Mille Lacs Indian Reservation
Encyclopedia
Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is the land-base for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...

 in Central Minnesota
Central Minnesota
Central Minnesota is the name of the region consisting of the central portion of the state of Minnesota. Although no specific boundaries of the region exist, most definitions of what makes up the region would generally consist of the vast swath of land north of Interstate 94, east of U.S. Highway...

, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...

 has portions in Mille Lacs
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,330 people, 8,638 households, and 6,003 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 10,467 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...

, Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...

, Aitkin
Aitkin County, Minnesota
Aitkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population is 16,202. Its county seat is Aitkin. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county.-History:...

 and Crow Wing
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crow Wing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 62,500. Its county seat is Brainerd.-Geography:...

 counties, consisting of nine Band Statutes communities, as well as other land holdings in Kanabec, Morrison
Morrison County, Minnesota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,712 people, 11,816 households, and 8,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 13,870 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

, and Otter Tail
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Otter Tail County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 57,303. Its county seat is Fergus Falls.-History:...

 Counties.

Mille Lacs Lake Indian Reservation

The main reservation of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is the Mille Lacs Lake Indian Reservation (Misi-zaaga'iganiing in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...

), at 46°05′48"N 93°30′14"W at the southern end of Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area....

 and composes about 60975 acres (246.8 km²) of land (commonly rounded in citations as "61,000 acres"), consisting of Township 42 North, Ranges 25, 26 and 27 West, and Township 43 North, Range 27 West. Before the raising of the lake level, United States v. Mille Lac Band of Chippewa Indians (229 U.S. 498 (1913)) cites the reservation as being 61015 acres (246.9 km²) of land. It was initially established in 1855 under the Treaty of Washington for the Mille Lacs Indians
Mille Lacs Indians
The Mille Lacs Indians are a Band of Indians formed from the unification of the Mille Lacs Band of Mississippi Chippewa with the Mille Lacs Band of Mdewakanton Sioux...

. Under various Federal and State Executive Orders, the non-Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 have a few times thereafter altered the definition of the location of this Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...

. The US Census Bureau designates this reservation as part of "2270: Mille Lacs Indian Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land".

This reservation contains the communities of Neyaashiing (Vineland
Vineland, Minnesota
Vineland is a census-designated place in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census. As with other CDPs, the area and population values are included in aggregate values for its township...

) and Chi-minising (Isle
Isle, Minnesota
Isle is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 751 at the 2010 census. Its name in the Ojibwe language is "Chi-minising" , due to being located right by Malone Island of Mille Lacs Lake, the largest island of that lake.-Geography:According to the United States...

). Neyaashiing houses the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Government Center, Nay-Ah-Shing Lower and Upper Schools and the Ne-Ia-Shing Clinic. It hosts Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...

's Mille Lacs Indian Museum. Grand Casino Mille Lacs is also located in Neyaashiing. Within the Mille Lacs Lake Indian Reservation but not in one of the Mille Lacs Band communities are the central offices for Woodland National Bank and Circle of Health supplementary Health Insurance, both located in Onamia
Onamia, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 847 people, 318 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The population density was 938.3 people per square mile . There were 355 housing units at an average density of 393.3 per square mile...

, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. Chi-minising houses the Chiminising Community Center and District IIa Government Services Center.

Sandy Lake Indian Reservation

Smaller of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation (Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...

), located at 46°48′09"N 93°14′59"W, surrounding Big Sandy Lake
Big Sandy Lake
There is another Big Sandy Lake, crossed by U.S. Highway 80 in Big Sandy, Texas.Big Sandy Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota, approximately nine miles north of McGregor. The lake is considered fertile walleye ground with several habitat types, including the open main basin, the deep, cold...

 and composes about 20192 acres (81.7 km²) of land, with the Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag Community of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa adjacent to and within the northern portion of the Reservation and the Manoominikaan-zaaga'iganiing Community of the Rice Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa located adjacent to the Reservation on the southern portion of the Reservation. Like Misi-zaaga'iganiing, it too was initially established in 1855 under the Treaty of Washington for the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa are a historical Ojibwa tribe located in the upper Mississippi River basin, on and around Big Sandy Lake in what today is in Aitkin County, Minnesota...

. Under various Federal and State Executive Orders, the non-Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 no longer recognize the existence of this Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...

. Consequently, nearly all the land within this Reservation is non-Native American owned. The United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

 operate a small flood-control dam within this Indian Reservation. The US Census Bureau designates this reservation as "2385: Sandy Lake Indian Reservation".

Other reservation holdings

Aggregated as part of the US Census Bureau designated "2270: Mille Lacs Indian Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land", Mille Lacs Indian Reservation have scatted trust parcels less than 80 acres (32.4 ha) each in Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...

, Kanabec, southern Aitkin
Aitkin County, Minnesota
Aitkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population is 16,202. Its county seat is Aitkin. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county.-History:...

, Crow Wing
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crow Wing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 62,500. Its county seat is Brainerd.-Geography:...

 and Morrison
Morrison County, Minnesota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,712 people, 11,816 households, and 8,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 13,870 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

 Counties, Minnesota. In addition, Mille Lacs Indian Reservation maintains the land upkeep on the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is a centralized government for six Chippewa bands in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was created on June 18, 1934, and the organization and its constitution were recognized by the Secretary of the Interior two years later on July 24, 1936...

 ricing parcel at Star Lake
Star Lake (Minnesota)
Star Lake is a lake located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Star Lake Township, Minnesota is named after the lake because the township consists of nearly the entire lake. Public access to the lake is available on Minnesota State Highway 108.-Size and Shape:...

. Furthermore, each Minnesota Chippewa Tribe member reservation, including the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation, hold equal one-sixth (1/6) interest on all Minnesota Chippewa Tribe member reservations, though asserting jurisdiction only on their own reservation.

Districts

Due to the large territorial spread of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...

, the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is divided into three Band Statute districts and one special services district.

District I

The Neyaashiing District (District I) serves the Band members living in the western two-thirds of the Misi-zaaga'iganiing and 30 miles (48.3 km) service area from that portion of the Reservation. In addition, any requested services outside of the pre-defined service districts are coordinated though this district.

District II

Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag
District (District II) serves the Band members living in the eastern one-third of the Misi-zaaga'iganiing Reservation, all of Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag Reservation, the Manoominikaan-zaaga'iganiing Community and the Minisinaakwaang Community and 30 miles (48.3 km) service area from those locations.

This district is further sub-divided into two sub-districts: Districts IIa and IIb. District IIa is associated with the Chi-minising Community. District IIb comprises the rest of District II. The Minisinaakwaang Community is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) south of McGregor, MN
McGregor, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 404 people, 182 households, and 105 families residing in the city. The population density was 205.5 people per square mile . There were 199 housing units at an average density of 101.2 per square mile...

. Minisinaakwaang Community houses the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation District II Community and Government Services Center, serving primarily District IIb.

District III

Aazhoomog District (District III) of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is located primarily in Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...

 County, comprises the
Ne-zhingwaakokaag (Pine City
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County...

-Rock Creek
Rock Creek, Minnesota
Rock Creek is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,628 at the 2010 census. Portions of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is located within Rock Creek....

-Pokegama Lake) community of the Snake and Knife Rivers Band of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota,
Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag (Hinckley
Hinckley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,291 people, 551 households, and 332 families residing in the city. The population density was 454.3 people per square mile . There were 614 housing units at an average density of 216.0 per square mile...

) and
Asinikaaning (Sandstone
Sandstone, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,549 people, 580 households, and 359 families residing in the city. The population density was 292.5 people per square mile . There were 634 housing units at an average density of 119.7 per square mile...

) communities of the Kettle River Band of St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, and the
Aazhoomog (Lake Lena
Lake Lena, Minnesota
Lake Lena is an unincorporated Native American village in Ogema Township, Pine County, Minnesota, United States, along the Lower Tamarack River...

) Village of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, and 30 miles (48.3 km) service area from those locations. Though historically forming the western half of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians
St. Croix Chippewa Indians
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians are a historical Band of Ojibwe located along the St. Croix River, which forms the boundary between the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Majority of the St. Croix Band are divided into two groups: the Federally recognized St...

, the contemporary St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin located east of the St. Croix River is considered a Federally Recognized Tribe, not associated with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, located west of the St. Croix River.

Aazhoomog Village houses the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation District III Community and Government Service Center and the Aazhoomog Clinic of the Ne-Ia-Shing Health Clinic system. Operating out of Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag is Grand Casino Hinckley and their various enterprises, including a golf-course, RV park and a concert hall.

Urban district

The Urban District of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is a special services district serving the large number of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...

 living in the Twin Cities. Originally in the Band Statutes, the Urban district was established and defined as being Anoka
Anoka County, Minnesota
Anoka County is the fourth-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the counties of Isanti on the north, Chisago and Washington on the east, Hennepin and Ramsey on the south, Sherburne on the west, and the Mississippi River on the southwest.As of 2010, Anoka...

, Hennepin
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...

 and Ramsey
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...

 Counties, providing TANF services to Band-members in those three counties. While TANF services are still at the core of the Urban District, the Urban District has grown in providing other tribal supportive services, before available only on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation proper. With a cooperative agreement with the city of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, the Urban District provides affordable rental housing units to eligible low-income Band members.

Communities

Though only nine communities are cited in the Band Statutes, the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation has ten formal communities and additional six informal communities.

Ten formal communities:
  • Vineland
    Vineland, Minnesota
    Vineland is a census-designated place in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census. As with other CDPs, the area and population values are included in aggregate values for its township...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (Neyaashiing)
  • Isle
    Isle, Minnesota
    Isle is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 751 at the 2010 census. Its name in the Ojibwe language is "Chi-minising" , due to being located right by Malone Island of Mille Lacs Lake, the largest island of that lake.-Geography:According to the United States...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (
    Chi-minising)
  • East Lake, Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (
    Minisinaakwaang)
  • Lake Minnewawa, Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (
    Manoominikaan-zaaga'iganiing)
  • Sandy Lake
    Sandy Lake, Minnesota
    Sandy Lake is an unincorporated Native American village located in Turner Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. Its name in the Ojibwe language is Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag, meaning "Place of the Sandy-shored Lake"...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (
    Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag )
  • Sandstone
    Sandstone, Minnesota
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,549 people, 580 households, and 359 families residing in the city. The population density was 292.5 people per square mile . There were 634 housing units at an average density of 119.7 per square mile...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (
    Asinikaaning')
  • Lake Lena
    Lake Lena, Minnesota
    Lake Lena is an unincorporated Native American village in Ogema Township, Pine County, Minnesota, United States, along the Lower Tamarack River...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (Aazhoomog)
  • Hinckley
    Hinckley, Minnesota
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,291 people, 551 households, and 332 families residing in the city. The population density was 454.3 people per square mile . There were 614 housing units at an average density of 216.0 per square mile...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag)
  • Pine City
    Pine City, Minnesota
    Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County...

    , Minnesota
    Minnesota
    Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

     (Ne-zhingwaakokaag)
  • The Twin Cities (Gichi-oodenaang)

Six informal communities:
  • Brainerd, Minnesota
    Brainerd, Minnesota
    Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...

     (Oshki-oodenaang)
  • Onamia, Minnesota
    Onamia, Minnesota
    As of the census of 2000, there were 847 people, 318 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The population density was 938.3 people per square mile . There were 355 housing units at an average density of 393.3 per square mile...

     (Gibaakwa'igaansing)
  • Cove, Minnesota (Wiikwegamaang)
  • Wahkon, Minnesota
    Wahkon, Minnesota
    Wahkon is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 206 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

     (Zaagawaamikaag-wiidwedong)
  • Moose Lake, Minnesota
    Moose Lake, Minnesota
    As of the census of 2000, there were 2,239 people, 577 households, and 294 families residing in the city. The population density was 811.1 people per square mile . There were 628 housing units at an average density of 227.5 per square mile...

     (Mooz-eskani-zaaga'iganiing)
  • Duluth, Minnesota
    Duluth, Minnesota
    Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

     (Onigamiinsing)

See also

  • Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
    Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
    The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1963 to provide a liaison between the government of Minnesota and the Native American tribes in the state. The council also brings issues of concern to Indians living in urban areas to the attention of the state...

  • Aaniin Ekidong: Ojibwe Vocabulary Project. St. Paul: Minnesota Humanities Center, 2009.
  • Treuer, Anton. Ojibwe in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010.
  • Treuer, Anton. Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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