In 2022, MPR News launched a reporting project called the North Star Journey to explore and celebrate the history and culture of diverse communities across Minnesota. It is a celebration of these communities in the state and the champions who are doing the work.
May 3, 2022 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Peter Cox looks at how a growing class of young Hmong doctors, nurses, and public health leaders recognized COVID’s threat and worked to guide people toward science-based answers.
May 23, 2022 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Catharine Richert looks into a reckoning the city of Rochester finds itself going through. New research into housing covenants provides evidence that the founders of Mayo Clinic — a giant in Minnesota and Rochester, viewed globally as a force for good — played a role perpetuating practices that favored all-white neighborhoods.
June 22, 2022 - On this Appetites segment, a MPR’s Mecca Bos presents a story from the North Star Journey Project. Bos profiles Dream of Wild Health Farm in Hugo, Minnesota. It is one of the few Native-led farms in the Twin Cities, with a focus on the indigenous tradition of utilizing edible plants.
July 21, 2022 - Over decades, thousands of Native American children in Minnesota have been separated from relatives, adopted by white families, often growing up with no knowledge of their identity and culture. As part of our North Star Journey series, MPR’s Dan Gunderson shares the path one family is traveling to discover and understand a new identity.
July 29, 2022 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Dan Kraker profiles individuals that identify as both of Native American and Scandinavian descent. They share how they are finding connections and surprising parallels between the cultures.
September 14, 2022 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Simone Cazares profiles Tina Jackson and her soul line dancing class at Oxford Community Center in the heart of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood.
April 19, 2023 - MPR’s Alex Cipolle reports on “Latin Art in Minnesota: Conversations and What’s Next” a hardcover art tome featuring in-depth interviews with 12 Minnesota artists who have roots in Central and South America, from Mexico to Chile. William “Billy” Gustavo Franklin edited the book, which explores their art, personal journeys, and conversations about identity, aiming to bridge gaps and inspire a wider audience to appreciate Latino art.
May 1, 2023 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Jacob Aloi talks with Hmong shaman Billy Lor and others about shamanism and its importance in the Hmong community.
June 12, 2023 - MPR’s Angela Davis hosts a North Star Journey Live special of an In Focus conversation “The Lake Street Recovery - Stories behind the storefront.” Recorded live in front of a live audience at the Hook and Ladder Theater and Lounge in Minneapolis, business owners and community leaders talk about what Lake Street's rebirth can teach us about making sure recovery is equitable and accessible to all.
August 28, 2023 - MPR’s Alex V. Cipolle presents a profile of Jim Denomie, an Ojibwe painter who died in 2022. Cipolle visits Minneapolis Institute of Art to view “The Lyrical Artwork of Jim Denomie,” which has transformed into a posthumous survey of the latter half of the famous colorist’s career; one that skewered mainstream histories and purveyors of injustice, from Fort Snelling to Standing Rock, while championing the joy and resilience of Native communities.