November is a month of deep significance for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) and Indian Country as a whole. Throughout the month, Indigenous peoples are celebrated across the nation during Native American Heritage Month and on Native American Heritage Day. For our tribe, the month of November is a time for us to share our culture, history and lived experience with the wider neighboring community, and to mark the anniversary of our federal recognition as a tribe.

Many people don't know this, but children develop from zero to three more than any other part of life. During that time, it’s essential for kids to get those motor skills--for them to have cognitive, emotional and language development. My daughter Ricki will be two soon. She’s been enrolled in child care since she was three months old. That was something that I wanted for her, because I knew that being in a thriving and educational environment is essential for her development.

The latest State of Childhood Obesity report was recently released, and unfortunately, childhood obesity continues to be a national epidemic. The current numbers show that nearly one in six youth have obesity, with racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities resulting in higher obesity rates for children of color and kids from families with lower incomes.