SEBEKA, Minn. — More than two dozen goats were killed in a fire over the weekend that leveled a barn in Wadena County.
The fire happened at the Crow Wing Farm, also known as the Many Nations Goat Farm, near Sebeka, Minnesota on Saturday night. According to the Wadena County Sheriff's Office, the barn was fully engulfed by the time first responders arrived, and investigators believe heat sources being used inside the building caused the blaze.
The goat farm, located on White Earth Nation land within the 1855 treaty territory, was being operated by the nonprofit Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, part of Akiing enterprises.
In total, 26 goats were killed and the barn housing the animals was completely destroyed.
“We are very sad by the loss of our beautiful goats,” said Winona LaDuke with Akiing enterprises. “But we will rebuild sometime in the near future. The Crow Wing Farm was one part of our collaborative agriculture operations to teach and practice good land stewardship and to help create greater awareness about Native food and food security.”
LaDuke is also the co-executive director of Honor the Earth, an organization that works to "create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities."
No other animals or people were injured in the fire.
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