WATER OVER NICKEL REFLECTIONS AND RIPPLE EFFECTS

By Kelly Applegate, Commissioner of Natural Resources

As the winter season sets in, the Water Over Nickel team is grateful for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s support of our work to protect the Band’s water, land and community.

Since our launch in early 2023, Water Over Nickel has continuously raised awareness of the risks associated with the proposed Tamarack Mine, including ensuring the Mille Lacs Band is a leading voice in media coverage and conversations regarding the proposed mine, engaging tribal communities in this issue, and managing a wide-reaching campaign to engage Minnesotans on the importance of protecting Minnesota’s pristine water from the impact of nickel mining.

The Band's support helped make the following milestones possible this year:

SHARING AND CELEBRATING WATER OVER NICKEL WITH BAND MEMBERS

Connecting with and hearing from Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members is critical to our work. In September, Water Over Nickel held the first-ever Water Over Nickel Day at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort, marking a milestone in the Band community's commitment to environmental protection and cultural preservation. The family-friendly event brought together several hundred band members to celebrate their culture and advocate for water protection.

Water Over Nickel also participated in key Band community events, like the annual State of the Band event and Treaty Rights Day, provided regular updates to Band members by hosting monthly Zoom Q&A sessions and presenting at Band Assembly, and helped Band members spread the word with Water Over Nickel bumper stickers and yard signs.

CONNECTING WITH MINNESOTANS AT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE

Water Over Nickel was honored to be featured at the Great Lakes Indian, Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) booth at the Minnesota State Fair. The booth featured Water Over Nick el signage, handouts, giveaways, and Manoomin harvesting displays. Our booth helped educate visitors about the importance of protecting Minnesota’s clean water from the negative impact of nickel mining and inspired visitors to reflect on why Minnesota’s clean water matters to them. Our State Fair presence brought more than 4,000 visitors to the Water Over Nickel website and 300+ sign ups to our Water Over Nickel mailing list. We’re grateful to the Band members who volunteered to staff our booth and help us connect with State Fair attendees.

Water Over Nickel also had the opportunity to connect with communities near the proposed mine at local events like the Tamarack Hey Days Festival and McGregor Wild Rice Days.

LAUNCHING A STATE-WIDE AD CAMPAIGN

Water Over Nickel kicked off an advertising campaign to raise awareness of our work throughout the state of Minnesota. The Water Over Nickel billboards, located along major highways like I-35 and I-94 and placed in communities like Tamarack, the Twin Cities metro and Duluth, were seen an estimated 12 million times. Our ads on social media included videos featuring Band members and Manoomin harvesting and are estimated to reach nearly 2 million people.

RECEIVING AN EMMY AWARD FOR OUR WATER OVER NICKEL VIDEO

Our Water Over Nickel video was awarded a Regional Emmy® Award at the 25th Annual Upper Midwest Emmy Awards ceremony! The video was honored at an October 19 ceremony in the category of Diversity/Equity/Inclusion – Short Form Content (Up to 15 Minutes).

In addition to the Emmy Award, the Water Over Nickel video received recognition at several regional film festivals, including:

• Twin Cities Film Fest — Documentary: Passion & Purpose program

• South Dakota Film Festival — Family Friendly Day

• 2024 Duluth Superior Film Festival — The Wild Within program

These awards and recognition helped us reach new audiences and share our story of passion for protecting Indigenous communities, clean water and Manoomin from the negative impact of nickel mining.

PARTICIPATING IN CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS SUR ROUNDING THE PROPOSED TAMARACK MINE AND WATER PROTECTION

For the first time, Mille Lacs Band Leaders have had a seat at the table in Minnesota Department of Natural Resources meetings regarding the proposed mine. Water Over Nickel also participated in key events to add the Mille Lacs Band voice to conversations focused on water protection and mining is sues in Minnesota and beyond, including the Friends of the Boundary Water Prove It First Hearing and the Rise and Repair Rally at the Capitol. A recording of Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate’s presentation on Water Over Nickel, in partnership with the Tamarack Water Alliance, is now available to watch at WaterOverNickel.com/media-resources/.

We shared our message with tribal communities, including passing a resolution at NCAI in October and developing a comment letter to share with organizers of the White House Council on Native American Affairs consultation.

Water Over Nickel and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe perspective was featured in media outlets in Tamarack and across Minnesota, including the Mille Lacs Messenger, the Duluth News Tribune, MinnPost and the Star Tribune.

WELCOMING NEW PARTNERS

Friends of the Mississippi River joined Earth Justice, MCEA and Amiable Consulting as an official Water Over Nickel partner. Friends of the Mississippi River is an organization focused on engaging people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region. As a Water Over Nickel partner, they will support our efforts to protect clean water by raising awareness about the risks of nickel mining in the Tamarack area.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources public comment period for the proposed Tamarack Mine is anticipated to take place in late 2025. This will be a critical point in our work. We must encourage Minnesotans to raise their voices and share their concerns about the risks associated with the proposed mine. Our work in 2025 will be focused on connecting with the Band community and educating and inspiring Minnesotans to act and protect our state’s environment and water.

If you’d like to get involved and volunteer to support Water Over Nickel, please reach out to waterovernickel@gmail.com.

Visit WaterOverNickel.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to learn more.