Haha Wakpadan / Bassett Creek Oral History Project

Episode 15 - Eric Buffalohead

Eric Buffalohead (Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma) moved to St. Louis Park in 1979 when he was in the eighth grade. He lived there until the mid-1990s, and later returned to the West Metro by purchasing a home in Plymouth in 2016. His three children attended Breck School in Golden Valley. In 2023, Eric is the chair of the American Indian, First Nations, and Indigenous Studies department at Augsburg University. He is also the lead guitarist of Bluedog, a band he co-formed in 2001 that has been nominated for several Native American Music Awards. In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org [https://hennepinhistory.org/]) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement [https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement]).

Episode 14 - David Wilson

David Wilson (Dakota) lived in Golden Valley from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. He attended Meadowbrook Elementary School and graduated from Golden Valley High School. David’s grandmother lived on Medicine Lake, and he remembers the area as being open and beautiful prior to development. David is a musician and has also worked in the construction industry. In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org [https://hennepinhistory.org/]) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement [https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement]).

Episode 13 - Sydney Beane

Sydney Beane (Dakota) moved to Minnesota and purchased a home in Plymouth in 2003. In the 1970s, he was trained as a community organizer through a Robert F. Kennedy Fellowship. He has since served in many roles, including as co-founder of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), Chair of the Board for Little Earth, and an advocate for recognizing Indigenous place names. Sydney is a lifelong educator as well as a filmmaker, historian, and documentarian. In 2023, he was honored with The Frank Blythe Award in Media Excellence for his work. In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org [https://hennepinhistory.org/]) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement [https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement]).

Episode 12 - Debbi Kinaka-Williams

Debbi Kinaka-Williams (Anishinaabe) moved to Plymouth in the early 1980s and then purchased a home in Crystal, where she lived for 22 years. She chose the area specifically so her children could attend the Robbinsdale School District and enjoy the Robbinsdale American Indian Education Program. Debbi started the Robbinsdale drum and dance group and managed it for 9 years. Debbi is also an artist and a teacher. She helped to secure culturally appropriate curriculum and books for Indigenous students. She also advocated for starting the American Indian Studies Program at Michigan State University. In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org [https://hennepinhistory.org/]) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement [https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement]).

Episode 11 - Ben Blackhawk

Ben Blackhawk (Ho-Chunk) moved to Crystal in 1970. As a child, he traveled to powwows across the Midwest, including at his home reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska. Ben worked for 17 years as a high school math teacher at Providence Academy in Plymouth. While there, he also directed the choir, coached the math team, and assisted with track and field. Ben earned a B.A. in Math and Music Education from St. Olaf College. In 2023, Ben lives in Crystal and teaches math and music at Epiphany Catholic School in Coon Rapids. In Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota), Indigenous people have lived, worked, and played near Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ (Bassett Creek) for thousands of years. Through an oral history project, 15 Indigenous people share how they experience the watershed as part of their historic and contemporary cultures. These interviews were conducted by Dr. Kasey Keeler with support from Valley Community Presbyterian Church (VCPC) and partners. To learn more, please contact Hennepin History Museum (https://hennepinhistory.org [https://hennepinhistory.org/]) or visit VCPC’s land acknowledgment webpage (https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement [https://www.valleychurch.net/land-acknowledgement]).