October 18, 2020

We are outraged to learn that a welcome sign to the Red Lake Indian Reservation was vandalized with a swastika and “Trump 2020” graffiti.

The JCRC echoes the message of our Lt. Governor, Peggy Flanagan, enrolled tribal citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, who rightly said of the vandalism, “[w]e will not tolerate hateful symbols in Minnesota […] Native communities will not be intimidated by these cowardly tactics. We will make our voices heard and ensure our votes are counted.”

In today’s Star Tribune commentary, joined by our colleagues in the African American and Jewish communities, the JCRC called upon “our political leaders, at the highest levels, to dial back the polarizing rhetoric and apparent support for agitators, some violent, as well as efforts to undermine the elections process.”

We reiterate that call today as we send this message of solidarity to the Red Lake community.

We know from our history the corrosive effect rhetoric and policies that dehumanizes groups of people can have on society. That is why we are offering a three-week course on Lessons from the Holocaust, which will examine the power of propaganda and the rise of Nazism in Germany.

The JCRC and our community partners also tracking how stories like these from northern Minnesota will impact the 2020 elections, and we will be in conversation this Wednesday with Mesabi Tribune reporter Jerry Burnes, as well as the Star Tribune’s Briana Bierschbach and Torey Van Oot, for their insights on this and other topics.