims to improve public attitudes toward Native Americans by incorporating greater awareness for Native Americans, along with accurate information about their history, culture and modern tribal governments, into Minnesota’s K-12 education system and across the state at large.

The first episode of the Native Minnesota with Rebecca Crooks-Stratton podcast series features an interview with Wayne Ducheneaux, director of the Native Governance Center. The episode is available to watch or listen to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Learn more about the series at UnderstandNativeMN.org/Podcast.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Dakota tribal government located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Following a Dakota tradition of generosity, the SMSC is one of the top philanthropists in Minnesota and is the largest contributor to other tribal governments and causes across the country. It is a strong community partner and a leader in protecting and restoring natural resources. The SMSC’s government, Gaming Enterprise and various other enterprises are collectively the largest employer in Scott County and attract millions of visitors to the region.