Reclaiming Manoomin / Psin: State-Level Efforts to Establish Legal Rights for Wild Rice
Presented with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light
Date & Time:
Sun, Jan 26, 2025, 1:00 pm
Venue: American Swedish Institute
Cost: Free with registration
This event is sold out. Standby tickets are available. Approximately 10 minutes before the event's scheduled start time, any open seats will be made available to standby ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis to those in the Standby line. Standby tickets require registration.
This panel discussion will spotlight a new campaign launching in Minnesota during the 2025 legislative session, focusing on recognition of legal rights for manoomin / psin (wild rice).
Featuring leaders from Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL), the panel will explore why this initiative feels possible here at this moment and lessons learned from unsuccessful similar attempts nationally and internationally.
About the Speakers
Leanna Goose is an Anishinaabeg student, a mother of 3 children, and co-facilitator of the Rise and Repair Coalition. She works with the Rise and Repair coalition to bring forward legislation that advances Indigenous rights and climate justice.
Leanna works on linking science to activism to protect the world around her. She believes Indigenous wisdom can help us live in right relationship with the land around us.
Leanna strives to help create a world where the next generations can thrive. Part of that work involves organizing around the protection of manoomin or wild rice. She is currently working on a research project called Protecting Manoomin for the Next Seven Generations. She also works within the Rise and Repair coalition to recognize the rights of manoomin/psíŋ.
Liz Loeb (she/her) is a civil rights attorney and community organizer with 25 years of high-level experience leading organizations in movements for social change. As a white, queer, Jewish woman, Liz knows that who we are shapes the work that we do. Liz believes in our shared interdependence, and addresses challenging issues with humor, compassion, and courage.
A graduate of Brown University, Liz holds a law degree and a Ph.D. in Law & Society from NYU. As an attorney, Liz litigated international human rights cases for the Center for Constitutional Rights before joining the national ACLU legal team. Since then, Liz has guided social movement organizations through strategic development, and has become a nationally recognized facilitator.
Liz currently serves as the Associate Director of Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, working at the intersection of climate justice and racial justice.
Sen. Patricia Torres Ray made history in 2006 by becoming the first Latina woman elected to
the Minnesota Senate. She served 16 years in the Senate.
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She received her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota, and
also holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public
Affairs.
Patricia worked for the State of Minnesota in multiple capacities for 18 years prior to being
elected to the Senate.
She has served as Chair of Parks and Trails in the Environment
committee, Chair of State and Local Government Committee, Chair of the Education Policy
Committee and served in the Energy and Environment committees for 8 years.
Patricia has been recognized as a champion for environmental justice and has authored many
bills related to conservation, clean energy, racial and environmental equity, economic
development, education equity and the protection of Indigenous rights.
She is currently working as the Policy Director for MINIPL.