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MINNESOTA - The State of Minnesota is prosecuting 25 people for attempting to save Native American sacred sites and Minnehaha Park from the destruction caused by the Minnesota Department of Transportation's attempt to reroute Highway 55.

The Minnehaha 25 will face a group trial and face charges ranging from trespassing to failure to obey a peace officer. Most of the defendants are being prosecuted for non-violent civil disobedience or non-violent direct action during the months of July and August of 1999. These defendants put their bodies in harm's way to attempt to stop the widespread destruction that now scars Minnehaha Park.

Many of the defendants are members of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community and other Native American First Nations and will be challenging their charges as violations of their Treaty Rights. Others will be mentioning the other flagrant violations of Federal Law that MnDoT has been guilty of during this road project.

Charges of discrimination will also be brought against the Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota State Troopers for their selective arrests of Native Americans and their gross misconduct against civilians exercising their First Amendment Rights.

There will be a Rally held at 8:30 a,m. on December 6th in the Atrium of the Hennepin County Government Center in Downtown Minneapolis. The defendants will be available for interviews with the media. Please come and support them during the trial, or call the Hennepin County Prosecutor's office and demand that these charges be dropped.