Residents and organizers at Camp Nenookaasi in Minneapolis huddled in front of a large green army-tent on Thursday morning for a potluck breakfast. The breakfast preceded a news conference where several resident and organizers called on the City of Minneapolis to cancel plans to close the camp.
The Indigenous-run camp at 13th Avenue South and East 23rd Street was schedule to be cleared on Thursday, but the city delayed the closure until Tuesday, December 19 in order to get more community members into housing.
Christin Crabtree, a camp organizer, said the city needs to produce a well-documented plan for the residents before forcing them to leave.
"We know that when camps are evicted, the people don't disappear. They're still here in our community," Crabtree. "We need to take care of each other and keep one another safe. Evictions lead to all kinds of harm to our community. What we want to do is interrupt that harm and provide for people."
Nicole Mason, another one of the camp organizers, said she is able to share her experience with substance use disorder to other residents who are seeking a solution to their own battle with substance use disorder.
"I walk these streets with them," Mason said. "I am an ex-felon and was out there doing crime. To change my life around, these people know who I was and to see me doing positive things is hope for these people. I don't hide anything about my past."
Mason listed a number of demands that organizers and residents say must be met before any kind of eviction takes place.
Those demands include acceptable, safer, and resourced space for the camp, acceptable transitional housing space, a transitional housing space, navigation center, hotel rooms for community, permanent pay for dignified appropriate housing, and an apartment building for supportive and cultural appropriate housing such as a healing center.
"We need our people to recover and we need to keep Camp Nenookaasi," Mason said. "If we have to leave this land, we demand the city gives us a piece of land where we can take our people to be safe."
Gretchen, who spent four months at the camp before getting into housing last week, said forcing people out of the camp would take them away from resources many desperately need.
"The housing people who come in and work with us wouldn't be able to find us," Gretchen said. "We'd be all over. Healthcare wouldn't be able to find us."
The city has cited public health and safety concerns as primary reasons to close the camp. Earlier this week a 45-year-old man died after being shot inside the camp. One person was arrested near the encampment without incident and a gun was recovered.
Since mid-August, Minneapolis police officers have responded to nearly 90 calls in the area.
Mason said too many people have been focused on the bad to see the good the encampment is doing for people.
"I want the world to see them as the wonderful people that you saw get up and speak up for their camp and lives. Give them credit. They need credit. Everybody is focused on the bad things of this camp. But has anyone focused on the good things out there? Or the positive things out there? Give them credit. The residents run this camp. It's the relatives. Give them credit."
