BAND TO RECEIVE 18 ACRES OF LAND BACK
By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
As far back as history records prove, Mille Lacs Band members have always occupied a section of land in Cove. However, somewhere along the line, the state wrongfully placed the land in question into state trust lands status. For more than four decades, the Band has advocated for the return of this parcel of land inside the Reservation boundary. Last month, state lawmakers passed legislation that will formally return that land to the Band.
The re-acquisition of land to Mille Lacs Band was one of several land back proposals that were introduced during the last legislative session. The Mille Lacs Band measure was one of only a few tribal nation specific land re-acquisition bills that made it through. the process. The bill approved the land transfer with the state appropriating $750,000 to the state DNR to carryout the condemnation order and other fees with the remainder going into the state's school trust account.
School Trust Lands in Minnesota are set aside for a specific purpose — to provide a continual source of funding for public education. school trust lands are managed in a way that generates revenue for the Permanent School Fund (PSF). The interest and dividends from the PSF supports K-12 public education and provide funds that are distributed to every public school district within the state. Minnesota has roughly 2.5 million acres of state school trust lands, including nearly 344,000 acres inside the borders of reservations, including the 18 acres within the Mille Lacs Reservation. School trust lands generated roughly $49 million during the 2023-24 school year. Of that, the school trust lands addressed in this legislation in the Mille Lacs area only generated about $45 annually.
Mille Lacs County disapproved of the return of the land. A press release issued by the Mille Lacs County Administrator stated the county is “disappointed” in the legislatures passing of the bill. “This decision undermines the financial interests of our community, as the sale of this land could have generated substantial revenue for the school trust fund and local government through real estate taxes.”
However, the “substantial” revenue the County referenced is roughly $45 annually.
That land has significant cultural history for the Band. There are archeological interests out there including burials, which could be ancient. It is on the lakeshore in a very significant space. For at least the past 200 years, there have always been Mille Lacs Band members living there, making a home, and calling it home. “That has been constant. That is all part of that legacy and it is finally being corrected. That land being returned back to the Mille Lacs Band is a beautiful thing,” Applegate said.
“This has been a priority for the Band for 40-plus years. It has been a long time coming,” Applegate said. He credited the dedication of the Government Affairs team and lobbyists working in coordination with the DNR and the Chief Executive to move this bill through during the last legislative session.
Land ownership is a westernized viewpoint, Applegate explained. “In tribal view, we don’t own the land. It is there for everybody. It provided for us, it provided materials for our homes and way of life, and housed all of the sacred animals and medicines. That’s what land means to us. It is there for everybody to use. It was our way of life. We spent literally all summer gathering food to make it through the harsh winters. And we would give thanks for all that was provided for us and celebrate with powwows and gatherings. As the two-leggeds, we are the last order of creation. Everything can survive without us, but we can’t survive without any of that. Elders remind us that — if all two-leggeds were gone from the land, everything would survive without us. We have a responsibility to protect the land, and the water, too. We will have the opportunity to protect that land that is being returned to us.”
What is to become of the Cove property is uncertain at this point. The Band is awaiting confirmation from the state on how it will be returned and the exact date is not known at this time. The property has been occupied by various Mille Lacs Band families throughout history and is currently occupied by a Mille Lacs Band Elder.
“Whatever we do with it, it will be through the lens of environmental protection and preserve it in a way that is respectful of nature,” Applegate said.