St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board Meeting
2022-02-18 13:30 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Friends of the Falls provides project updates and presents a grant application for 2022 funding. SAFHB members and community members are also invited to the Community Conversation event series.

Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association Meeting
2022-02-28 17:45 - 19:00 | Zoom
Friends of the Falls provides project updates and invites community members to the Community Conversation event series.

Native Partnership Council Meeting
2022-03-01 13:00 - 16:00, 2022-03-30 13:00, 2022-04-27 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-05-25 13:00
Convening of the Native Partnership Council – voices who will lead planning and decision-making for the Falls Initiative.

Guided Tour of Immersive Exhibit
2022-03-02 11:00 - 12:00, 2022-03-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Immersive Exhibit
Join project leaders Kjersti Duval and Carrie Day Aspinwall on guided tours of The Falls Initiative Immersive Exhibit. Meet your host in the exhibit ‘lobby’ by visiting the Immersive Exhibit page and clicking ‘Enter Exhibit’.

Phillips West Neighborhood Meeting
2022-03-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom

Bottineau Neighborhood Association Meeting
2022-03-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom

Guided Tour of Immersive Exhibit
2022-03-10 11:00 - 12:00, 2022-03-17 11:00 - 12:00 | Immersive Exhibit
Join project leaders Kjersti Duval and Carrie Day Aspinwall on guided tours of The Falls Initiative Immersive Exhibit.
Click here to meet your host on Zoom.
You’ll gather as a group and troubleshoot any connection issues. Then you’ll make your way into the gallery using the ‘Enter the Exhibit’ on the Immersive Exhibit page .

Community Conversation | Relationships with the River: Water is Life
2022-03-16 17:00 - 19:00 | Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
Attend an upcoming Community Conversation to connect with Native leaders, the design team, and neighbors and discuss topics like restoration, programming, connectivity, and economic opportunity.
On March 16, Native leaders Robert Lilligren, Carrie Day Aspinwall, Sharon Day, and Wakinyan LaPointe will be joined by river experts John Shepard and Whitney Clark. We’ll discuss the River, its role at this place, and its relationship to people through time. We’ll consider the interconnected themes of ecology, history, rights of Water, and reciprocity with the River from an Indigenous perspective.
GUESTS MAY PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY.
In person, food and beverage will be provided!
We invite all in our Minneapolis community to join the conversation and shape the future of the Falls.
Click here to enter the March 16 meeting virtually at 5pm, or use the Zoom information below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89572579323?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 895 7257 9323
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcNWZ4Tod

About the panelists:

Robert Lilligren is President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), an appointed member of the Metropolitan Council, and Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID). Robert served for 12 years as the Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council, the first Tribal member elected to public office in the City of Minneapolis. He is enrolled in the White Earth Ojibwe Nation.
Carrie Day Aspinwall, CDA Enterprises, facilitates meetings of the Native Partnership Council. Previously Carrie engaged residents, stakeholders and institutions across Minneapolis’ seventy-one neighborhoods in her role with the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. Carrie is an enrolled citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe/Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
Sharon M. Day, Ojibwe, is the Executive Director and a founder of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF), formerly known as the Minnesota American Indian AIDS Task Force. She is an environmental activist and has led 20+ Water Walks since 2011, walking over 10,000 miles to offer prayers for these rivers. These extended ceremonies have occurred along the banks of the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, the Cuyahoga and Salt Rivers.
Wakinyan Skye LaPointe is Sicangu Lakota, an Indigenous Human Rights advocate, and Co-Convener of the Mni Ki Wakan: Indigenous Water Decade. He centers Lakota knowledge, language, and ways of life in his work across human rights, working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and youth.
John Shepard is an Associate Professor in the Hamline University School of Education and Assistant Director of the university’s Center for Global Environmental Education. John’s work as a media producer, writer, and educator is largely focused on the intersection of nature and culture. His public service experience includes board memberships with Project Environment Foundation, The Rivers Council of Minnesota, the YMCA, the International Crane Foundation, and the Trust for Public Land.
Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River. During his 24-year tenure, Whitney has led FMR’s growth from a start-up group with one full-time employee to one of Minnesota’s largest and most effective conservation organizations. Whitney has extensive experience in environmental policy, lobbying, advocacy and education campaigns, partnership building around environmental issues and fundraising.

Recommended parking for in-person guests:
19th Avenue Parking Ramp
Located across the street from Humphrey School of Public Affairs
300 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Future events:
April 12 – Restoring a Story Disrupted: What Can This Place Become?
May 21 – Building Connections
June 15 – A Powerful Place for Partnerships

Nicollet Island East Bank Neighborhood Association Meeting
2022-03-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom

Marcy-Holmes Members Meeting
2022-04-19 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom

APA National Planning Conference 2022
2022-05-01 16:30 - 17:30 | San Diego, CA
Members of The Falls Initiative leadership team attend the American Planning Association 2022 National Planning Conference.
On May 1, the team leads a session called “Falls Initiative: Growth and Healing through Indigenous Leadership”. The session will consider how to make plans for significant sites that have faced desecration, how to build bridges between tribes and communities, and how to re-envision aging federal infrastructure.
Participants can anticipate the following learning outcomes:

Improve your understanding of the Native American worldview, experience, and sovereignty.
Learn how to authentically engage tribal nations and urban Indians at sites significant to both native people and the broader community.
Build understanding of how local actors can advance the public interest on defunct federally owned sites.

Community Conversation | Restoring a Story Disrupted: What Can This Place Become?
2022-05-19 14:30 - 19:00
Join us on Thursday, May 19 as we continue the conversation about the future of the Upper Lock at Owámniyomni, St. Anthony Falls.
In a roundtable format, we’ll ask: What can this place become? What can and should happen here? What are the unique opportunities of this place that support our goal of restoring a story disrupted?
Thank you to Shelley Buck, Vice President, Prairie Island Tribal Council, for graciously inviting us to host this event at Prairie Island with our Dakota community.
Click here to register to attend in-person or virtually.
In-person attendees: Event will be hosted at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Chief Wabasha ballroom. Enter through the hotel. Food & beverage provided, as well as raffle giveaways!
Virtual attendees: Join the 5-7pm Community Conversation virtually via Zoom. Access the meeting using this meeting link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85946635815?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 859 4663 5815
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kJlSCNHEs
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This event was originally scheduled to take place Tuesday, April 12, but was rescheduled due to the passing of a beloved Prairie Island elder. Thank you for joining us on the new date and for your understanding.

Upper Lock Tour at Owamniyomi
2022-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 | St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock Visitor Center, 1 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55401, United States
Join The Falls Initiative project team, GGN landscape architects, and rangers from the National Park Service for a tour of the Upper Lock at Owamniyomi (St. Anthony Falls).
We’ll consider the priorities and direction received from the Native Partnership Council and general public for this site to date. We’ll also discuss the boundaries between the portion of land currently available for this project, the remaining lock infrastructure, and the greater Falls area.
This event has a maximum capacity of 25 people.
Click here to register.

Community Conversation | Building Connections
2022-05-21 09:00 - 15:00 | Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, 55404, United States
On Saturday, May 21, Friends of the Falls and the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) join the City of Minneapolis’ Community Connections Conference, centered on the theme ‘Forward Together’.
Find The Falls Initiative in the exhibit hall (Minneapolis Convention Center, First Floor, Hall B) from 9am-3pm. Meet the project team, share your input on initial design concepts, and help us consider opportunities to connect to the land at Owámniyomni and each other. Food and beverage provided!
Friends of the Falls will also participate in the ‘Local Government’ breakout session from 10:30am-11:45am to discuss our unique engagement process, the role of the Native Partnership Council, and how we’ve structured partnerships with the City of Minneapolis and Tribal governments.
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In-person attendees: Two steps are required to secure your attendance at the Community Connections Conference event and receive event information specific to The Falls Initiative.
1) Register on Eventbrite. Click here.
2) Register with the City of Minneapolis. Click here.
Virtual attendees: While exhibit hall activities are only accessible to in-person guests, we anticipate offering engagement opportunities online. Attend virtually by clicking ‘Register’ at the top of this page; you will receive relevant online resources via email.

Stone Arch Bridge Festival
2022-06-18 10:00 - 19:00, 2022-06-19 10:00 - 17:00 | Water Works at Mill Ruins Park, 102 Portland Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55401, United States
The Stone Arch Bridge Festival returns to the west bank of the Central Riverfront on June 18th and 19th, from 4th Avenue North in the North Loop to Gold Medal Park in the Mill District.
There will be 235 juried artists this year between the Stone Arch Bridge and the North Loop playground, along with food, drink, performance stages, and ‘Art in Action’ areas.
Find Friends of the Falls and NACDI (Native American Community Development Institute) near Owamni restaurant at the Water Works Pavilion. We’ll engage with community members about the future of Owámniyomni and share virtual reality images of the Falls.

East Phillips Carnival
2022-06-25 12:00 - 16:00 | Cedar Field Park
Friends of the Falls & NACDI join the East Phillips Carnival at Cedar Field Park, hosted by the East Phillips Improvement Coalition.

Fun for the whole family, with carnival games, kids activities, and art projects from 12-4pm — plus, you can learn more about our work at Owamniyomni, St. Anthony Falls.

Community Conversations | A Powerful Place for Partnerships
2022-06-28 16:30 - 19:00 | Target Performance Hall, Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55415
Attend a Community Conversation to connect with Native leaders, the design team, and neighbors and discuss topics like restoration, programming, connectivity, and economic opportunity.
At the June 28 event, A Powerful Place for Partnerships, we’ll consider how different design scenarios can connect communities to this land and each other and support other initiatives throughout the region and along the riverfront.
In-person attendees are invited to arrive at 4:30pm for a community meal, prior to the community conversation beginning at 5pm.
We invite all in our Minneapolis community to join the conversation and shape the future of the Falls.
Click here to register to attend the event.
Click here at 5pm on June 28 to attend the event virtually.
Meeting ID: 838 4172 1236
Passcode: [REDACTED]
*This event was originally scheduled for June 15, 2022.

Native Partnership Council
2022-06-29 13:00

Four Sisters Farmers Market
2022-06-30 11:00 - 15:00 | Four Sisters Farmer’s Market, 1414 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404
Find The Falls Initiative tent at the Four Sisters Farmers Market. This is an Indigenous-focused farmers market centered on providing increased access to affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate local foods within the American Indian Cultural Corridor.
Four Sisters Farmers Market is open Thursdays from 11am-3pm, June 2 – October 27.

It located in the parking lot of 1414 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN.

Mill City Farmers Market
2022-07-02 08:00 - 13:00 | 750 S 2nd St, 750 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, 55401
Find The Falls Initiative tent at the Mill City Farmers Market.
Mill City Farmers Market is Minneapolis’ trusted source for healthy, local and sustainable groceries, combining a vibrant marketplace with nourishing community connection.
The market is open Saturdays, May – October, 8am-1pm (9am-1pm in October).
The market is located at 750 S 2nd St, on the central riverfront.

See you at the Lock!
2022-07-08 12:00 - 16:00 | St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock Visitor Center, 1 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55401, United States
Find The Falls Initiative tent at the Upper Lock at Owamniyomni, St. Anthony Falls from 12:00pm-4:00pm.
The Upper Lock wall is open daily from 9:30am – 5:00pm, operated by the National Park Service and Mississippi Park Connection, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Free Ranger-led tours of the lock and dam are held at 11:00am and 2:00pm.

Prairie Island Wacipi (Powwow)
2022-07-09 12:30 - 20:30 | Prairie Island Indian Community, Welch, Minnesota
Find The Falls Initiative tent at the Tinta Winta Wacipi, hosted by the Prairie Island Indian Community. Event grand entries are at 1:00pm and 7:00pm, and our tent will be live from 12:30pm-8:30pm.
Sometimes called Wacipi (pronounced Wa chee pee), the Powwow is a traditional Native American cultural celebration where the generations gather to socialize, dance, sing, visit, renew old friendships and make new ones.
In Dakota language, the word “Wacipi” literally means “they dance.”
A Powwow is filled with songs and dances, singers with drums, and dancers in their regalia. Regalia (pronounced Re gail ya) is the proper term used to describe the highly decorated clothing worn by the powwow dancers.

Open Streets Franklin
2022-07-10 11:00 - 16:30 | Franklin Ave, between Portland Ave S to 26th Ave S
Find The Falls Initiative tent near the American Indian Center during Open Streets Franklin.
More than a street festival, Open Streets Minneapolis brings together communities to temporarily close Franklin Ave S to car traffic between Portland Ave S and 26th Ave S. The street will be completely open for people to explore their communities in a uniquely connected way.

Water Works Wake Eddie Concert
2022-07-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Water Works at Mill Ruins Park, 102 Portland Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55401, United States
Find The Falls Initiative tent at summer concerts and movie screenings at Water Works, hosted by Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.
On July 12, the Wake Eddie band will play beginning at 7pm.
