MillE Lacs Band Announces Partnership With Minnesota Wild

Like many casinos across the country, Grand Casinos have seen declining visitation in recent years. The market is more competitive, and traditional advertising methods no longer reach people the way they used to. Within the coming days, Grand Casinos will announce a major new marketing partnership with the Minnesota Wild, securing the naming rights to the arena formerly known as the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. This is a bold move — one that will elevate the Grand Casino brand and open doors to new opportunities.

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The Doors are open — Band member legal aid is ready to help

Have you ever asked yourself, “Do I need a lawyer?” If the answer is yes, chances are you should at least talk to an attorney to help take the weight off your shoulders and help you assess the situation. There are a variety of reasons one might need an attorney, including legal disputes, complex situations such as child protection cases, divorce, estate planning, or when facing criminal charges. Attorneys provide expertise in navigating legal processes, protecting your rights, and advocating for your interests. Band Member Legal Aid is now open, staffed, and ready to help.

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Tribal Government News


TRIO PROGRAMS SUPPORT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

Federal TRIO Programs are outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services to first-generation, low-income, and/or students with disability to move from middle school to post-baccalaureate college programs. TRIO has a long and impacting legacy here in Minnesota.


TPD OFFICER RECOGNIZED BY U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota recently honored Investigator Adam Cook of the Mille Lacs Tribal Police, along with BCA Special Agent Mike Dieter (previously of the Mille Lacs Band Tribal Police) and BCA Analyst Lindsey Bartholdi for their excellent work in United States v. Dimitric Timopkin Wilson and United States v. Allen Lee Goodwin. They were each awarded the 2024 U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Award for their exemplary work on the aforementioned cases.


APPLEGATE NEW MEMBER OF TASK FORCE ON FUTURE OF MINNESOTA'S WATER

Attorney General Ellison announced June 6, 2025, the appointments he has made to the Advisory Task Force on Future of Minnesota's Water that he formed on March 31, 2025. The Task Force includes both DFL and Republican lawmakers, representatives from state agencies, as well as members of the public representing agriculture, tribal communities, businesses, and local regulators, as well as advocates and experts in the areas of water quality and conservation.


TRIBAL ID OR REAL ID? WHICH ONE DO I NEED FOR AIR TRAVEL?

Do you have summer vacation plans that include air travel within the United States? Some Mille Lacs Band members have experienced delays at airports going through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints when using their Tribal ID. Keep reading to find out what you need to know when traveling by air.


Social workers in tribal court: focused on family reunification

Social workers play many roles in court settings — from supporting individuals through legal proceedings to offering expert insight and managing complex cases. At Mille Lacs Band Health and Human Services (HHS) Family Services, however, the guiding principle is simple: “We are here to help families,” said Jamie Rancour, HHS Strategic Initiatives Project Coordinator.

Highlights


ACCOLADES FOR RECONCILIATION WORK & ARTISTRY

As the seasons changed from winter to spring, the snow melted, temperatures warmed, the sun is brighter, lasting longer and is allowing plants, flowers, and trees to continue to bloom.

It’s almost like the same thing is happening for Band Member Adrienne Benjamin, who is garnering more attention, more accolades and more recognition as an art maker who is also steeped in reconciliation work. What’s rather remarkable is that Benjamin herself intentionally seeks out none of this.


LET'S GET GROWING! BACKYARD GARDENING TIPS

There’s something so refreshing about a crispy green salad with crunchy veggies or fresh homemade salsa on a hot summer day — and it’s even better when you’ve grown the vegetables yourself. The good news? It’s not too late to start your own garden. Several Band members shared their favorite gardening tips to help get you going.

Curt and Carmen Kalk have been gardening for years in their Vineland backyard. The Kalk homestead is meticulously well-organized with unique harvest processing areas throughout the backyard, each customized for the seasons, whether it is for cleaning fish, butchering a deer, or growing their vegetables. Careful planning, preparation, and being patient with the weather are keys to their harvesting success.


From seed to sale: lake leaf cultivation opens first dispensary

On Friday, June 20, Lake Leaf Cultivation, a Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures-owned cannabis business, officially opened its first dispensary in Mille Lacs. The opening marks a meaningful milestone for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, representing new opportunities for Band Members and continued growth in the Mille Lacs tribal economy. A soft opening earlier in the week allowed staff time to prepare, while Friday’s opening featured a photo opportunity and invited remarks from Mille Lacs Band Elected Officials, who joined to witness the milestone and support this next step in Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures’ continued investment and growth in the tribal economy.


MILLE LACS FISHING OPENER 2025

For everywhere who grew up in the Mille Lacs area it comes as no surprise that the Minnesota fishing opener brought a certain buzz into a busy start to the summer. With a steady flow of growing traffic north starting mid-week, trucks and trailers filled the roads with excitement for anglers seeking a few of Minnesota’s state fish that answers to many names including marble eye, gravel lizards, gold, wally-gators — the walleye.


Indian Country News


Wife of accused Minnesota lawmaker killer says husband's actions were "a betrayal"

The wife of Vance Boelter, the man accused in the deadly Minnesota lawmaker shootings, released a statement on Thursday calling her husband's alleged actions "a betrayal." Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed inside their Brooklyn Park home in the early morning hours of June 14. Their golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot and later died from his injuries. Also targeted in the shootings were Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were attacked inside their Champlin home about 90 minutes before the Hortmans were killed. Boelter, 57, faces federal and state murder and attempted murder charges. He was captured some 36 hours after the shootings near his home in Green Isle, about 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis, in what officials say was the largest manhunt in state history. Jenny Boelter's full statement, released on her behalf by her legal team: "On behalf of my children and myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hortman and Hoffman families. Our condolences are with all who are grieving during this unimaginably difficult time, and we are praying daily for them."

Source: CBS News.


‘As vulnerable as a plant can be’: New study finds climate change largely to blame for less wild rice:

A new study finds the availability of a wild rice in the Great Lakes region has been declining over the past 30 years, partially due to climate change. The decline, the study says, “has disrupted Ojibwe lifeways, family, and health.” Brandon Byrne, inland fisheries biologist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, or GLIFWC, coauthored and helped collect data for the study. Byrne said that the plant is most vulnerable during its early stages. “Not only is it vulnerable to weather or climatic variables, it’s also vulnerable to motorboat use. Its ecology is very delicate.” Rob Croll, coauthor of the study and commission policy analyst and climate change coordinator, said, “You have to look at manoomin and climate change holistically. It’s as vulnerable a plant as a plant can be. One of the things that we’re seeing — will continue to see — is our precipitation coming less frequently, but more intensely: much heavier rain storms, which can cause quick floods. During [early growth] stages, floods will uproot the plant. Later on in its growth, when there are seeds on the plant, big storms and heavy winds can devastate a rice bed just by blowing the stalks down into the water. Source: WPR Wisconsin Today.


White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities:

In President Donald Trump’s budget request, he’s proposing slashing funding for tribal colleges and universities, including eliminating support for the country’s only federally funded college for contemporary Native American arts. If the budget is approved by Congress, beginning in October, the more than $13 million in annual appropriations for the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be reduced to zero. It would be the first time in nearly 40 years that the congressionally chartered school would not receive federal support, said Robert Martin, the school’s president. Source: APNEWS.


Upcoming EVENTS

August 15

Noon Closing (Mille Lacs Pow Wow)

July 25

Noon Closing (East Lake Pow Wow)

July 28

East Lake Day