Red Lake Indian Reservation - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Red Lake 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...

covers 1,258.62 sq mi (3,259.81 km²) in parts of nine counties in northern 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is divided into many pieces, although the largest piece is centered about Red Lake

Red Lake (Minnesota)

Red Lake is a lake in Beltrami County in northern Minnesota, USA. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Minnesota, and the 16th largest lake in the United States. The lake is separated into two sections by a peninsula on the eastern side that almost bisects it in the middle. The community of...

, in north-central Minnesota, the largest lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

entirely within that state. This section lies primarily in the counties of Beltrami

Beltrami County, Minnesota

Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...

and Clearwater

Clearwater County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,423 people, 3,330 households, and 2,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...

. Seven other counties also have land that is part of the reservation. The second-largest section is much farther north in the Northwest Angle

Northwest Angle

The Northwest Angle, known simply as the Angle by locals, and coextensive with Angle Township, is a part of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, and is the only place in the United States outside Alaska that is north of the 49th parallel...

of Lake of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota

Lake of the Woods County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 4,045. Its county seat is Baudette. The county contains the Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the Lower 48 States, and includes the U.S. portion of Lake of the Woods, shared with...

, near the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

border and has no permanent residents. Between these two largest sections are literally hundreds of mostly tiny non-contiguous exclaves of the reservation in the counties of Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Koochiching

Koochiching County, Minnesota

Koochiching County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 13,311. Its county seat is International Falls. A portion of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation is in the county. A small part of Voyageurs National Park extends into its northeast...

, Roseau

Roseau County, Minnesota

Roseau County is a county located in the state of Minnesota, United States. As of 2010, the population was 15,629. Its county seat is Roseau.-Geography:...

, Pennington

Pennington County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,584 people, 5,525 households, and 3,552 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 6,033 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...

, Marshall

Marshall County, Minnesota

Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. State of Minnesota. In 2010, the population was 9,439. It's county seat is Warren.-Geography:...

, Red Lake, and Polk

Polk County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,369 people, 12,070 households, and 8,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 14,008 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...

. It is home to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...

, and is the most populous reservation in the state according to the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, which recorded 5,162 residents. The only place in Minnesota with a higher 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...

population is the state's largest city, 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...

, which recorded 8,378 Indian residents that year. The reservation's largest community is Red Lake

Red Lake, Minnesota

There is also a Red Lake County in Minnesota.Red Lake is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory located in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2000 census, Red Lake had a total population of 1,436...

, on the south shore of Red Lake

Red Lake (Minnesota)

. With the large lake in the heart of the reservation's territory, its total land area, 880.324 square miles (2,280 km²), is only about 70% of the reservation's surface area.

History

Allied with the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians

Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians

Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians are a historical band of Chippewa , originally living along the Red River of the North and its tributaries....

, the Red Lake Band first negotiated the Treaty of Old Crossing with the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

in 1863, and made additional agreements in the following decades.

With the realization that border between the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and Canada

Canada

was improperly placed due to land survey

Surveying

See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...

errors, the corrected boundaries included the Northwest Angle

Northwest Angle

within the United States, and the Lac du Bois Band of Ojibwa found itself in the United States. Without an independent federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Affairs

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...

, the Lac du Bois Band was consolidated with the Red Lake Band. While the tribe ceded large tracts of land, it successfully resisted attempts at allotment, which divided land on other reservations in Minnesota and elsewhere. During this period some of the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians

Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians

Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians are a historical band of Chippewa , originally living along the Red River of the North and its tributaries....

, refusing relocation to the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation

Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation

Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation is an Indian Reservation located primarily in northern North Dakota. It is the land-base for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians ....

or to the White Earth Indian Reservation

White Earth Indian Reservation

The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...

, escaped to the Red Lake Indian Reservation because it was "untouched Indian land".

The current reservation is entirely owned by the Red Lake Band, making it unique among reservations in Minnesota (some tribes own less than 10% of the land on their reservations). While this is a source of pride for tribal members, it also means that Red Lake is the most isolated reservation in the United States. The tribe asserts a significant level of sovereignty

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

, which can cause tension when outsiders attempt to visit (journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

s have been barred from entering on multiple occasions), and also when crime

Crime

Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...

s are prosecuted because jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

can be unclear. The reservation was also the first in the United States to issue its own vehicle license plates.

Communities

Little Rock
Little Rock, Minnesota
Little Rock is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,055 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
Ponemah
Ponemah, Minnesota
Ponemah is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 874 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
Red Lake
Red Lake, Minnesota
There is also a Red Lake County in Minnesota.Red Lake is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory located in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2000 census, Red Lake had a total population of 1,436...
Redby
Redby, Minnesota
Redby is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

Demographics

Per capita

Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...

income is lower at Red Lake than on any other reservation in the state. It was estimated at US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

8,372 in 1999 according to the Northwest Area Foundation. Approximately 40% of residents live below the poverty line. Between 1990 and 2000, the population also increased by 40%. Many people have been returning to the reservation after experiencing difficulty finding employment elsewhere. This is believed to be partially fueling the epidemic level of crime on the reservation; 3,500 court

Court

A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...

cases were filed in 2004. The majority of the crimes are drug-related, and violence has also been a significant problem. The majority population is consisted of children, with approximately 60% of the residents under the age of 18.

Some in the community have expressed hope that interest may be renewed in the tribe's traditions, and that this form of "traditional values

Traditional values

Traditional values refer to those beliefs, moral codes, and mores that are passed down from generation to generation within a culture, subculture or community.-Summary:Since the late 1970s in the U.S., the term "traditional values" has become synonymous...

" may improve life on the reservation. However, others have a more pragmatic view and believe that the community needs to focus on education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

and finding ways to get people to work and paid adequately. The majority of professions on the reservation have pay in the vicinity of $7 per hour as of 2005. The tribe operates three casino

Casino

In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...

operations, though it is reported that even those operations are not prosperous. A small operation is located in the village of Red Lake, the 13,000 ft². River Road Casino

Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls

Seven Clans Casino Hotel & Indoor Waterpark is a tribally owned casino situated near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Built in the early 90s, the casino was called River Road Casino...

is located seven miles south of Thief River Falls

Thief River Falls, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...

, and the Lake of the Woods Bingo and Casino is in Warroad

Warroad, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,722 people, 657 households, and 419 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 766 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.65% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 7.38% Native American,...

. Seven Clans Casino Red Lake is located in Red Lake, Minnesota

Red Lake, Minnesota

. The three casinos combined are known as Seven Clans Casinos

Seven Clans Casinos

Seven Clans Casinos is a tribal gaming enterprise which is owned and operated by Red Lake Nation, and consists of three casinos: Seven Clans Casino Red Lake, Seven Clans Casino Warroad, and Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls. Red Lake Nation also operates the Super 8 and Lakeview Restaurant in...

.

Crime and poverty are factors on the reservation. The tribe was led from 1959 to 1990 by Roger Jourdain, a cousin of tribal archeologist Ginger Thompson, who became a rather well-known and respected leader due to his comments against the United States government and his pragmatic attitude. However, in 1979, the level of discontent on the reservation increased after the tribal council fired the secretary-treasurer, resulting in riot

Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...

s. Fourteen buildings were set afire, including the law enforcement center and Jourdain's home. Two teenagers also died as a result of gunshot wounds.

In the past, industry

Industry

Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...

on the reservation has primarily consisted of logging

Logging

Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

and commercial fishing

Commercial fishing

Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...

of walleye

Walleye

Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

in the lakes that give the community its name. However, walleye production dropped significantly in the 1990s, adding to the region's financial strain. However, the community receives $50 to $60 million each year in US federal subsidies

Subsidy

A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...

. The local school district

School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

reportedly spends more money per student than any other in Minnesota.

The poverty level of the tribe, coupled with financial difficulties in state government, led Minnesota Governor

Governor of Minnesota

The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...

Tim Pawlenty

Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...

in 2004–2005 to propose a joint casino operation co-owned by the White Earth

White Earth Indian Reservation

The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...

, Leech Lake

Leech Lake Indian Reservation

The Leech Lake Indian Reservation or Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag in the Ojibwe language, is an Native American reservation located in the north-central Minnesota counties of Cass, Itasca, Beltrami, and Hubbard. It is the land-base for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe...

, and Red Lake bands, and the state government. It would have operated in the populous Twin Cities area, where some of the most successful Indian gaming facilities in the country are located. However, the plan quickly became unpopular and was deemed illegal by Attorney General Mike Hatch

Mike Hatch

Michael Allen Hatch is an American politician, and was Attorney General of Minnesota from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, he was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for governor of Minnesota...

. The tribe soon pulled out of negotiations.

External links

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

History

Communities

Demographics

Further reading

External links