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Minnesota Human Rights Agency Finds Probable Cause of Tribal-ID Discrimination at Two State Businesses
By Drooid · · How we work
Discriminatory Refusals Involving Tribal Identification
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced that a credit union in Coon Rapids and a bar-restaurant in Minneapolis denied services to Native American customers who presented valid tribal identification cards. MDHR said the credit union, Wings Financial Credit Union, repeatedly blocked a woman from accessing her bank account after she showed a Tribal ID issued by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe and required additional documentation that other customers were not asked to provide. In Minneapolis, The Office Pub and Grill refused service on three occasions to a patron who used a Red Lake Nation Tribal ID to prove his age.
Legal Context for Tribal IDs in Minnesota
Minnesota law expressly treats a Tribal identification card as an acceptable form of identification in any circumstance where a state-issued ID may be used. The law applies on non-tribal lands, which includes the locations of the two businesses. The state recognizes eleven sovereign Tribal Nations within its borders, comprising seven Anishinaabe reservations and four Dakota communities, each with its own government.
MDHR Findings and Planned Actions
MDHR’s investigation concluded there is probable cause that discrimination occurred in both cases. The agency said it will work with the affected businesses and the customers to develop structural changes intended to prevent future refusals of Tribal IDs. MDHR also reminded the public that individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination may submit a complaint through the department’s online form.
Official Statements from the Department of Human Rights
Commissioner Rebecca Lucero emphasized that Tribal identification is a core element of tribal sovereignty and self-governance. She warned that schools, businesses, and law-enforcement agencies must not impose additional burdens on Tribal members who present their Tribal IDs. The department reiterated its role in enforcing civil-rights protections on non-tribal lands throughout Minnesota.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Tribal identification is an integral part of a Tribe’s sovereignty, right to self-determination, and self-governance,” — Minnesota Department
- “Schools, businesses, and law enforcement cannot refuse Tribal identification or require additional burdens on Tribal members who use their Tribal ID.” — Minneapolis. MDHR
