Tribal Engagement

CURE is based on the land known as Minnesota, which is the traditional and present homeland of Dakota and Anishinaabe people. We endeavor to uplift tribal sovereignty, reinforce treaty rights and obligations, support efforts for justice and reparations, and build collaborative relationships between Native and non-Native people. We work to ask, “Who’s missing?” and make sure that people who are directly affected by policy change are involved in that change. Our work on tribal engagement and Indigenous rights is constantly evolving, and we welcome conversations about ways we can step up.
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Water & Tribal Communities

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Public Lands & Treaty Rights

Wild Rice Icon

Wild Rice Protection

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Forestry & Habitat

Land Back at USC

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At the Legislature

Minnesota Map of Tribal Nations


Rural Minnesota includes eleven federally recognized Tribal nations sharing geography with Minnesota. Four are Dakota Communities: the Cansayapi Oyate (Lower Sioux Indian Community), the Pezutazizi Oyate (Upper Sioux Community), Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and the Tinta Wita (Prairie Island Indian Community). Seven are Anishinaabe Communities: Gaa-waabaabiganikaag (White Earth Nation), the Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), the Gichi Onigaming (Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa), the Misi-zaaga’iganiing (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), the Miskwaagamiiwi-Zaagaiganing (Red Lake Nation), the Nahgahchiwanong (Fond du Lac Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa), and the Zagaakwaandagowiniwag (Bois Forte Band of the Chippewa). Many Indigenous communities outside of the state also have lasting connections and claims to this land but have been displaced by the U.S. Government. The rights and customs of the displaced should also be respected.

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Water & Tribal Communities

Water is significant to the culture and sovereignty of Tribal communities, and water is where CURE’s history began. We intentionally look to our Dakota and Anishinaabeg neighbors when advocating for water. We have partnered with Indigenous voices to elevate water issues, educate the public, and navigate state agency processes.
BWCA Wilderness & Superior National Forest Sign

Public Lands & Treaty Rights

As a primarily non-Native organization we do not speak for the tribes who signed the 1854 Treaty and other relevant treaties, but we do strongly support the federal government’s continued deepening of its cooperation and consideration of tribal expertise and rights. CURE seeks to uplift the right to co-management that the tribes have retained in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and the Superior National Forest near the BWCA. We have made suggestions and comments to the federal agency to deepen this connection with additional research, resources, and coordination of land management expertise and activity.
Wild Rice

Wild Rice Protection

CURE is a member of the Rise + Repair alliance which brings together over a dozen Minnesota organizations doing legislative policy work on Indigenous rights and climate justice. We support legal recognition of the rights of wild rice / manoomin / psíŋ to thrive in Minnesota, contributing legal and policy expertise to this Indigenous-led work. Each year, we help organize and fund the Rise + Repair rally and lobby day, bringing grassroots voices directly to lawmakers. Our work against CO2 pipelines, mining, and crude oil infrastructure is a frequent point of overlap with Native organizers and tribal governments.
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Forestry & Habitat

CURE is working on accountability for the mismanagement of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources-managed wildlife areas that has led to excessive logging that damaged habitat on these protected lands. These public lands are not only important for wildlife and public recreation, but also for treaty-protected hunting and gathering practices for tribal members. We have discussed timber management issues with tribal forestry staff and seek to coordinate our work with their leadership and long-standing knowledge of these lands.

We hope to expand on this beginning and work better with tribes regarding climate resilience, developing and cultivating renewable resources, and protecting cultural uses and habitat for the benefit of all Minnesotans.

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Land Back at Upper Sioux

As a neighbor and ally in the repatriation of land taken, CURE has attended public meetings and kept our network of supporters informed of the Land Back process of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park. CURE believes that returning the decision-making power over the land to Indigenous governance is possible, sustainable, and preferred for public lands.
Minnesota State Capitol Building

At the Legislature

CURE coordinates our legislative work with tribal governments on a wide range of issues, including CO2 pipelines and the Public Waters Inventory work. We also support strengthening state requirements for tribal consultation and believe these duties must be continually reassessed and improved. In 2019, we submitted testimony in support of MN Executive Order 19-24 which added the Public Utilities Commission to the list of state agencies required to periodically consult with Minnesota tribes. Meaningful consultation is part of upholding treaty rights and ensuring state agencies meet their obligations to tribal nations and members.

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!