American Indian Movement Interpretive Center

Heart of the Earth has been a part of community security for nearly 40 years. Students learn best when they have safe environments and feel secure. During the 1980s and 90s, the Phillips Neighborhood in South Minneapolis became increasingly unsafe. Long a center for Native American population following the 'Voluntary Relocation Act' of the 1950s - actually the fifth largest urban Native community in the US- Phillips saw a long and terrible downward spiral away from safety and peace. (Please also see the video documentary clip on our website, produced by the students of Migizi Communications, interviewing Ms. Pat Bellanger. Pat is a founder of American Indian Movement, the International Indian Treaty Council; a delegate to the United Nations and board member to an official international NGO (non-governmental organization). She has been instrumental in the framing and ratification of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Heart of the Earth and the Elaine Stately Peacemakers Center collaborated with dozens of community based organizations and cultural organizers to create a comprehensive plan to address many of the unsolved safety issues that migrated from the 20th century into the year 2000. We commissioned 'Neighborhood with a Name' in 2005 and this report brought together many communities, leaders, thinkers, from across organizational, racial and cultural boundaries, as well as representatives from organized philanthropy, so that we could all problem solve together.

This report became well known at City Hall and in scores of community advocacy and service organizations. You can download it here- this is a large file.