Human Rights Commission Meeting Date: February 11, 2021
To: Human Rights Commission
From: Beth Kallestad, Program Coordinator
Title
Northfield Reads Speaker Support
Body
Action Requested:
The HRC is asked to consider allocating a portion of its budget for speakers
Summary Report:
Northfield Reads is led by a group of community members in collaboration with the Northfield Public Library. This year the focus is on Indigenous People. The discussions are based on the book An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Topics include colonialism, genocide, displacement, relocation, and political aggression against Indigenous people by the government of the United States. The discussion extends from Northfield’s developed interest in ethnic equity issues. This particular path started when Northfield switched from celebrating Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day which was recently followed by the adoption of a Land Acknowledgement statement.
The Library and Northfield Reads are working on brining several speakers in as well: Robert Two Bulls, Sue Garwood, and Diane Wilson. They are applying for a grant from SELCO to help fund the speaker fees. If the grant is not awarded there will be a request to the HRC to use some of its annual event budget to help defray speaker costs. Total cost is estimated to be around $1100 but other funding sources will also be asked to contribute.
The hope is that through reading this book and subsequent conversations participants will develop a greater understanding of the complex history of the Indigenous people of this land and our community’s ongoing relationship with them.
An update will be provided at the April HRC meeting if funds are needed.
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
NA
Tentative Timelines:
NA