Community Leader: Carrie Day Aspinwall

Article by Becky Fillinger

Minneapolis is blessed to have so many talented community leaders. Meet Carrie Day Aspinwall, who has been civic-minded for decades. Her life of service is an inspiration for us all. 

Carrie Day AspinwallQ:  Carrie, you're a well-established community leader. You’ve served Minneapolis for decades. However, Minneapolis acquires new residents every day. For those of us who don't know, please tell us a brief bio of yourself - where did you grow up, go to school, major influencers?

A:  I cannot speak about myself without speaking about my parents and ancestors first.  

I really must honor those that were here before us, pre-Minneapolis, in order to speak of the city I love so much. So, to my Dakota relatives and all our ancestors before them, I honor and respect all that you have left for us, that we continue to honor your selfless effort to maintain our traditional way of life, honor our Meezeeseebee, meaning “Big River” (Ojibwe), Hahawakpa, meaning "River of the Falls” (Dakota).

My father arrived at the Great Northern Depot on Washington Avenue from Walker, MN on his way to boot camp in Fort McCoy Wisconsin. My mother arrived from the Mille Lacs reservation to take a job in the laundry of St. Mary's Catholic Hospital on what is now Riverside. They were part of the Relocation Act, and as most Natives they were able to quickly identify where their people were, find work and settle in the urban area. My father went into the military and came home to marry my mother and take residence in south Minneapolis, where most of our Indian people began to reside. 

Frances FairbanksI was born and raised in the Phillips neighborhood, received my formal education locally and found that being of service was in my nature, and the need of my people was and continues to be strong. At age 17 (I graduated from high school early) I went straight to work at the then brand-new Minneapolis American Indian Center. Frances Fairbanks, lifelong Executive Director, took me under her wing and along with many other "Aunties" in the neighborhood, taught me about my urban people, our needs, where the resources were to assist, how to access and how to speak for our people, how to organize. Now at age 62, I feel that my service to the community, to the city that I love, has come full circle, as I'm now the one who is sharing my experience, my knowledge with our younger adults. Now I'm the elder, the Auntie that is sought out. I am honored.  

Q:  Your Facebook page notes that you're Positive, Progressive and Prepared. How has this outlook served you in your professional life?

A:  Positive, Progressive and Prepared. There is a story there. First, I am the forever optimist, always looking on the bright side, the best side. I've had my share of heartaches and have seen my people suffer under many challenges, but yet they rise, we are still here, we stay positive. So, I'm once again honoring the ones before me. As a once younger adult, my progressive ideas were always welcomed, some toned down some by my elders, but progressive and with a bit of guidance was always working to that next best side. Lastly, I have to come back to Frances Fairbanks. She put a pencil and tablet in my hand and said prepare yourself always, whatever situation, you have to know the where, what, why, when and how in order to prepare yourself and your people in the endeavor for a better life, the best side. To this day, still old school, I carry my pencil and tablet, always preparing myself for that next thing. I also started journaling so that I might share my experiences with my 7-year-old granddaughter Sequoia. She is going to know a lot about what Gramma has done - the conversations, our people, our ceremonies, and how Gramma helped us get to that best side.

Q:  Are you still on the board of the Tiwahe' Foundation? If yes, what are the current initiatives?

Tiwahe' Community Foundation First Board ChairA:  The Tiwahe Foundation started out as the American Indian Family Empowerment Program (AIFEP), an initiative supported by the Grotto Foundation. I was asked to serve as an advisor to AIFEP and stayed on for 20+ years. As Senior Advisor, I assisted the AIFEP Program in creating the Tiwahe' Foundation. Tiwahe' means family in the Lakota language. We learned all the processes of becoming a community foundation, and today have raised over six million dollars to create a self-sustaining community foundation that will support American Indian people well into the future through the Tiwahe Foundation. I retired my seat as advisor to allow our younger generation to learn the history, the struggle and success of this very important community foundation, to allow them to carry into the future. They are already doing amazing things!

Q:  What is the city of Minneapolis' Collaborative Public Safety Strategy? Did you write the strategy? Were you involved in its implementation?

A:  The City of Minneapolis, in hopes of addressing crime and safety in some of our most impacted neighborhoods, then-Mayor Hodges reached out and sought ideas and potential solutions for addressing crime and create safe spaces. Thus, the Collaborative Public Safety Strategy (CPSS). For south Minneapolis'  Phillips Neighborhood, five community-based projects were identified, a community-based intermediary (fiscal agent) with the intent of interrupting crime across one summer. I was requested to serve as project lead, to support each community-based project and serve as an intermediary with local law enforcement (and stakeholders) in supporting these efforts. As with most projects, short term, an interruption did happen, but as with any dam at breaking point, the water does have a way of rushing back in. We successfully completed programming and came away knowing how we can impact crime, even in small ways, with the help and support of each other.

Q:  You were a Neighborhood Specialist for the City of Minneapolis. What were the day-to-day activities of your position? How did you measure success?

A:  I served the City of Minneapolis' Neighborhood and Community Relations Department for almost seven years. Led by David Rubedor, to this day, it continues to support our City's 71+ neighborhoods. I had the greatest honor to serve about 17 of these neighborhoods. Acting as a liaison to our neighborhoods, my assignment of 7-10 neighborhoods at any given time (although many of our residents knew our city's process quite well) I helped deploy information and lead projects across our city. The Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the Community Participation Program all intended to provide resources to support community-based ideas to revitalize neighborhoods and include residents and stakeholders at the decision-making table. As noted, most neighborhood organizations and their stakeholders are well versed with city processes, and all have unique capabilities. Success? I would say that if an organization could develop a community-based strategy/idea/project and get it through the City's contracting process, THAT would define success. I retired in 2016 when my husband retired and we left our city knowing that many have been impacted by our dedication and service.  

Q:  Please tell us about the Weed and Seed Program.  

A:  I LOVED this program. Another federal program you say, yes - but have you ever tried to implement a community-based strategy to address crime on the Northside, or in Southside? This federal program engaged resident stakeholders from our most criminally impacted neighborhoods in North and South Minneapolis, to sit alongside local, county, state, regional and national law enforcement from the US Attorney to the local precinct commanders - to have discussions, create and offer solutions, cry due to lives lost and to celebrate when things went well. Ten years of federal state and local support. Weed and Seed was a signature program in those days of "Murderapolis" and I was honored to work with all these folks.  

Q:  Tell us about your current work as a consultant.

A:  I've had my little consulting business since 1998. I opened with a full client list of six Native organizations back then, and over time I’ve provided several services - project development and management, community engagement, contract management, board training, resource fund development and community outreach and engagement. 

Today, I have two current clients:  

Little Earth of United Tribes Housing Corporation (LEUTHC), which includes three separate 501C3 organizations umbrellaed under LEUTHC (for a total of 4 organizations), providing Board, administrative and property management support.

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on their current Water Works Project and their Upper Harbor Terminal Project focusing on communications, community engagement to assure that our Native and non-Native residents are aware of the progress of each project and that we continue to include their voices as these projects move forward.

I've also been certified by the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) in Effective Public Participation, so I am keeping myself busy and engaged in my community. 

Q:  What are your hopes for Minneapolis in 2021?  

A:  I can see the fruits of our labor flourishing; we still have crime and some of those old strategies still have value. I can only hope that this path continues to bring us to that "best side," which sometimes seems like a long road. My path is for my grandchildren. Teaching them all that I know - to enjoy them, honor them and instill all that I have so that when they say where they want to be when they get older, I hope they say on the best side.

Q:  That is so hopeful! Thank you - how may we follow your news?

A:  I’m on Facebook. If you come offer me tobacco, we can sit by the "big river" and I'll tell you another story.