MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Native American leaders fear a fire may have destroyed Minnesota’s largest Dakota language archive. A three-alarm fire Sunday destroyed Franklin Dollar City Plaza on East Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis and damaged an adjoining building housing Minnesota Chippewa Tribe offices and Native American programs. The archive contained recordings of elders sharing personal stories on aging tapes and other media that had not yet been digitized. Officials have not determined the extent of the damage. Nearly 60 firefighters responded, and two were hospitalized with minor burns. The cause remains under investigation.
