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DNR Confiscates Fish Caught By Dakota Indians

By Susie Jones, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More than 20 Dakota Indians netted for fish out of season in Cedar Lake in Minneapolis to assert what they say are rights guaranteed by an 1805 treaty.

The protest came one day ahead of the state's walleye season opener. One organizer who's a retired professor from Southwest State University says they want to be charged so they can take the case to court.

"Honor those treaties because it is the supreme law of the land and by honoring the treaties you are honoring your own U.S. Constitution," Chris Mato Nunpa said.

Tribal members put nets in the water at about 8 a.m. and pulled them out about a half hour later.

DNR conservation officers confiscated the fish and took information from those who'd caught them, but didn't issue citations.

Barry Frantum wants his 4-year-old daughter to understand and value the tribe's history and traditions.

"It's good to support her relatives, and understand what it is to be a Dakota Indian," he said.

After the protest, they shared a meal on the shores of Cedar Lake.

WCCO's Susie Jones Interviews Barry Frantum

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