OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2011

October 21, 2011 – the 5k Heritage Walk, sponsored by the Blandin Foundation, TakeAction Minnesota, and the City of Walker (see events for pics). Special thanks go to Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for participation and development; Native Thunder Runners Association for participation; Terri Bjorklund, City of Walker, for planning; Elizabeth Scott and Eva Wilson for planning and volunteering; Nye Bottling of Walker for donation of beverages and Teal's Market of Cass Lake for donation of oranges.

November – Board of Director's meeting at Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe – November 18, 2011 (10am – 2pm)

December – a time to reflect – Native Vote Alliance of Minnesota reflects and expresses its most humble gratitude to the following for their support in 2011:

• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for its generous donation to fund operations in 2011
• Headwater's Foundation for Justice for its grant to fund operations in 2011
• First Nations Development Institute for its grant to fund the 2nd Annual Youth Civic Camp
• Blandin Foundation for its start up grant in support of the 5k Heritage Walk
• TakeAction Minnesota for its mini grant in support of the 5k Heritage Walk
• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for its mini grants in support of the candidate forums in 2010
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for its generous donation of the ½ day Black Bear Golf Course tournament package
• Minnesota Chippewa Tribe for support of the Silent Auction fundraiser in conjunction with the MCT Annual Legislative Dinner
• Shakopee Mdewakonton for its donation to the 4th Annual Golf Outing
• Prairie Island Indian Community for its donation to the 4th Annual Golf Outing
• White Earth Nation for its donations and support
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for its donations and support
• Red Lake Nation for its donations and support
• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa for its donations and support
• Grand Portage Band of Chippewa for its donations and support
• Lower Sioux Community for its donations and support
• Upper Sioux Community for its donations and support
• And the many individuals who support Native Vote Alliance of Minnesota with volunteerism and/or cash donations

Special thank you to the organizations whose nonpartisan work welcomed the addition of the American Indian voice with statewide issues:

• Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with the opposition of gaming expansion
• TakeAction Minnesota's Voting Rights Coalition with the opposition of the photo identification bills that hinder rural voters with additional voter expenses
• League of Women Voter's Draw the Line model project involving citizens in the redistricting process
• Friends of the Boundary Waters with water quality and wild rice preservation
• Water Legacy for its work with water quality and wild rice preservation

ISSUES
Native Vote Alliance of Minnesota works with other statewide coalitions with its public policy work in 2011.  The Board of Directors has identified issues where work is focused:

1. The state budget
2. Opposition of gaming expansion
3. Opposition of the photo identification bills that exclude or restrict American Indians’ rights to use tribal identification to vote and/or travel great distances to acquire further documentation of voter eligibility.
4. Seeking access of American Indian community input to the Redistricting of Minnesota voting districts that may be more inclusive of American Indian voting blocks in rural Minnesota - “Draw the Line” campaign
5. Support of water and wild rice preservation