Heart of the Earth Survival School

Heart of the Earth Survival School was established in January 1972[2] by the American Indian Movement.[3] Instrumental in the creation of Heart of the Earth was Title VII of the Indian Education Act, adopted by Congress on June 23, 1972.[4] This act allowed Indians to have control over educating their people; a different policy than the US government had previously adopted with the boarding schools that dominated Indian education throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.[4]

In 1999, Heart of the Earth/Oh Day Aki became a charter school.[5][6] Minneapolis Public Schools ended the district's sponsorship of the school in August 2008 after an audit revealed more than $160,000 in financial discrepancies.[7]

In 2010, the former executive director of the school, Joel Pourier, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing more than a million dollars from the school, a crime that forced the school to shut down.[8]

The school's location on 4th Street Southeast was located in the Dinkytown district of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood of Minneapolis.

A “survival school” serves as an alternative to public and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools offered most commonly to Indian communities on reservations. Survival schools provide language instruction in native languages like Ojibwe and Lakota. The courses, even the basics, are centered on Indian culture.[9] Part of Heart of the Earth's original purpose was to teach Indian children living in cities about disappearing life skills like "hunting, fishing, maple syrup gathering and wild rice harvesting", and helping Indian students identify to their culture.[10] Initially, the school provided practical training for Indian students who would not pursue higher education.[9] Later, as a charter school, Oh Day Aki provided a unique opportunity for Indian students to explore their cultures in a school setting while simultaneously preparing for higher education and self-sufficiency.[11]

Oh Day Aki Charter School's athletic teams, known as the Eagles,[12] competed in the Minnesota State High School League, Class A, Section 4. The school fielded teams in baseball, basketball,[13] cross country, softball, track, and volleyball.