Circle of Indigenous Nations

Welcome to the Circle of Indigenous Nations!

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 and their relations, as well as the legacy of the greater UMN system, which was created through the expropriation of Ojibwe and Dakota lands, as well as Ojibwe and Dakota dispossession, removal, and the attempted extermination of Ojibwe and Dakota relations through various forms of violence. Our office believes it is imperative 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 positionalities, and responsibilities to the land and the original peoples of the lands we are on. We ground our office’s work in these responsibilities, legacies, and support for global Indigenous political/tribal sovereignty in all its forms. You can learn more about our office's history on our history page.

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

American Indian and Indigenous students at an on-campus American Indian Graduation Celebration (Spring 2022)

Members of the UMN community gather for a social event and dinner at COIN

Students pictured with poets Joy Harjo and Layli Long Soldier after an on-campus lunch and writing workshop

students and community members make ribbon skirts at the American Indian Student Cultural Center student space

Oceti Sakowin faculty, staff, and students gather for a group picture during an Oceti Sakowin community social dinner at COIN

Students on the American Indian Intramural Basketball Team pose on the court after a scrimmage game

Researchers with the TRUTH: Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing project give a presentation at COIN on their work and research findings

Our Office

Address:

322 - Appleby Hall, 128 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

COIN Hours:

9 AM - 4:30 Mon. - Fri. *Closed on University Holidays*

Contact Information

[email protected]

(612)-624-2555