They are the stories of her family. Kate Beane is a public historian who holds a doctoral degree in American Studies. She and her twin sister, Carly Bad Heart Bull, didn’t grow up in Minnesota but moved back with their family to have the opportunity to study the Dakota language. Beane can trace their ancestry back to Ḣeyate Otuŋwe or Village to The Side, a community along the shore of Bde Maka Ska.
In discovering this history of her family, she also learned not to take no for an answer. Along with her sister and father, they created a path to restoring the lake to its original Dakota name despite community backlash and legal challenges.
“We were told there was no process. We were told that it was something that couldn’t be done,” Beane said. “When we started looking at this space, in particular, we realized that this is the place that made us successful — because we, as young Native women, took control of our own narrative of our own story and our own education. And we were empowered by the stories of our grandparents here.”
Throughout November, MPR News is featuring Indigenous Minnesotans making history to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
Learn more about Kate Beane and other Changemakers at mprnews.org.
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Image Graphic Facebook: Ainab Mniciya
