Long-Time Biologist to Lead DNR
By Brett Larson Inaajimowin Editor
For Kelly Applegate, newly confirmed Commissioner of Natural Resources for the Mille Lacs Band, traditional Anishinaabe practices take precedence over all else.
”Sometimes there’s a conflict between western science and our cultural beliefs, but our culture is always first,” said Kelly. ”We start the day off putting tobacco down. Good things happen when you do that. It’s just a way of life.”
That said, Kelly doesn’t discount the importance of science, especially when working with the State of Minnesota to manage natural resources equitably — something he’s been doing for much of his 15 years with the agency.
He sat on the Voigt Task Force with the late Leonard Sam, attended meetings where the State and Bands wrangled over quotas, and worked in the background to bring a series of Commissioners up to speed on treaties, harvests, GLIFWC, quotas, and other topics only a biologist can appreciate.
When Kelly was asked if he would accept the Chief Executive’s nomination, he took some time to consider. ”With change, I have to take a moment and think about it. I’m not quick to respond,” Kelly said. ”I thought about it over the Fourth of July weekend, had a conversation the next week, and by then I was accepting and pretty excited about it.”
After an interview with Band Assembly, the nomination was confirmed, and Kelly was the new Commissioner. Fortunately, he inherits a Department with many long-term employees to help out — just as Kelly helped former Commissioners.
”Our entire staff is so talented, it’s unbelievable,” he said. ”They are top notch, they truly are. All of our directors, all of our employees. I can think of every one of our employees and how dedicated they are. My job is to keep encouraging them and help them build their careers.”
The Department of Natural Resources may not be the biggest of the Executive Branch departments, but it is very complex, including not just Resource Management (which Kelly led and will continue to oversee) but also Enrollments, Archives, Land Management, Cultural Resources, and the Tribal Historic Preservation Department. Fortunately, Kelly has been working in the department since 2006, when he applied for a position
Curt Kalk, the Commissioner at the time, brought Kelly on board and helped him learn the ropes, and in 2018, he was promoted to Director of Resource Management. ”That really kind of gave me an introduction to management and opened the door to being a leader,” he said.
In that role, he’s learned what works for him, and what’s most important. ”I kind of lead with my heart,” he said. ”It’s important to remember the history of our tribe and how we got here today, the ancestors and previous leaders who designed our form of government and signed our treaties, our cultural practices, all the way back to our creation story, why we’re here — the food that grows on the water.”
His main goal is to do what he can to protect that legacy: ”A lot of people are questioning what’s going on with our world. They see it burning; they see the smoke. People are not at ease with how it’s going. Lakes and rivers and streams are drying up. People are seeing that. It’s my job and purpose to help that situation, fix that, do whatever I can to help ensure that our resources are intact for seven generations ahead of us.”
Kelly will do it by leading with his heart and coming to work with a smile on his face. ”I wake up in the morning and I’m excited to go to work,” he said. ”When you have that feeling, it’s not like work.”
