Dakota Decolonization: Solidarity Education for Allies

This course is designed to create community, education, and organized networks for non-Dakota allies to act in solidarity with upcoming Dakota decolonization struggles. We will listen to the desires, demands, knowledge and goals of Dakota community members struggling for liberation and decolonization. We will educate ourselves about Dakota perspectives on “minnesotan” history, de/colonization & liberation, white & settler/colonizer privilege, solidarity politics, and racism, through carefully chosen texts and in-class education with Dakota and non- Dakota people. Together, we will build a collective knowledge base that centers decolonization within our ideas of anti-oppression. Dakota traditional knowledge and spirituality will not be shared and this is not a space for non- Dakota people to seek appropriation of Dakota culture or an “in” to spiritual practices. Cultural appropriation will be discussed & confronted as an act of colonization. For white people in the class, acknowledgement, commitment, and vulnerability to confronting white & colonizer privilege, as well as working to transform feelings of guilt into action towards decolonization will be crucial and necessary personal work required. The end goal is to create active ally solidarity networks that can be mobilized when need be -- in answer to Dakota calls for solidarity from non-Dakota folks, based on direct communication with and knowledge of Dakota desires. Class members will be asked to act not as individuals, but as members of their own communities—to act within their networks to further spread knowledge and mobilize solidarity.

Facilitator: Autumn, Scott, and Paper
Facilitator Contact: paperbucks@gmail.com

Location: Matthews Park Recreation Center (27th avenue & 24th street)
Class Time: Tuesdays 7-9pm
Class Dates: March 3 - May 5 (ten classes)

If you have scheduling conflicts that don't enable your participation, you can email the address above to be added to a listserve that will update allies in and out of the course about educational events, actions, or other relevant info. We also hope to pull the syllabus, readings, discussion questions, and lesson plans into a packet/zine that will be available to those in and out of the class, so those who can't be present can still be involved. thanks!