Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan on Indigenous Peoples Day

Monday, Oct. 14 was Indigenous Peoples Day here in Cook County. There were also a number of events throughout the state of Minnesota in recognition of the day. Attending those events was Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.

Lieutenant Governor Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe. Her election in 2018 made her the second Native American woman elected to statewide executive office in U.S. history.

Before winning the lieutenant governor seat, Flanagan served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. 

A St. Louis Park native, Flanagan is a graduate of St. Louis Park Public Schools and the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in American Indian studies and child psychology.

Flanagan worked for nearly a decade at Wellstone Action, the organization founded to carry on the work of the late Senator Paul Wellstone. As one of the original trainers of Wellstone Action’s signature program Camp Wellstone, she has trained thousands of progressive activists, community and campaign organizers, and elected officials and candidates – including Governor Tim Walz.

The lieutenant governor had a very busy Oct. 14, but she agreed to talk briefly with WTIP’s Rhonda Silence to share her thoughts on the significance of Indigenous Peoples Day events in Minnesota.