MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Oct. 9 is Indigenous Peoples' Day in Minnesota. It's the first year it's officially being celebrated as a state holiday.
In south Minneapolis, the community celebrated by looking to the future of Indigenous health and wellness.
The Indian Health Board of Minneapolis (IHB) will be breaking ground next year on a new health care clinic. Monday, they held a site blessing at the future Menaandawiwe Wellness Campus at 2027 East Franklin Avenue.
According to IHB, the site will combine traditional healing methods with state of the art medical, dental and specialty services in a campus setting.
"We're over 50 years in its making," said IHB CEO Dr. Patrick Rock, member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. "We're actually the first urban Indian health organization in the United States. And that started... really a groundswell of people coming together and recognizing really the lack of health care services to Indigenous people in the Twin Cities area."
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, American Indian women, children and families experience the greatest health disparities in the state. Another report from MN Community Measurement found that Indigenous patients have significantly lower rates of optimal care compared to the statewide average.
IHB was founded in 1971 to provide quality health care to generations of urban American Indians. IHB provides primary medical care, dental services, mental and behavioral health, and recovery services, along with health and wellness education.
"I've done research in Indian health for a couple decades and a lot of the common themes is Native patients don't feel welcome where they're at or there's different belief systems in place," said IHB Chairwoman Joni Buffalohead (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate). "The Indian Health Board clinic here in Minneapolis is totally centered on culture... as many cultures among our Native peoples."
IHB has already completed a couple phases of the project but this new site, which will break ground in the spring, will be home to their medical and dental services.
The Menaandawiwe Wellness Campus will nearly triple their footprint.
"Over the years we recognized that the avenue, Franklin Avenue, has really become a central hub of where a lot of Indigenous people live and do their business and work. So putting us into the forefront, and putting us right into the community, was an important part of our decision making," Dr. Rock said.
Monday, the ceremony included IHB's Elder-In-Residence Richard Wright blessing the land of the future campus. Grass dancers also took part in the ceremony, preparing the site for construction.
Many elected officials attended the ceremony including Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.
Dr. Rock said it's about a $24 million project — made possible thanks to funding at the state and federal level.
"There are so many hands that shaped this day and getting us here to celebrate the Indian Health Board on this beautiful space," Lt. Gov. Flanagan said. "Equity and grant making, equity and bonding, and saying that we are going to set aside dollars specifically for Indigenous communities and specifically for communities of color who have been left out of this process for far too long. Because you know what? We know how to best invest and spend those dollars in the ways that make sense to our own communities."
The architect on the project is American Indian from Turtle Mountain, part of the DSGW firm. The construction company is Woodstone and their owner, Paul Meyer, is American Indian from White Earth.
IHB said the goal is to open the Menaandawiwe Wellness Campus by spring 2026.
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