This week, two examples in Minnesota that support the larger “Land Back” movement across Indian Country, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s new Chief Executive, urban Native-led organizations celebrate during a collaborative open house, and a new tribally operated recreational marijuana dispensary now open in Minnesota.
LEECH LAKE NATION CELEBRATES RECLAMATION IN LAND TRANSFER
Over 11,700 acres of federal land under the care of the Chippewa National Forest was transferred back to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in late June. The land transfer resulted from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act, which was signed into law in December 2020. This commemorative event comes after tribal leaders worked diligently to regain stewardship of these lands. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is hopeful that returning to the traditional homelands will not only strengthen tribal sovereignty but also be available to the tribal nation to promote the overall wellness of tribal citizens into the future.
WHITE EARTH NATION SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR TAMARAC NATIONAL REFUGE
In early June 2024, the White Earth Nation signed a pivotal Memorandum of Agreement with the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and located in Becker County. This agreement grants White Earth Nation members greater access to the refuge for traditional activities such as harvesting wild rice, gathering plant medicines, and trapping wild game for cultural and ceremonial purposes.
THE MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE CELEBRATES NEW INCOMING CHIEF EXECUTIVE
After nearly two decades of leadership under Melanie Benjamin, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe welcomed newly elected Chief Executive Virgil Wind into tribal office. The inauguration took place on July 9, 2024, at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Convention Center. Hundreds of tribal citizens, employees, and community supporters attended to witness the oath-taking ceremony, pledging to uphold the Constitution of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. While the Non-Removable Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has its own laws, it shares a unified constitution with five other tribal nations under the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, a centralized governing body.
THE MINNEAPOLIS NATIVE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES AN OPEN HOUSE HOSTED BY A COLLABORATION OF URBAN NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
The Native American Community Development Institute, or NACDI, hosted a community open house in collaboration with other Minneapolis tribal organizations. NACDI, along with the American Indian Community Development Corporation or AICDC, and Powwow Grounds, a Native-owned coffee shop on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, hosted a community gathering featuring free food, prize drawings, a screen-printing station, face painting, music by Downtown Jada Brown, as well as hosting the Four Sisters Farmers Market. This Indigenous-centered market supports culturally appropriate local food and craft vendors.
SWEETEST GRASS RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY OPENS ON THE LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE RESERVATION
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has inaugurated Sweetest Grass, a new cannabis dispensary in Walker, Minnesota, becoming the third recreational marijuana outlet in the region since state legalization. The grand opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting and singers with a drum. Tribal leaders hope that the dispensary will serve as a fresh enterprise for the nation and offer recreational and medicinal benefits to patrons in its first year. Tribal nations across the state have jurisdiction over their own cannabis laws, and non-tribal dispensaries must wait to open until 2025, according to the Minnesota State cannabis licensing process.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Deanna StandingCloud.
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