"Bridges of Hope" are coming from schools, churches, businesses, and city leaders in Winona & across southern Minnesota. The story of the Dakota people inspires all who hear it to help reconcile and make things right.
The city of Winona's own Hiawatha Broadband Communications and the Diversity Foundation, Inc. have recently documented some of the conditions, as well as the outreach efforts currently taking place at the Crow Creek Community in a production called “Crow Creek: The Forgotten People.”
One of the counties which the Crow Creek Reservation is located, Buffalo County, is the poorest county in the United States with an average per capita income of just over $5,000.00. Unemployment on the reservation can be as high as 80 percent (1). The state wide unemployment rate is around nine percent.
Crow Creek is the home of some of the decendents of the Dakota people who onced lived in Minnesota before the European settlers arrived were exiled to in 1863. Today the Crow Creek Reservation is one of the poorest reservations in the country, and living conditions are dire!
HBC earned an international award from the 2007 Videographer Awards for the production of "Crow Creek: The Forgotten People." The video has spurred many groups to donate household goods & other items to help the people in Crow Creek. The documentary, produced by Robert Pack, also received the Award of Distinction from about 2,000 entries. Currently the City of Winona, Winona Mall, Midtown Foods, the Quality Inn & the Diversity Foundation (among others) are again sponsoring & organizing another Outreach Drive on behalf of Crow Creek & the Santee Nation!
Past history and related news articles regarding initial collaboration of the Diversity Foundation with the City of Winona (along with the recently incorporated Winona Dakota Unity Alliance) and its involvement and outreach to and with the Dakota Nation, as well as updated information about donations and volunteer opportunities, can be found here at our website.
Crow Creek School After the Fire
The Diversity Foundation is working with the people of Crow Creek with a number of projects including Toys For Tots, delivering semi-truck loads of goods, and the Crow Creek cemetery restoration project.
