Minnesota Indian Affairs Council


The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1963 to provide a liaison between the government of Minnesota and the American Indian tribes in the state. The council also brings issues of concern to Indians living in urban areas to the attention of the state government. It was the first state-level Indian affairs agency to be established in the United States.

Mission and vision

The mission of MIAC is "to protect the sovereignty of the 11 Minnesota tribes and ensure the well-being of all American Indian citizens throughout the state of Minnesota." The organization's vision, as given in a 2020 report by Wilder Research, is "to strive for social, economic, and political justice for all American Indian people living in Minnesota, while embracing our traditional cultural and spiritual values."

Tribal nations

The council communicates with governments of eleven Indian reservations recognized by the United States federal government. Seven are Anishinaabe reservations and four are Dakota communities, listed below:
The Ho-chunk Nation and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe are absent, though the six component members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe have been included in MIAC.