Indigenous Association representatives brief commission on programs and donor milk bridge‑bag pilot

Representatives of the Indigenous Association of Fargo addressed the commission during public comment on Aug. 4 to describe their community programming and to highlight a new Milk Run Bridge Bags project that provides pasteurized donor breast milk to families. Bridal Beatty, executive director and founding board member, said the association, founded in 2020, hosts cultural events, Indigenous Peoples’ Day programming, maternal‑child health and youth services and serves as a community hub with a downtown gathering space. She said the organization receives some city funding secured through the Native American Commission. Candy Smith, a registered nurse and international board‑certified lactation consultant who works with the association, described Milk Run Bridge Bags, which purchases screened, pasteurized donor milk from the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies and supplies it to families after hospital discharge when mother’s milk is not available. Smith said the World Health Organization recommends mother’s milk first, donor milk second, sharing third and formula last, and that the program provides an alternative to informal sharing arrangements. Smith urged continued city support for the Indigenous Association. Why it matters: The program extends clinical standards for infant feeding outside hospital settings to families in Fargo and the region and provides an option between informal milk sharing and formula for newborns who need donor milk. Next steps: Speakers invited commissioners to visit the association’s space and to continue discussions about city support; no formal action was requested at the meeting.