A Leader with a Purpose
Marvin Bruneau Retires After 28 years of Purposeful Service to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
By VIVIAN LaMOORE, INAAJIMOWIN EDITOR
In 28 years of service to Mille Lacs Band members, Marvin Bruneau took his oath of office seriously. “Every time I took that oath, I took it to heart — to serve to the best of my ability, so help me Gichi-manidoo,” Bruneau said. Bruneau retired from his position as District II Representative on July 11, 2022, the date of his last Band Assembly meeting.
Bruneau was elected into office in 1990 to begin his first four-year term. Subsequently, he ran for office at the end of each term. Each year he was challenged by others, but held the office until 2014 when David Aubid won. Aubid served for four years when Bruneau got back into the race and was re-elected in 2018. Bruneau continued to serve the last four years for a total of 28 years of service.
Keeping his oath of office always in the forefront of his decision making, Bruneau said it was not always easy. “The number one thing I learned over the years is you can’t please all of the people all of the time. You have to do your best to be able to serve the people as a whole and try as hard as you can to make the right decisions,” he said.
Throughout his career, he has seen the Band go “from rags to riches,” he said. His first year in office, the Band Government had a total budget of somewhere near $2.2 million. “That funding all came from the federal and state government,” he said. “Sometimes, it was hard to even make payroll.”
The introduction of the casinos in 1991 began to change things for the Band. “Things started to turn around then. But it was a learning curve,” he said. Making decisions that would change the lives of Band members for the better at the time and into the future was not always easy, he added.
Building a better community with services to help Band members and families to better their lives has always been a priority. “There were plenty of mountains to face and molehills to hurdle over,” he recalls.
In 1990, the Band began to assert their treaty rights of 1837, whereby the U.S. government gave the Mille Lacs Band the right to hunt, fish, and gather free of state regulation on land ceded in the treaty. A lengthy legal battle was on the horizon in the foothills of that mountain when the Band filed a lawsuit against the State of Minnesota. Ascending an uphill climb, the Band and the Minnesota DNR worked out a settlement agreement that went before the State Legislature, who in 1993 denied the settlement. The court battles continued.
In 1994 and 1997, two U.S. District Courts ruled in favor of the Band to retain those hunting, fishing, and gathering rights. Each time the State appealed to a higher court, landing the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
On March 24, 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a 5-4 vote that the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa retain the hunting and fishing rights guaranteed to them under the 1837 treaty. In December 1999, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Davis ordered the state of Minnesota to pay the legal expenses of the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa and six other bands. They were awarded a total of $3.95 million.
Throughout that battle, decisions had to be made by Band officials regarding the lawsuit while keeping regular daily government business running on task. “I was just a part of the mechanism — a very small piece. There were so many people involved and it took all of us working together. We didn’t always agree 100 percent of the time, but we made decisions that we felt would better serve all of the people in the community — all Mille Lacs Band members. A lot of the times it has been tough, but it was always rewarding,” Bruneau said.
That is how Bruneau humbly faced all of the mountains and molehills along his decision-making process — thinking about how to better serve the Band members. “You have to follow your heart and do what you think is right,” he said.
That is the legacy Marvin Bruneau leaves behind. He is soft-spoken, kind-hearted, and humble, yet a leader with a strong voice who follows through with integrity. He said he always remembers he is “a servant to the constituents of District II and to all of the Band members. Politicians are here to serve a purpose. That’s paramount.”
To those who follow a political career, he said: “Do what you think is right. Listen first, talk later. Keep in mind it is all a learning curve. Lead with your heart.”
Bruneau said the first couple of days of retirement left him looking for a new purpose to fill his days. “You can’t just sit around. As much as I love fishing, you can’t fish every day,” he said with a chuckle. He is considering his options and there is no doubt he will follow his heart purposefully.
TRIBUTES FROM STAFF MEMBERS
"Marvin took his position seriously. You know you could count on him to make decisions that he felt would make the Band better, even if they were unpopular with the few, he had to make tough decisions based on the majority. He is very selfless and simply a pleasure to work for and with. "
Cheryl Miller, Legislative Aide
"I had the pleasure of working with Marvin since 2019. Besides learning from his quick wit, I learned from his decades worth of knowledge on Band government, which has greatly helped me in my job. He will be missed and I hope to see him around."
Hanna Valento, Revisor of Statutes
"It has been an honor working with and learning from one of the best elected officials, OgimaaBines. I have learned so much from his lifetime of knowledge. His dedication and leadership will continue to impact the future of the Mille Lacs Band. He will be greatly missed and I wish him and his family many blessings. Congratulations!"
Dibikwe Valerie Harrington-Wind, Chief Communications Officer
"The thing I’ve learned over the years is that everyone brings their own unique aspect to a group that is like a revolving door. Everyone has different knowledge, experience, and we all can learn from them if we just sit back, watch, and listen when they speak. That is the best part about my job, is learning from leaders like Marvin who have served for many years and come with all that older institutional knowledge."
Darci Bigbear, Parliamentarian/Clerk of the Assembly
“Marvin is perhaps the most sensible person I have ever met and I am so grateful to have received his mentorship on public service. Whenever I hear the word ‘levity,’ I will think of Marvin and remind myself to calm down a bit. Everything will be okay.”
Adam Candler, Legislative Counsel