Episode 7: Nadine Bill discusses Red Lake Nation College's expansion to Minneapolis and connecting rural and urban Native communities

Side by Side

In this episode, Ellen talks with Nadine Bill, Executive Director of Red Lake Nation College's new site in downtown Minneapolis. Nadine shares the college's history, its commitment to language and cultural preservation, and the new Minneapolis site's objectives to expand education access to urban Indigenous communities. Nadine talks about Red Lake Nation College's goal to create a 'tribal college without borders,' addressing accessibility, and engaging both rural and urban Native students. She describes what many fail to understand about the relationship between rural and urban spaces as it relates to Native communities--including the impact of assimilation, Native American boarding schools, and the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. Moving forward, Nadine shares her hopes for the new Minneapolis site to serve as a hub for both Native and non-Native communities to learn and collaborate.

Episode Highlights:

04:29 History and Evolution of Red Lake Nation College

08:06 Expansion to Minneapolis: Vision and Execution

22:47 Connecting Rural and Urban Native Communities

29:33 Using Technology To Increase Access

36:09 Misconceptions About Rural and Urban Native Communities in Dominant Narratives

40:19 Opportunities at the New Minneapolis Site

More Information:

Red Lake Nation College, https://www.rlnc.edu/

Red Lake Nation College-Minneapolis, https://www.rlnc.edu/minneapolis

Minnesota Compass Native American Profile https://www.mncompass.org/topics/demographics/cultural-communities/native-american

The TRUTH Project: Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing, https://sites.google.com/view/truthproject/about?authuser=0

Uprooted: The 1950s plan to erase Indian Country (American Public Media Reports), https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2019/11/01/uprooted-the-1950s-plan-to-erase-indian-country

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