TERO SPONSORS CAREER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES BAND MEMBERS LEARN TRADE OF CEMENT CONSTRUCTION

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe TERO department and the Minnesota Department of Transportation sponsored a week-long Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Hands-on Concrete Training in Vineland in mid-October with a graduation ceremo ny held on October 18, 2024. Participants spent half of each day with classroom instruction at the Aanjibimaadizing building and the other half each day was spent in hands-on training out in the field at an ADA project at the DNR Building. Participants installed an ADA-accessible concrete entrance and sidewalks at the DNR building.

Tribal Government News

GRANTS DEPARTMENT IS GLUE THAT BINDS RESOURCES

Tucked inside the Administration offices is a small team of four individuals working behind the scenes to keep programs and services available to Band members. The grants team keeps its finger on the pulse of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to under stand the current and future programs and services and identify grant opportunities that will be a good fit for the programs.

MEET THE DISTRICT I LEGISLATIVE STAFF

It can be hard to define, but when you see it, you know. What makes a great leader is the union of the leader and the sup port team. The District I Representatives office is a great team where they are all proud of the accomplishments of one another and support each other. When Carolyn Beaulieu was first elected to the office of District I Representative, she took time to hand pick her team and the payoff is a team who all work together to support the Band members of District I.

MINDFUL EATING FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

It’s October, that means it is the start of the holiday months! For many people this means more time with friends, family, but also may mean more intake of high calorie and sugary foods, including candy. There are some ways to reduce the amount of these foods that you consume and indulge in during the holidays. A practice that can help this is called mindful eating.

SOLICITOR’S OPINION IRA INTERPRETATION

The Committee believes that a legal Memorandum to the Secretary of Interior dated November 24, 1934, and authored by Solicitor Nathan R. Margold, the Solicitor for the United States Department of Interior, might have provided the legal basis for the Indian Service’s action to organize the Chippewa Indians of the Mississippi, (except for Red Lake and Lake Superior) residing at Boise Forte, Grand Portage, Fond Du Lac, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, and White Earth under the roof of an organization to be known as the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

His opinion was requested on the question of whether, under the provisions of the Wheeler-Howard Act of 1934, devisees other than heirs at law under wills of restricted Indians must be confined to the Indians of the same reservation without regard to original tribal blood or affiliation.

DUNKELY IS ROADEO CHAMPION

For the second year in a row, Chad Dunkley has proven his mad skills in operating the heavy equipment necessary to perform his duties as part of the Earthworks crew for District III Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Dunkley competed in the annual Snow plow Roadeo taking first place in snowplow category and in the excavator category during the Minnesota Fall Maintenance Expo on October 2 and 3 at the St. Cloud Public Works Facility in St. Cloud. In 2023. Dunkley also took fourth place in the truck com petition. Last year, he took first place in the excavator category.

Highlights

THE FIRST 90 DAYS AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE

After months of campaigning, door-knocking, and the official inauguration, the real work begins. Walking into the Chief Executive Office for the first time was “crazy,” said Virgil Wind, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. “I couldn’t believe it. Going from one end of the building to the other. Just thinking about what it meant for all Band members.”

WATER OVER NICKEL VIDEO WINS SHORT FILM MIDWEST EMMY AWARD

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is honored to announce the Water Over Nickel video has been awarded a regional Emmy® Award at the 25th Annual Upper Midwest Emmy Awards ceremony on October 19, 2024, in the category of Diversity/Equity/Inclusion – Short Form Content (Up to 15 Minutes). The Water Over Nickel video illustrates the deep connection between the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and their ancestral lands, revealing how proposed nickel mining operations threaten both Minnesota's pristine waters and the tribe's cultural heritage. Through stunning visuals and personal stories, the film makes a compelling case for protecting these vital natural resources from mining's destructive impacts.

MENTAL HEALTH HOLIDAY TIPS PART 1

Believe it or not, the holiday season is quickly approaching. Many people love this magical time of year but we forget to talk about how this can also be a tough time of year. The holiday season can be filled with joy, family, spirit, gatherings, traditions, and good food… but it can also include major challenges such as grief, loneliness, fear, feelings of being over whelmed, unrealistic expectations, substance use/relapse, and other mental health struggles. A NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) study showed that “64% of people with mental illness report holidays make their conditions worse” (NAMI, 2020). It is important to know that increased stress can exacerbate mental health symptoms. Check out these holiday mental health tips in our 2-part series in preparation for the season.

FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN ELDERS DAY

The first ever Native American Elder Day was held on September 18, 2024, at Veterans Park in Richfield, Minnesota. This was a special day for recognizing and honoring Elders for their strength and vision, and to all our ancestors who have lived on this land for generations. We have carried forth their knowl edge, infinite wisdom, language, traditional and cultural values for future generations. Over 250 Elders from the greater twin city metropolitan area attended this event including two buses full of Elders arriving from Duluth, Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe, and White Earth Band of Ojibwe.

NAS STUDENT TEXAS TRIP IS FULL OF STEM

Nay Ah Shing’s upper school students traveled to Texas to at tend the annual American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s (AISES) national conference. The conference took place from October 3 to 5. The six NAS attendees included Jeremy Drumbeater, 12; Marcus Bugg, 12; RaySean Bugg, 12; Bryce Cash, 13; Cass Sam, 12; and Phoenix Potter, 12; and three adult chaperones. The conference took place on the traditional lands of the Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, Caddo, Jumanos, and Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nations in San Antonio, Texas. This land acknowledgment was featured within the AISES conference program affirming AISES’ commitment to supporting Indigenous scientists and leaders.

CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY

The 2024 Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Connection to Place through Stories celebration held inside the Crow Wing County Courthouse was a standing-room-only historic event. The event was a result of many Brainerd area residents and organizations coming together to make a difference, and they did just that. Organizations include Lakes Area Justice Table, Essentia Health, Micha Group, and The Sowing Room. Mille Lacs Band member Michele Berger has played a key role in event planning and relationship building for the last two celebrations.

LAKE LEAF CULTIVATION READY TO ROLL

MLCV Lake Leaf Cultivation is leading the future of cannabis cultivation through advanced technologies and innovative practices. With the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the 50,000-square-foot cannabis cultivation center set for November 12, 2024, the first crop is expected to be harvested as early as January 2025 and available for wholesale soon thereafter. Plans for a retail dispensary for the average retail consumer are yet to be determined.

“This will be one of the top five growing facilities in the Midwest when combining both technological innovation and scale of operations,” said Aarik Robertson, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures. “The Band made the decision to make the investment in this business and in this company, and so we were able to put up something that not a lot of others will have or be able to put up in the future.”

Indian Country News

Harris-Walz win would make Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan its first Native American and female governor

A win in November for the Democratic ticket could be history making in another way: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota would presumably become the first Native American woman to lead a state. After assuming her position in 2019, Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, became the highest ranking Native woman elected to an executive office, according to her official bio. She won re-election in 2022 with Gov. Tim Walz. Now, with Vice President Kamala Harris tapping Walz as her running mate, a victory against Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, would propel Flanagan, 44, to the position of Minnesota governor. Walz's and Flanagan's current term is up for re-election in 2026. But the state Constitution allows Flanagan to assume the governorship if Walz, for whatever reason, vacates office. She would also become Minnesota's first female governor. Source: NBC News.

Yuen: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is opening up about her childhood past amid domestic violence

Long before Peggy Flanagan became a children’s advocate, lawmaker and Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, she was a little girl who wondered if it was safe to return home after school Sometimes she references this part of her past only in shorthand, like when she describes herself as a “survivor and child witness of domestic violence” without further detail. But the 45-year-old has recently been opening the door a crack more. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by a Minneapolis advocacy center for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence and human trafficking. Flanagan was there in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She listened as the Cornerstone staff gave her a tour of the offices, including a call center for a modernized 24-7 crisis hotline known as Day One. Technological improvements to the call center were made possible by recent funding increases from the Legislature for crime-victim services. “My mom stayed because she wanted me to be able to get through college,” Flanagan said, her voice cracking with emotion. “My mom finally got safe. I am grateful for folks like you, who create conditions so that our family members can protect themselves.” Starting at about age 10, Flanagan witnessed the abuse of her mother by her then-stepdad, both of whom have passed away. She realized that violence in the home wasn’t normal when she finally left for college and sensed that other kids didn’t grow up that way. “Most people don’t call home to see if I should come home after school, or if I should go to my best friend Lauren’s house,” she said. Source: Star Tribune.

Sage Harvest Event Cultivates Teamwork and Tomorrow

Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and members of the Mille Lacs Cultural Office gathered service-members of the Minnesota National Guard alongside Native American Students from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Nay-A-Shing School and Little Falls High School together as this year’s Planting for the Future event began on Camp Ripley October 15, 2024. The responsibilities for the essential parts of this event were aided by the cultural and natural resources skills of the Camp Ripley Environmental team, teammates of the Morrison County Soil & Water Conservation District and in cooperation with members of Mille Lacs Band Tribal Historic Preservation office and cultural resources office. These events have traditionally include the planting of other prairie wildflowers as well as the explanation of how the plants are used by the Anishinaabe culture. Source: dvidshub.net.

Preliminary data show a decrease in overdose deaths in 2023

Minnesota Department of Health reports from 2022 to 2023, Minnesota saw an 8% decrease in overall drug overdose deaths from 1,384 to 1,274 deaths among residents in the state, according to preliminary data. Though the numbers are still preliminary, 2023 likely marks the first time since 2018 that Minnesota has seen a drop in total overdose deaths among its residents. Greater Minnesota experienced a 21% decrease in overdose deaths (482 to 381 deaths). The seven county metro area saw a 1% decrease as well (902 to 893 deaths). Source: MN Department of Health.

Biden apologizes for forced Native American boarding school policy that caused abuse and deaths of children

President Joe Biden delivered an apology for a United States policy that forcibly separated generations of indigenous children from their families for more than 150 years and sent them to federally backed boarding schools for forced assimilation. "I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did," Biden said in strident remarks. "It's long overdue." The president's apology, on tribal land at the Gila River Indian Reservation, came in the wake of a years-long investigation commissioned by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. Haaland’s grandparents were separated from their families because of the policy. "We know that the federal government failed," Haaland said in emotional remarks before Biden was introduced. "It failed to violate our languages, our traditions, our life ways. It failed to destroy us because we persevered," she added. Source: NBCNews.