Minnesota Department of Human Rights Finds Two Businesses Discriminated Against Native Americans by Refusing Tribal IDs: Coon Rapids Credit Union and Minneapolis Bar
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced on October 16 that its investigations found two Minnesota businesses discriminated against Native American customers by refusing to accept tribal identification cards: Wings Financial Credit Union in Coon Rapids, Anoka County, repeatedly denied a customer access to her bank account when she presented a tribal ID, and The Office Pub and Grill in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, refused service three times to a customer using his tribal ID to show proof of age. MDHR found probable cause that discrimination occurred in both cases.
Two individuals brought separate cases to MDHR after businesses refused their tribal identification, and the department completed neutral investigations of both. In the first case, the customer showed a valid ID issued by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe; investigators found the credit union forced her to provide additional documentation not required of other customers, was hostile to her, and refused to give her full access to banking services. In the second, the bar denied service on three occasions despite being shown a valid Red Lake Nation identification card confirming the customer's age. Both incidents occurred on non-tribal lands, where the department enforces state civil rights laws.
"Tribal identification is an integral part of a Tribe's sovereignty, right to self-determination, and self-governance," said MDHR Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. "Schools, businesses, and law enforcement cannot refuse Tribal identification or require additional burdens on Tribal members who use their Tribal ID." Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. section 171.072(a)) explicitly provides that where a Minnesota identification card is an acceptable form of identification, a tribal identification card is also acceptable, and refusing tribal ID or imposing added burdens may violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Minnesota shares geography with 11 sovereign Tribal Nations, made up of seven Anishinaabe reservations and four Dakota communities, each with its own distinct government. MDHR said it will work with the affected businesses and individuals with the goal of seeking structural change to prevent future discrimination, and urged businesses to update their policies and train employees about tribal identification.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 St. Paul 的明尼苏达州议会大厦。McGhiever 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经维基共享资源。 / The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. By McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
