DIVISION OF INDIAN WORK
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Mission Statement
The Division of Indian Work's mission is to support and strengthen American Indian people through culturally-based education, traditional healing approaches, and leadership development.
About This Cause
Organization History: (1,000 characters) 818 Since 1952 the Division of Indian Work (DIW) has served our Twin Cities American Indian community with programs that help them stabilize their families and work toward establishing productive lives. Originally a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), DIW finalized separation from GMCC in 2018 and now has its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status making us a truly American Indian-led organization. DIW is also an inter-tribal serving agency and provides services to at least 60 different tribes residing in the Twin Cities. In 1998, DIW moved into our current residence—a beautiful building designed by award-winning Arapaho architect Dennis Sun Rhodes. The building bustles with activity and is used by staff, program participants, other organizations, and the community. Because culture is vitally important to Indian people, DIW incorporates tribal values, beliefs, and practices into its work. Our programs are provided free-of-charge and work to nurture and guide youth; foster physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy families; support elders; end family violence; offer supportive housing to long-term foster care boys; and address hunger issues. Our agency exists to help our people tap into their potential and provides them the tools and skills they need to live their best lives. All of this is to move them steadily toward DIW’s vision: American Indian communities that build upon inherent strengths and create safe, healthy, and nurturing environments in which everyone thrives. DIW is governed by a 13-member board of directors comprised of people from the legal, financial, social work, and design fields—62% of board members are American Indian. We employ 28 full-time and 4 part-time staff—88% of staff are American Indian. Programs and Services: (4,000 characters) 3,938 Health Services: components and challenges addressed include: • Horizons Unlimited food shelf - helps supplement the meager budgets of food shelf users and provides healthier food choices (e.g. bison, walleye, wildrice) to help families better manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure. • Minozekwedaa Traditional Foods program - prepares and serves healthy meals comprised of traditional foods and ingredients to program participants to make sure they are eating healthy. • Women of Traditional Birthing - helps pregnant women refrain from using alcohol and other drugs while pregnant so they give birth to healthy babies. • Live It! Teen Pregnancy Prevention Train-the-Trainer Curriculum - addresses high percentages of American Indian teen pregnancies. Presented by trained facilitators from schools, community organizations, etc. both in the Twin Cities and on Northern Minnesota reservations, Live It! presents sex education topics using culturally-relevant teachings and modern methodologies. • Elders Resources Program – supports mobility- and transportation-challenged elders with grocery delivery and transportation to appointments; social activities to prevent isolation; and access to other community services. Strengthening Family Circles: components and challenges addressed include: • Home Visiting Programs - work with families/parents who are either on the verge of becoming or already involved in Child Protection. Families are supported to set and meet goals that will help them keep or regain custody of their children, provided early childhood education to help in the development of their children, and community services to help them stay healthy and meet any other needs they are dealing with. • Family Violence Prevention Program – provides intervention and prevention of family violence which is prevalent in our American Indian community. Those who experience domestic violence and/or commit acts of violence are either court-ordered, referred, or come voluntarily to access men’s and women’s anger management groups as well as a domestic abuse support group. In addition, DIW has a Legal Advocate who is officed at the Hennepin County Domestic Abuse Service Center to assist with Orders for Protection, support in court hearings, and community referrals. Healing Spirit Program: components and challenges addressed include: • Healing Spirit House – provides a supportive, safe, positive, drug-free, alcohol-free environment and in-house services for long-term foster care American Indian males aged 16-21. DIW opened the House in response to a request by Hennepin County to help with cases of foster care boys who continually ran away from their placements and were ending up on the streets or in shelter. • Youth Leadership Council – provides opportunities for increasing youth voices in the implementation and evaluation of foster care policy and practice. It also advises the MN Dept. of Human Services on state policies affecting children in the foster care system; has a speaker’s bureau of foster youth; and educates and trains other youth, resource families, child welfare workers, and the general public. Youth Leadership Development Program: was developed to address the difficulties our kids were experiencing in education and the subsequent high drop out and absentee rates. The program serves youth ages 5-17 year-round through five program components: • Academic Support & Activities – provides after school tutoring and homework, cultural activities, and educational and recreational field trips. • TRiP (Taking the Right Path) alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention program - provides education and traditional teachings to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse. • be@school – provides attendance support and works with youth, parents, and school officials to address obstacles to school attendance. • Indigenous Scholars Summer Program – provides six weeks of cultural, literacy education, and recreational activities.