Apple Valley Schools to Host Exhibit of Dakota, Ojibwe Treaties With U.S.

In April, District 196 schools will host a traveling exhibit that explores the relationship between American Indians and the United States government through the land treaties that were signed with the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes of Minnesota.

"Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations" will be displayed at April 2, from 4 to 7 p.m., and will then travel to the district's four high schools. The exhibit will be at Rosemount High School April 3-6, Eagan High School April 7- 11, April 12-16 and April 17-20.

The exhibit is the product of a partnership between the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. It consists of 20 free-standing banners with text and photos, and a 10-minute video titled "A Day in the Life of the Minnesota Tribal Nations."

The following is an excerpt from a website about the exhibit: "Ojibwa and Dakota people who lived in what is now Minnesota signed dozens of treaties with the United States. Among these treaties are famous land-cession agreements in which sovereign American Indian groups retained ownership or use of natural resources -- land, water, timber and minerals -- or transferred these rights to the U.S.

But treaties are about more than who owns what. They tell a story about how people relate to one another, and how people relate to the land. In these frequently-misunderstood events, we find a contrast between different ways of looking at the world: material progress versus sustainability; business relationships versus family relationships; land as privately owned real estate, versus land as our connection to something bigger than our individual selves."

Editor's note: This is a press release from District 196.