How Indian Education Rises and Serves Minnesota Students Throughout Pandemic Challenges

On today’s show, we hear from two Indian Education staff who are
passionate about serving students in the ISD318 school district
located in Itasca County, in the heart of Ojibwe country. Host
Leah Lemm (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) is exploring how Indian
Country in MN is responding and adapting to the current pandemic
health crisis.


We hear from Jessica Bobrowski (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa) is the program coordinator for ISD 318 Indian Education
and Ella Cummings is a Student Advocate at the Grand Rapids High
School. Jessica and Ella share different ways they and their
colleagues have risen to meet all the changes and challenges of
the pandemic, so students can thrive even as school life has been
changed and disrupted. 


The goal of Indian Education is to introduce Ojibwe culture and
history and provide hands-on learning experiences for all
students, and Jessica and Ella explain how incorporating the
Seven Grandfather teachings of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery,
Honesty, Humility, and Truth has helped raise up all students,
both Native and Non-Native in their schools and classrooms. 


Plus, Governor Tim Walz reflects on the last year: the many
losses and challenges, and how far we’ve come to get to this
point where now more than one million Minnesotans have received
their vaccine.