I grew up on the historic land of the Anishinaabe, though that certainly wasn’t something discussed. After a few generations, the past becomes a story told to the teller’s liking. My family lived an immigrant story. My grandfather bought the 40 acres of swamp that would become our junkyard, and that was all we needed to continue our story.
Only when I was 18 did I learn anything significant about our native neighbors. At college, I learned the depth of native history for the first time. It takes conscious effort to unlearn the stories of our lives. Frankly, it’s uncomfortable, and most people won’t do it.
But I have found more beautiful stories in the truth of the past. We need not flog ourselves with misery, nor hide in the fog of fairy tales. The truth explains how things really are, and that is a useful tool in moving forward.
One great example happened last month with the Native American Heritage Hockey Night events put on by Rock Ridge Schools on the Iron Range. Boys and girls hockey games each included Anishinaabe drums and dancers, and an Ojibwe language broadcast.
I talked to several people involved for today’s column (gift link), and listened to the broadcast on KBFT Bois Fort Radio.
Read “‘History in the making’: Ojibwe language hockey commentators bring new cultural life to the sport” in the Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
