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Tribal leaders are joining the chorus of people around the state and country who are grieving the loss of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman as a friend, a trusted ally and a respected political leader.
Hortman and her husband Mark were fatally shot at their home in Brooklyn Park on Saturday, June 14 in the early morning hours.
The former chairperson of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa said she is mourning the loss of Hortman as a good friend. Cathy Chavers said she remembers connecting with Hortman right away during one of her trips to the State Capitol.
“She was wearing sneakers and a suit, and it was like, ‘Oh my God.” I said, ‘You’re, you’re my kind of lady.’ I said, ‘You’re wearing sneakers with your suit.’”
Chavers, who has a similar style, says it was an inside joke the two friends shared whenever they saw one another.
“She’s just so approachable, so caring, so compassionate about everything,” Chavers said.
President Robert Larsen issued a statement of support from the Lower Sioux Indian Community, a tribal nation in southwest Minnesota.
“We offer cansasa and support to their families and the constituents they serve, both on a local level and across the state.”
The offering of cansasa, a traditional tobacco, is an act of respect and gratitude.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a tribal nation in central Minnesota, issued a statement of support for the Hortmans and their family and for state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The Hoffmans were shot and wounded at their home in Champlin the same morning.
“Melissa and John stood with the Mille Lacs Band and all Native communities with unwavering commitment and compassion. We honor their dedication to serving all Minnesotans. May their courage continue to guide us, and may we all find strength in the love we share as a community,” read the statement.
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a tribal nation west of Duluth, joined in calls for peace in the hours following the attack, which Gov. Tim Walz called “a political assassination,” during a press conference held Saturday.
“The Fond du Lac Band stands firmly for the safety of all public servants, our commitment to peaceful governance, and the strength of our shared communities,” read the Fond du Lac statement.
‘A steadfast ally and an advocate for Indian Country’
Former chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Melanie Benjamin recalled Hortman’s many visits to the Mille Lacs reservation to attend the State of the Band Address, an annual event during which Mille Lacs leaders gather to present a formal update on the tribe.
“I have a fond memory of her, for showing the Mille Lacs Band people that they were important, and their issues mattered to her as a state legislator.”
Benjamin and others say Hortman’s legacy will include Sovereignty Day, a daylong event at the Capitol intended for state lawmakers to hear from elected officials from the 11 tribal nations in Minnesota to talk about their issues and to share their priorities and ideas.
Benjamin said it was Hortman who, alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, first created Sovereignty Day in 2019.
“Tribal leaders in the state of Minnesota got a voice, and we were able to interact and share issues that we are dealing with as tribal governments with the state legislators. So that was huge,” Benjamin said.
In 2019, Walz issued an executive order requiring state agencies to consult with tribal nations. Each state agency was directed to develop a set of policies which would guide their work with tribal nations in Minnesota.
In 2020, Hortman and a team of DFL lawmakers introduced a bill in the House affirming the state of Minnesota’s government-to-government relationship with tribal nations, formally recognizing tribal sovereignty and the right of tribal nations to self-govern. The measure was re-introduced and passed the following year. The law requires state agencies to appoint tribal-state liaisons and mandates state agency leaders and employees to attend tribal-state relations training. Walz signed the bill into law later that spring.
This past March marked the sixth year lawmakers and tribal elected officials gathered for Sovereignty Day. Hortman spoke about what she called “legislative consultation,” the idea that a consultation was not exclusive to the governor’s relationship with tribes. Hortman told fellow lawmakers that she felt a government-to-government relationship required lawmakers to also grow relationships with the tribal elected leaders.
Red Lake Nation chair Darrell Seki was among the leaders who attended Sovereignty Day at the Capitol in March. Seki ordered Red Lake Nation flags at half-staff this past week in honor of Hortman.
“She was a true friend and ally to the Red Lake Nation and Tribal Nations across Minnesota. Her dedication to Native communities, her dedication at the Capitol, and her unwavering commitment to doing what was right will never be forgotten,” wrote Seki.
Rep. Heather Keeler, DFL-Moorhead, said she valued her relationship with Hortman as a party leader and as the former speaker of the House. Keeler said Hortman took the time to visit her community in Moorhead when Keeler first ran for office six years ago.
After she was elected, Keeler was among the legislators who attended Sovereignty Day.
“We invited tribal leaders in. It was a dedicated day for us to build that relationship,” said Keeler. “So that was all her. It’s always been her. As we continued to move on and it grew, more tribal leaders were coming. More members were really excited,” said Keeler.
In 2023, Hortman also joined Keeler and a team of DFL lawmakers to strengthen the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act. The state law improved the protections of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, a federal law requiring Native American children be placed in Native American homes whenever possible. Legal challenges to the federal law brought a sense of urgency to the effort by lawmakers to pass the legislation.
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, a legislative body which represents 10 of the 11 federally recognized tribal nations in Minnesota said Melissa Hortman will be remembered as a “steadfast ally and an advocate for Indian Country.”
“Her commitment to strengthening tribal-state relations was evident through her support of initiatives like Sovereignty Day and the Tribal-State Relations Training, which she championed to foster understanding and respect between Minnesota’s government and its eleven sovereign tribal nations,” read the council’s statement.
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