American Indian Month

During the month of May, there are many opportunities to visit American Indian businesses and agencies to see and experience the awesome things they provide to our Native American community in the Twin Cities, metro area during their open houses in the month of May.

There are a total of 11 tribes throughout the state of Minnesota. Each one of these tribes not only have offices on their reservations, but they also have tribal offices in the Twin Cities urban area, as there are a lot of Tribal members who live off their reservations. These tribal offices provide services and information to keep their tribal members informed and updated on important events happening on or near their reservations.

The grand re-opening of the Minneapolis American Indian Center, located on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. The Indian Center is of great importance as it was founded in 1975 by community members and was one of the first American Indian centers in the United States. The center houses offices that provide comprehensive services to more than 4,000+ American Indians from 43 different tribes.

Upon visiting the American Indian Center, you will get to experience the beautiful Two Rivers Art Gallery, Woodlands Arts and Crafts Gift Ship, and the Gatherings Café, which offers organic native foods available for lunch.

May is also the kick off month for our powwow season that extends throughout the summer. Some of the Powwows that happen in the month of begin with honoring our Native American Students Graduating from various school districts, a Mother’s Day powwow, and an American Indian Cancer Awareness Powwow.

American Indian Month was established by Governor Tim Walz who signed a Proclamation in May of 2019.

With summer time approaching fast, the Summer Olympics will take place in Paris in the next few months:

Our Native community would like to celebrate and recognize Janee’ Kassanovoid who is a Comanche Nation Citizen.

Janee’ Kassanovoid attended Kansas State University where she was involved in athletics and graduated with a degree in Dietetics. She has been competing internationally for Team USA in the Hammer Throw and became the first Native woman to medal at the World Athletics Championships, first with bronze in 2022 and then with silver earlier this year in Budapest, Hungary.

Janee’ is now setting her sights on qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, she states;

“The goal for 2024 is to make my first Olympic team and to be again, a medal contender and make history as a Native American woman once again for Indian Country,” she said. “I will focus diligently and continue to work hard to compete at the highest levels and improve where I can put my best foot forward for the USA Olympic trials at the end of June.”

What exactly is the hammer throw?

The hammer throw, a form of which is believed to date back as far as 2000 B.C., is one of four throwing events now included in Olympic track and field, alongside discus, shot put and javelin.

Competitors throw a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip, which allows them to release the ball and wire mid-swing. The ball is 8.8 pounds for women and 16 pounds for men.

The men’s competition has been in the Olympics since 1900, but the women’s competition was not added to the world championships until 2019 and to the Olympics in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

In addition, when Kassanavoid is not training or competing, she dedicates time to speaking engagements and personal appearances to share her journey with others in her Native community. Janee’ states;

“My role and goal is to continue to be an active leader in the community, to continue to inspire and empower the next generation of Native athletes and to show the beauty and strength as a woman — on and off the track,” she said.

She credits her interest in sports to her father, Ron Kassanavoid, Comanche, who encouraged her and her siblings and sometimes coached them before dying of cancer when she was just 8 years old.

Jim Thorpe: Member of the Sac and Fox Nation, competed in the 1912 Olympics and won two gold medals in the Decathlon and Pentathlon

Lewis Tewanima: Member of the Hopi Nation, competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, where Lewis won the Silver medal and set an American record for the 10,000 Meters, which stood for more than 50 years later, but was then broken and won by Billy Mills.

Billy Mills: Member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, competed in Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and won the Gold medal for the 10,000 Meters.