FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2026

Contact:

Ruth Buffalo

Chief Executive Officer

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

rbuffalo@miwrc.org

612.728.2008

MIWRC CEO Brings American Indian Community Fears to Capitol Hill Amid Federal Enforcement Surge

As debate over the agency’s funding and oversight continues, Minnesota leaders urge Congress to act.

WASHINGTON — As fear and uncertainty grow across Minnesota communities in response to a surge in federal immigration enforcement, the Minnesota Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) is stepping forward in solidarity and advocacy. On Thursday, Feb. 12, MIWRC CEO Ruth Buffalo joined a broad coalition of nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and community advocates at the U.S. Capitol to call on Congress to halt expanded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to remove agents from neighborhoods.

Buffalo’s participation reflects MIWRC’s direct response to concerns expressed by Native women, families, and community members who have reported increased anxiety, disruption, and trauma tied to the heightened presence of federal enforcement actions. As a front-line social and mental health services organization, MIWRC has seen firsthand how aggressive enforcement operations can compound historical trauma and destabilize already vulnerable families.

“What is happening in Minnesota is not policy on paper. It is real life. And it is unlawful. It is terror in our neighborhoods,” Buffalo said. “ICE activity has targeted Black and Brown people in Minneapolis — including law-abiding U.S. citizens and members of federally recognized tribes.”

After remarks from several leaders, activists and community members, including U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Minn., and State Sen.  Erin Maye Quade, DFL-56, the coalition worked the halls of Congress to get their message out about the harm, danger, and fear the increased presence of ICE agents is having in their communities, schools, grocery stores, and streets.

Since the Trump administration announced “Operation Metro Surge” on Nov. 29, the number of agents in Minnesota has grown from around 150 to more than 3,000. According to NBC News, ICE agents have arrested approximately 4,000 people since the surge began, and two individuals have died following enforcement actions.

On the same day as the rally, White House border czar Tom Homan announced that Operation Metro Surge would be coming to an end, though federal officials have not released full details or a clear timeline for the drawdown.

“We protect each other because history taught us we had to. The presence of ICE is a violent federal takeover on stolen land. This is not about public safety. This is a military ICE operation that is terrorizing our families, traumatizing our children, targeting our elders, and harming legal observers,” said Rachel Dionne-Thunder, the vice president of the Indigenous Protector Network. She then led the crowd in a moment of silence for those who died in ICE custody or during enforcement activities by agents, including two Minnesotans, Renee Good, 37, a mother of young children, and Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse at a local Veterans Affairs hospital.

MIWRC has responded by helping tribal members obtain identification, including tribal IDs at pop-up locations; checking in on and accompanying elders; and supporting unhoused relatives. The organization continues its core work in mental health care, cultural resilience and healing, affordable housing, and family support.

“But community care cannot replace the federal trust responsibility and the promises made by the founders of the country,” she said. “And today I am speaking directly to Congress: Do not give DHS or ICE another dollar without accountability — not without civil rights protections, not without recognition of tribal sovereignty, and not without consequences when unlawful violence occurs.”

To learn more about MIWRC and the Indigenous Protectors Network, visit www.miwrc.org and www.indigenousprotectormovement.com

View full rally here: https://www.youtube.com/live/MqHJXZfHPyk?si=oVuvpMLpVhVwM7DZ

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) is a nonprofit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families.  Programs are developed to reflect the needs of our families and are tailored to address issues that significantly affect their well-being, such as family services, affordable housing, chemical dependency, mental health care, cultural resilience and healing, and other family and community issues.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Ruth Buffalo rbuffalo@miwrc.org (612) 728-2008

Community Statement

January 7, 2026

MIWRC extends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the woman who was killed today in south Minneapolis during an ICE enforcement operation. A mother, sister, relative, and community member is gone, and a family is grieving.

Multiple news reports and official statements confirm that a woman died after being shot during an encounter connected to ICE operations in south Minneapolis; details remain under investigation and accounts of what happened differ.  

We know this moment is frightening. We are hearing concerns that people—especially Native relatives and Black and Brown community members—are being stopped or questioned. We ask everyone to remain calm, prioritize safety, and avoid escalating any encounter. If you feel unsafe, leave the area if you can and seek support from trusted contacts.

MIWRC wants to reassure the community that safety, privacy, and respect remain our priority. We follow the law and expect all interactions with community members to be lawful and respectful. No one should feel pressured or threatened into sharing information they do not have.

Service update (today):

Out of an abundance of caution, MIWRC is sheltering in place due to heightened safety concerns in south Minneapolis, East Phillips, and Ventura Village. We will not be transporting clients today. All remaining activities are canceled and will be rescheduled.

Please be safe, be smart, and take care of one another. For support or updates, contact local city government.

Respectfully,

Ruth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT Ruth Buffalo rbuffalo@miwrc.org (612) 728-2008

Community Safety Alert Issued Regarding Out-of-State “Treatment” Transfers

Minneapolis, MN | The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) and local community leaders and advocates are issuing a public safety alert to ensure the safety of our relatives—both unsheltered and sheltered—amid growing concerns of outside entities targeting vulnerable individuals with false promises of out-of-state substance use treatment.

Over the past several months, we have been made aware of multiple reports indicating that our unsheltered relatives who are in active addiction have been targeted, approached, and recruited by outside sources claiming they can transport them to treatment-filled facilities outside of Minnesota. While the exact number of individuals taken out of state is currently unknown, the pattern is alarming and requires immediate public awareness.

Native Americans make up a small percentage of the United States population, with overrepresentation in a number of public health areas such as premature death rates all in which are preventable, for example; homicide, overdose deaths, and suicide. Minnesota has existing in-state treatment facilities within Tribal and state lands which often face available capacity issues. These out-of-state transfers continue to raise serious concerns about transparency, legitimacy, and safety.

“This is a public safety issue and the most alarming aspect of this is that it’s not a new issue. It's time the normalization of violence against one another comes to an end,” said MIWRC CEO Ruth Buffalo. “States like Arizona have declared these sober living schemes a, “humanitarian crisis,” and have identified that these fraudulent rings are targeting Native American people. Our priority is improving the quality of life for our relatives, including the very real risk of premature deaths as a result of ongoing exploitation and sex trafficking. There is no justification for holding individuals against their will. This predatory behavior must be addressed. Preying on our most vulnerable while promising state-of-the-art treatment and recovery services.”

Community members are urged to exercise extreme caution and to verify the legitimacy of any organization or facility before agreeing to transportation, placement, or treatment—especially when it involves crossing state lines. Our trusted medical providers encourage anyone seeking services to see a trusted chemical dependency assessor who will then refer relatives to a trusted treatment center. MIWRC’s trusted providers include Native American Community Clinic (NACC) and White Earth.

No one should feel pressured to leave the state or make decisions without proper information, consent, and trusted support. No one should be held against their will while they wait for necessary wellness services.

MIWRC and our partners and advocates call on service providers, shelters, outreach workers, and the broader community to share this alert widely and to help ensure that all placements prioritize safety, accountability, and access to verified in-state care.

If you or someone you know is being approached about out-of-state treatment, pause and verify. Ask questions. Confirm credentials. Protect our relatives.

For additional information or to report concerns, please contact trusted local service providers or community advocates.

###

About the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center:

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Native women and families strengthen their values, overcome challenges, and build stability. Through services rooted in tradition, advocacy, and community programs, we support individuals and families in creating safe, strong, and thriving futures. To learn more about MIWRC, please visit: www.miwrc.org.

PDF version

Oshki-Gakeyaa

Oshki-Gakeyaa

PRESS RELEASE: A new path to stability for individuals in Minneapolis

September 25, 2025

CONTACT

Ruth Buffalo rbuffalo@miwrc.org
(612) 728-2008
2300 15th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Opens
Permanent Housing to Support Families and Safer Communities

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In a groundbreaking step to address Minnesota’s housing crisis, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) today opened Oshki-Gakeyaa (Oh-sh- key-Gah-key-yah), meaning “New Way,” a 24-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community in the East Phillips and Ventura Village neighborhood of Minneapolis.

The new housing development provides stability for unhoused families and individuals by combining safe, newly renovated apartments with holistic case management. Twenty units are dedicated to high-priority unsheltered single relatives, filled through coordinated entry referrals, while four units are reserved for people with disabilities referred directly through MIWRC.

As cited in reports by the National League of Cites, Native Americans face disproportionate rates of homelessness and based on data from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, Black and Native American people are more likely to experience homelessness at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic groups in America. For more than 40 years, MIWRC has served the Twin Cities American Indian and Alaska Native population by empowering individuals, families, and the community through a broad range of comprehensive, innovative, and community-based programs and services to enhance a healthy, thriving urban Native community. MIWRC has helped connect its community to resources and its strengths-based, community led, responsive approach is one of the reasons why the organization was selected to be the service provider for the tenants of Oshki-gakeyaa.

“Every individual and family deserves the dignity of a safe home,” says MIWRC’s CEO Ruth Buffalo. “Safe, stable housing gives people the foundation to live with hope and responsibility, while also strengthening family bonds and community connections. When individuals and families are secure, they can work, contribute, and help build a stronger local economy. As more of our neighbors find stability, the entire Twin Cities is blessed with greater safety, strength, and opportunity.”

MIWRC is partnering with a third-party management group, Shelter Corporation, for onsite tenant needs and Hennepin County's Streets to Housing Outreach team, to provide coordinated entry assessments.

Dana Lorenston, Director of Operations at Shelter Corporation says of the partnership, “As the management agent for the Oshki-Gakeyaa Tenant Units, Shelter Corporation is honored to partner with the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC) to provide this important housing resource. This development is part of a broader effort to address the urgent housing needs of high-priority homeless populations. We are proud to support MIWRC in offering critical wraparound services, ensuring that these units provide not just housing, but a supportive environment for residents to rebuild and thrive.”

Additionally, Julia Welle Ayres, Director of Affordable Housing Development at Hennepin County says, “Housing ends homelessness, and that's why Hennepin County is supporting this project with $400k in capital funding plus $35k per year in ongoing service funding from our supportive housing strategy. We are also providing lease-up support through our coordinated entry system. We are grateful for MIWRC's partnership with our person-centered and proven coordinated entry team."

The opening of Oshki-Gakeyaa is just the beginning. To help new residents settle into their homes, MIWRC has set up an Amazon Wish List where community members can purchase essential household supplies. Every contribution, big or small, helps ensure that families can start this new chapter with dignity and hope: https://a.co/59LuMKY

###

About the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center:

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Native women and families strengthen their values, overcome challenges, and build stability. Through services rooted in tradition, advocacy, and community programs, we support individuals and families in creating safe, strong, and thriving futures. To learn more about MIWRC, please visit: www.miwrc.org.

Partnership Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2025

CONTACT: Ruth Buffalo
rbuffalo@miwrc.org
(612) 728-2008

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center and Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians Announce New Partnership to Expand Mental Health Services for Native Communities

Minneapolis, MN — The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (RLN) are proud to announce a new partnership, launched on July 14, 2025, to expand culturally responsive mental health services and improve access for Native clients throughout Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area, home to one of the largest, most diverse urban Native populations in the U.S.

This collaboration pairs MIWRC’s long-standing commitment to healing and advocacy for Native women and families with the Red Lake Band’s deep community roots and health service leadership. The goal: to create pathways for more Native individuals to receive the care and support they deserve, free from stigma and grounded in cultural understanding.

The partnership will focus on reaching historically underserved Native populations, increasing service capacity, and integrating traditional and contemporary mental health practices. By working together, MIWRC and the Red Lake Band aim to close persistent gaps in care and build systems rooted in cultural respect, relational healing, and community resilience.

“Access to mental health care should reflect the unique strengths and experiences of our Native communities. We are proud to partner with Red Lake Nation in creating more opportunities for healing by centering Native voices and cultural practices,” said Ruth Buffalo, CEO and President of MIWRC. “Through this partnership, our client relatives will have access to more providers from Red Lake Nation’s Mino- Bimaadiziwin Wellness Clinic (Mino-B), making it more accessible to get the care they need. In addition, to serving our relatives, we also found alignment via our passion to reduce health disparities and health care inequities through education and training. Mino-B develops and provides trainings for providers serving Native Americans, which has been successful in reducing provider bias toward Native American clients, using tools like the Indigenous Health Toolkit. We look forward to making strides toward stronger, healthier communities.”

“The short half mile distance between Mino-B and MIWRC is prohibitive because it’s plagued with drug trafficking and posed safety risks. It was clear that services needed to be at MIRWC where individuals felt safe and secure, and that providers be available when our client relatives were ready to engage, however we didn't have enough providers to go around,” said Dr. Laurelle Myhra, a Red Lake member and Director of Red

Lake’s Mino Bimaadiziwin (“Good Life”) Wellness Clinic in Minneapolis. “We started our partnership informally in mid-February 2025 in response to the needs of our unhoused relatives, filling 35-50 cots per night. Many of our Native American relatives are unhoused due to a combination of challenges related to lack of affordable housing, and unmet mental health and substance use disorder needs. Mino-B has a successful track record with culturally responsive mental health programing and the recruitment and retention of Native American providers - over 90% of our providers are Native American. Our passion and commitment to serving the Native community led to this important partnership and by merging our strengths and offerings, we are better equipped to serve in a bigger way.”

Programs developed through this partnership will roll out in the coming months, with a focus on accessibility, outreach, and cultural relevance.

About the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center:
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that empowers Native women and families to exercise their cultural values, navigate systems, and heal from trauma through culturally grounded services, advocacy, and community-based programming. To learn more about MIWRC, please visit: www.miwrc.org.

About the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians:
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized sovereign tribal nation located in northern Minnesota.The Band provides a range of services to its citizens, including education, healthcare, housing, and economic development, guided by a deep commitment to cultural preservation and community well-being. To learn more about the Red Lake Band visit www.redlakenation.org.

 Link to PDF

We are excited to announce our new CEO!

Ruth Anna Buffalo is our new CEO. She is an educator, community organizer, and a public health professional. Read more about her in this PDF file.

Board and CEO Search Update

We are excited to announce that we are adding to our Board of Directors with two members with dep connections to our community and MIWRC.

Read about it in this PDF file.

Community Update

Greetings and thank you for your support of MIWRC through our current transition.

We are moving forward and wanted to share updates following your input at our community and staff Listening Sessions.

We are adding Board members - The Board received 9 applications for joining the Board and had an open meet and greet with them on Friday, December 1 to get to know them and answer any questions. Those interested will be sharing their resumes and experience with the Board and the Board will follow up, hoping to add a few Board members by the end of this month, and then the Board, including the new members, will work with the CEO when they are hired to add more board members. If you're interested in applying to serve on the MIWRC Board please use this link to fill out an application or call/email Roger at 651-338-5318 or send an email to roger@mightyconsulting.org

We started our MIWRC CEO Search Committee grounded in community input - We are honored that the following community members have agreed to serve on our MIWRC CEO Search Committee

• Sharon Day

• Charlene Day Castro

• Linda Eagle Speaker

• Lisa Skjefte

• Marique Moss

• Joy Parker

• Darin Engelby

• Beverly Bushyhead

  The Search Committee had their kickoff meeting on Monday, December 4 and reviewed and gave input to a Job Posting that included input from our community and staff Listening Sessions. This position posting will reflect the qualities and skills the community shared were so important for this leader.

  The posting will be sent out to the community by Monday, December 11th - we hope you'll spread the word and recommend great candidates!

  The Search process will include interviews with the CEO Search Committee, a community meet and greet with finalists, a staff meeting with finalists and an interview with the Board of Directors (including the new members). We will work to have a new CEO identified in March if all goes according to plan.

  Thank you for your continued interest and support!
  Please feel free to reach out to roger@mightyconsulting.org with any questions about the Board or Search, or

  information@miwrc.org with any general questions or comments.

Download a PDF of this post

Agency Update

11/16/2023

Greetings!

Thanks to all of those that came to our community meetings. We are reaching out to share our intentions and operate with openness and transparency.

The Board received interest from many people who wanted to support MIWRC through serving on the Board and assisting with the search process for the next permanent CEO. We are moving forward to bring more people into MIWRC’s governance and CEO search process.

BOARD SERVICE:

The Board would like to add 4-5 new Directors right away to add expertise and Community connection to the Board, and then grow the Board further with the assistance and input of the next CEO.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please fill out and submit this Google Form by November 26th. If you don’t want to use the Google Form, email Roger Meyer at roger@mightyconsulting.org to get a form you can fill out and return.

Everyone who submits an application is invited to a gathering with the Board at MIWRC on Friday, December 1 from 12-1 p.m. (in person, if possible, Zoom available) to meet each other, learn more about the scope of MIWRC Board service, answer questions, and confirm interest in serving.

Following this meeting, the Board will conduct individual interviews and elect additional Directors to serve on the MIWRC Board. The Board will promptly contact all applicants, either thanking them for their interest or to schedule an interview, with the goal of seating the new Board members by Friday, December 22nd.

CEO SEARCH:

The Board is currently reaching out individually to Community members to serve on a Search Committee. The Committee will be 7-9 people made up of Board members, current MIWRC staff, and Community members who will guide the search process.

1. The Search Committee will help develop and approve our job posting using the Community feedback we received.

2. The Search Committee will screen candidates, do the initial interviews, and recommend finalists.

3. All finalists will then meet with MIWRC staff and Community.

4. The MIWRC Board will conduct second interviews.

5. The Search Committee and MIWRC Board will select the next MIWRC CEO. The MIWRC Board will select the next MIWRC CEO following the second interview with close communication and input from the Search Committee.

We will send out the CEO job posting as soon as we have it and notify the Community about the date and time of the Community meetings to meet the candidates.

If you are interested being the next MIWRC CEO or have ideas of who should serve as MIWRC’s next CEO, please email or call Roger Meyer at 651-338-5318 or roger@mightyconsulting.org.

Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this transition.

Critical Message from MIWRC Board of Directors

• Serious internal personnel issues arose several months ago which impaired the ability of the Board to receive accurate financial information. Upon resolution of these personnel issues and outsourcing of MIWRC’s accounting and financial functions to experienced professionals with Clifton Larson Allen, CLA, the scope of accounting financial issues became apparent.

• The Interim E.D. and Board have been working diligently with staff and CLA, an outside accounting firm, to understand the situation and create a path forward for the viability and continued existence of MIWRC, to fulfill its critical mission in the community.

• The shortfalls are primarily a result of management not having an accurate picture of revenues vs. expenses during the period of personnel issues, and as a result, not adequately managing reimbursements from existing grants, and not pursuing additional operating funds.

• To maintain our immediate viability, MIWRC must unfortunately reduce expenses and staffing to only critical and ongoing funded programs.

• We will be working with other community organizations to identify areas where we can partner to minimize the impact on staff and programming, but this will be a very challenging time for our staff and our programs

• We will be using our upcoming community listening sessions to share more information with the community and gather support and ideas for our next steps.

• We need and want the community to come together around MIWRC's mission to ensure that MIWRC can continue to stabilize and move forward with our important work.

• We welcome your ideas and support of MIWRC at this critical juncture - please email information@miwrc.org

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Board of Directors:

Susan Allen, Chair

Joy Parker, Treasurer

Charles Ferrell, Secretary

Summer Blaze Aubrey

Darin Engelby

Miko Hernandez

Community Listening Sessions

Please help us in charting our path. We are holding two community listening sessions to set our goals in the search for a new leader.

November Newsletter

October Newsletter

Community Halloween Party!

Community Halloween Party

Friday, October 28th, 4:00 PM-7:00 PM

MIWRC Community Room- 2300 15th Ave South Minneapolis

Music from Midnight Express, haunted hallway, bouncy house, food, games and MORE!

Contact: Maria Smith at msmith@miwrc.org or (612)-388-4824

September Newsletter

August Newsletter

We are Hiring!