FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2025
CONTACT: Ruth Buffalo
rbuffalo@miwrc.org
(612) 728-2008
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center and Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians Announce New Partnership to Expand Mental Health Services for Native Communities
Minneapolis, MN — The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (RLN) are proud to announce a new partnership, launched on July 14, 2025, to expand culturally responsive mental health services and improve access for Native clients throughout Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area, home to one of the largest, most diverse urban Native populations in the U.S.
This collaboration pairs MIWRC’s long-standing commitment to healing and advocacy for Native women and families with the Red Lake Band’s deep community roots and health service leadership. The goal: to create pathways for more Native individuals to receive the care and support they deserve, free from stigma and grounded in cultural understanding.
The partnership will focus on reaching historically underserved Native populations, increasing service capacity, and integrating traditional and contemporary mental health practices. By working together, MIWRC and the Red Lake Band aim to close persistent gaps in care and build systems rooted in cultural respect, relational healing, and community resilience.
“Access to mental health care should reflect the unique strengths and experiences of our Native communities. We are proud to partner with Red Lake Nation in creating more opportunities for healing by centering Native voices and cultural practices,” said Ruth Buffalo, CEO and President of MIWRC. “Through this partnership, our client relatives will have access to more providers from Red Lake Nation’s Mino- Bimaadiziwin Wellness Clinic (Mino-B), making it more accessible to get the care they need. In addition, to serving our relatives, we also found alignment via our passion to reduce health disparities and health care inequities through education and training. Mino-B develops and provides trainings for providers serving Native Americans, which has been successful in reducing provider bias toward Native American clients, using tools like the Indigenous Health Toolkit. We look forward to making strides toward stronger, healthier communities.”
“The short half mile distance between Mino-B and MIWRC is prohibitive because it’s plagued with drug trafficking and posed safety risks. It was clear that services needed to be at MIRWC where individuals felt safe and secure, and that providers be available when our client relatives were ready to engage, however we didn't have enough providers to go around,” said Dr. Laurelle Myhra, a Red Lake member and Director of Red
Lake’s Mino Bimaadiziwin (“Good Life”) Wellness Clinic in Minneapolis. “We started our partnership informally in mid-February 2025 in response to the needs of our unhoused relatives, filling 35-50 cots per night. Many of our Native American relatives are unhoused due to a combination of challenges related to lack of affordable housing, and unmet mental health and substance use disorder needs. Mino-B has a successful track record with culturally responsive mental health programing and the recruitment and retention of Native American providers - over 90% of our providers are Native American. Our passion and commitment to serving the Native community led to this important partnership and by merging our strengths and offerings, we are better equipped to serve in a bigger way.”
Programs developed through this partnership will roll out in the coming months, with a focus on accessibility, outreach, and cultural relevance.
About the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center:
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that empowers Native women and families to exercise their cultural values, navigate systems, and heal from trauma through culturally grounded services, advocacy, and community-based programming. To learn more about MIWRC, please visit: www.miwrc.org.
About the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians:
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized sovereign tribal nation located in northern Minnesota.The Band provides a range of services to its citizens, including education, healthcare, housing, and economic development, guided by a deep commitment to cultural preservation and community well-being. To learn more about the Red Lake Band visit www.redlakenation.org.