Our Programs

Consulting Staff: Craig Kelly Camp Jr. and Stephanie Autumn

Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF) Stillwater and MCF Oak Park Heights

The intention of the Standing Strong Project is to lend hope, give support, and assist the men during incarceration by providing cultural programming such as Talking Circles and Inipi (Sweat Lodge) Ceremony, and increase access to Spiritual Advisors who can share traditional teachings that provide pathways towards healing. The AIPPWG strives to increase access for these incarcerated men to and Tribal  and community leaders who can share health and wellness life strategies that can provide a pathway for “returning home” as well as connecting the importance of following kinship ways to living in their community post incarceration. Native Community members also serve as mentors, coaches, role models during incarceration through reentry.

Consulting Staff: Bonnie Clairmont, Teresa Nord, and Stephanie Autumn

Minnesota Correctional Facility Shakopee

The Sacred Women Teachings sessions are convened weekly and are designed with the intent of bringing Native female role models into the prison to share teachings braided in tribal culture, history, and spiritual practices. Native role models provide the Native women in Shakopee an opportunity to hear from other Native women about their struggles, their successes, and how traditional teachings have kept them strong, resilient, and contributing members of their tribal communities. A majority of the Native women  do not get regular visits from their family due to lack of transportation, distance from their home, lack of child care and other issues. The Sacred Women Teachings brings the Native community into the prison. They can connect in a kinship way with women who remind them of their grandmothers, mothers, sisters and aunties at home. The sessions encompass Anishinaabe and Dakota teachings; such as Ojibwe hymn singing, Dakota/Lakota Ceremony song, teachings on the medicines (sage, sweet grass, and cedar) and their uses, Ojibwe/Dakota Inipi Ceremonies (Sweat Lodge) and Talking Circles, these resources and session provide healing informed approaches to survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking.

Consulting Staff: Craig Kelly Camp Jr.

Minnesota Correctional Facility at Red Wing, MN

The  Walk Strong Project provides bi-weeklyInipi Ceremonies (Sweat Lodge),  Talking Circles, Dakota/Ojibwe history and cultural lifeways bi- weekly sessions for the Native youth at the MCF Red Wing with the intent of lending hope and healing to support the youth in identifying and realizing their talents and strengths. Many of the youth do not receive visits from their families due to distance and lack of resources and the resources AIPPWG provides is focused on building circles of care, love, and kinship during incarceration and when they “return home”. The project also provides monthly mentoring/coaching sessions for the youth. "Wah-Skon-Muh-Theh Camp" coming Summer 2021

Consulting Staff: Ujon Camp  

Thousands of adult Native men and women in MN are arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated each year leaving behind minor children/youth who are faced with their parent’s absence for months or many years. Due to the geographical distance from the Native communities to the state/federal prisons, economic hardships, and lack of transportation often times there is very limited contact between the incarcerated parent(s) and the child/youth. The vision for this project is two-fold 1)  build a “nest” of supports for children/youth who have an incarcerated parent(s) focusing on resources that will provide social, educational, and recreational resources 2) Supports for the incarcerated parent and the caregivers that lend to the nurturing and healing of the trauma that the a child/youth experience when a parent(s) are incarcerated.

Consulting Staff: Teresa Nord 

  The American Indian Prison Project Reentry Talking Circles provides opportunities for women reentering community to participate in culturally restorative practices and resources.  It is our vision to create a space where the women can feel safe, connect with other women in a cultural setting where they feel supported with their health and wellness, learn ways of coping with the struggles with reentering community,  learn ways of giving back to other relatives in the community, learn ways to reconnect with family and loved one's in a healthy way, learn ways of self sufficiency as to reduce recidivism.   Topics of interest are recovery, employment, housing, cultural resources, and parenting.  The AIPP serves as a bridge to safe housing, health, education, employment, ceremonies, and other resources that are needed upon release as well as providing monthly Talking Circles and Ojibwe and Dakota culture and lifeways teachings, and quarterly feasts.  Pre COVID -19 (March 2020) the AIPPWG received a small grant to pilot Sunka Wakan Healing (Equine Therapy) sessions for five women who have returned home from incarceration, the project will start up in Spring of 2021.