COIN Statement on Place*

Mni Sota Makoce, the original Dakota name for Minnesota, is the ancestral/contemporary homeland of the Dakota people. Just outside the windows of the COIN office is Wakpa Tanka (The Mississippi River), along which the Dakota have lived for many years. Wakpa Tanka is an important marker for many of us UMN-TC community members, as it creates the East and West Banks of the Twin Cities campus. Its convergence with Mnisota Wakpa (The Minnesota River) just downstream in Imnizaska Otunwe (St. Paul) is a sacred site of Dakota genesis and creation, called Bdote.

Here at COIN, we take seriously the historical/contemporary legacy of the UMN-TC, a land-grant institution that was endowed with stolen Dakota homelands through various forms of violence against the Dakota. We also consider the historical/ongoing legacy of the greater UMN system, which was created through the theft of Ojibwe and Dakota lands, as well as through Ojibwe, Dakota, and Ho-Chunk dispossession and removal out of Mni Sota Makoce, and the attempted extermination of their relations. We believe it is important to be cognizant of our being on and occupation of Indigenous homelands (Dakota homelands specifically at the UMN-TC), as well as our collective and individual responsibilities to the land and the original peoples of the lands we are on. We ground our office’s work in these responsibilities, and support for American Indian Tribal sovereignty, and global Indigenous sovereignty.

* This living statement of place was written by Gabriela Ines Diaz (CHamoru and Pohnpeian) for the COIN office in February 2023, and is NOT a university/institutional land acknowledgement.

Our Mission Statement

The Circle of Indigenous Nations (COIN) is a student support office that advances and advocates for the needs of American Indian/Native American, Alaska Native, and First Nations students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. COIN offers a range of specialized services, programs, events, and resources to assist students throughout their journey at the University. COIN also creates and maintains a welcoming on-campus space where Native and global Indigenous students are able to build relations with each other through shared interests, cultural values/traditions, and hxstorical experiences.

Happening at COIN

Weekly Study Nights

Promotional Flyer about COIN's weekly Study Night program: Study Nights are on Wednesdays from 4:30-7 pm at the COIN Office (322 Appleby Hall)

Weekly Writing Support Drop-In Hours

Flyer for Study Night Writing Support hours at COIN. Writing Support Hours with Gabrielle Farrell (Red Cliff Ojibwe) are held during COIN weekly study nights. — Drop in during Study Night hours for Writing Support with Gabrielle Farrell!

Elder in Residence Program

Flyer contains the dates for Elder in Residence visits with Nelda Goodman for the Fall 23 academic semester. Nelda smiles in front of an orange background. She is wearing a ribbon skirt, a white top, and wears a medicine pouch around her neck. — Visit with, and learn from Nelda Goodman on select Fridays this semester

Circle of Indigenous Nations

COIN Statement on Place*

Our Mission Statement

Happening at COIN

Weekly Study Nights

Weekly Writing Support Drop-In Hours

Elder in Residence Program

Circle of Indigenous Nations (COIN)

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COIN Statement on Place*

Our Mission Statement

Happening at COIN

Weekly Study Nights

Weekly Writing Support Drop-In Hours

Elder in Residence Program

Circle of Indigenous Nations (COIN)

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Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Key Links