State's largest Dakota language archives feared lost after fire tears through south Minneapolis building
Native American leaders fear priceless records from their history may be lost after a fire at a convenience store on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis on Sunday.
"I feel very terrible, very sad," said Abdullahi Omar.
Omar is the owner of Franklin Dollar City Plaza. He was working at his store Sunday afternoon when he said two people broke a window and threw something inside that started the fire. Fire officials said the cause is still under investigation, but flames spread quickly, destroying everything inside.
"I lose everything right now, including my business," said Omar.
Nearly 60 firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire. Two of them were sent to the hospital with minor burns.
"It's a lot to process. I woke up crying this morning," said Fawn Youngbear-Tibbetts, executive director of Wicoie Nandagikaden.
Youngbear-Tibbetts works next door, where she said several Native programs are housed and the state's largest Dakota language archives are kept.
The convenience store and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe building are connected, and the archives are near where the fire occurred.
"There are audio recordings of elders telling their personal stories. And that's probably all melted. Those are on old tapes. There were floppy discs on there," said Youngbear-Tibbetts.
During the fire, an air conditioning unit fell through their roof. As they wait for an inspector to let them into that part of the building, Youngbear-Tibbetts said the plan was to digitize the archives. But she worries the heat, plus smoke and water damage, will now make that impossible.
"We're all just kind of reeling right now of what's all in there," said Youngbear-Tibbetts.
They were able to save a 100-year-old traditional shawl that four generations of women have worn.
"At least we have each other," said Youngbear-Tibbetts. "We are resilient. We're going to keep going. That's just how we have to work."
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe building also offers emergency food services several times a week, and a public restroom for people.
