The Leech Lake Indian Reservation (Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag in the Ojibwe language) is an Indian reservation located in the north-central Minnesota counties of (in descending order of reservation area) Cass, Itasca, Beltrami, and Hubbard.
It is the land base for the federally recognized Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, one of six bands in the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, organized in 1934. With a resident population of 10,660 in the 2010 United States census, the Leech Lake Reservation had the highest population of any reservation in the state.
Geography and demographics [edit]
As of the 2010 census, the reservation had a population of 10,660,[1] making it the largest in the state by number of residents. Over one-fourth of its territory is lakes, as the reservation covers 972.517 sq mi (2,518.806 km²) of land and 337.392 sq mi (873.841 km²) of water. It is the second-largest reservation in Minnesota (after the White Earth Indian Reservation) in terms of land area, and the largest in terms of total area.
The core areas of the reservation were established according to an 1855 treaty as three smaller reservations for the Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians, and modified several times thereafter. Under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the present "Greater" Leech Lake Indian Reservation was formed from the merger of the Leech Lake, Cass Lake, and Lake Winnibigoshish Indian reservations of the Pillager Band, the Chippewa Indian Reservation of the Lake Superior Chippewa, and White Oak Point Indian Reservation of the Mississippi River Band of Chippewa Indians.
Most of the reservation land is now within the Chippewa National Forest, which makes it extremely difficult to expand human settlements. Only a very small percentage of the total land is owned by tribal members.
The largest lakes on the reservation are Leech Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, and Cass Lake. The band uses 40 lakes for the production of wild rice, and the community produces more rice than any other reservation in the state.
The reservation consists of eleven villages, with two additional communities that have a substantial number of Leech Lake Band members. Nearly all Leech Lake communities are located in or near the woods of the Chippewa National Forest. The largest community is Cass Lake, which is situated on the southwestern shores of the lake by the same name. The next largest settlements are Ball Club, Inger, Bena, and Squaw Lake. Some of the communities have all housing located along only one road, with each side of the road lined with homes.
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Coordinates: 47°21′19″N 94°15′25″W / 47.35528°N 94.25694°W / 47.35528; -94.25694
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