Little Earth Explained

Official Name:Little Earth
Settlement Type:Residential Community
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Name1:Minnesota
Subdivision Name2:Hennepin
Subdivision Name3:Minneapolis
Established:Founded
Established Date:1973
Unit Pref:US
Area Total Sq Mi:2.3
Population As Of:2010
Population Total:1,500
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone:CST
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:55404
Area Code:612

Little Earth is a residential housing area in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States that is home to nearly 1,500 people, many of whom are Native American. The residential housing association at Little Earth considers itself a united people of 39 different Native American tribes, but the area is not an urban reservation, a common mischaracterization.[1] [2] Little Earth is located in the Phillips community of Minneapolis. While being a notable district, it is not one of the officially designated neighborhoods in the city.

Demographics

In the 2010s, the population of Little Earth fluctuated between 1,200 and 1,500 people, with children comprising half the total. Almost all of the households had a reported income of less than $10,000 per year.[3] Little Earth has been described as being at the heart of Minneapolis' Native American community. Native American people represent 7 percent of the broader Phillips area in the southern part of Minneapolis, which is also the city's poorest area with 48 percent of people living in poverty.[4]

History

Little Earth was founded in 1973 as an affordable housing project in Minneapolis. The residential community was built out in the 1970s, becoming a 9.4acres, 212-unit housing complex at approximately East 24th Street and Cedar Avenue in the South Minneapolis area. Beginning soon after its founding, Little Earth and the surrounding community have been at the center of the American Indian Movement.

As of the 2010s, the Little Earth housing complex was the only Native American–preference, project-based Section 8 rental assistance community in the United States.[5] [6] The community's residential association, Little Earth of United Tribes, has filled a need for social services to residents by offering empowerment counselors, bike rentals, family therapy, tutoring, and homeownership opportunities.[7]

During the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in May and June of 2020, community members organized safety patrol during the nights of heavy rioting, arson, and looting. Located less than 1miles from Lake Street, residents set up barricades to keep protesters from marching through the neighborhood, fearing it would result in property destruction and law enforcement actions.[8] The effort was credited with saving more than 20 businesses on Franklin Avenue.[9] Residents also organized nightly safety patrols, paid for lights at a park, and trained community members in de-escalation tactics, efforts some hoped would serve as a new model for policing in the city.

Geography

The Little Earth community is located within the Phillips area of Minneapolis. On the eastern edge of the community along the Hiawatha transit corridor, the Little Earth Trail, a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path, connects people to business and services from Franklin Avenue to East Lake Street. Several Native American organizations are in the broader Little Earth area, such as Minneapolis American Indian Center, the Native American Community Clinic, the Native American Community Development Institute, and the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center.

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Anderson Jr . G.R. . Little Earth: The Troubles . City Pages . 26 July 2006.
  2. Web site: Our Organization . Little Earth Resident's Association . 19 June 2020.
  3. News: Roper . Erik . Amid strife, Little Earth residents work for reform, harmony . Star Tribune . 22 March 2016.
  4. News: How America's Past Shapes Native Americans' Present. Campbell. Alexia Fernandez. 12 October 2016. The Atlantic.
  5. Web site: Little Earth: History. Little Earth of United Tribes. Little Earth Residents Association. en-US. 2020-01-21.
  6. Web site: Mark . "Little Earth" Documentary Film MRAC Grant . Inverted Arts . 28 September 2018.
  7. News: Williams . Timothy . Quietly, Indians Reshape Cities and Reservations . The New York Times . 13 April 2013.
  8. Burks, Megan Burks and Martinez, Kathryn Styer (27 July 2020). "Little Earth patrols might be a preview of a new style of policing". Star Tribune.
  9. Web site: Hopfensperger . Jean . American Indian patrol in Minneapolis credited with saving buildings during protests . Star Tribune . 12 June 2020 . 11 June 2020.