Red Lake Nation College holds grand opening event in downtown Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — The first Tribal college and university in a major U.S. city had its grand opening in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Red Lake Nation College held the event in the afternoon at the new downtown site, located at 900 S. 3rd St., which is just north of U.S. Bank Stadium.
It's a major step in filling a significant educational void for Minnesota's Native American population.
"We're really not an underserved community, we're a never-served community," Dan King, president of Red Lake Nation, told WCCO in May. "Because we've never had that here in the Twin Cities for 50,000 Natives."
King says the goal is for students to get a four-year degree and to go on and even seek further education, such as a master's or doctoral degree.
"This is an investment in people and we've made that commitment — not only to Red Lakers, but all Natives," King said.
The grand opening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, music and social activities.
Red Lake Nation is an Ojibwe tribe in northern Minnesota. It's one of seven Ojibwe reservations in Minnesota.