Jump to content

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Elevatorrailfan (talk | contribs) at 07:44, 25 November 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Members of a Leech Lake Ojibwe delegation to Washington, 1899
Total population
9,426
Regions with significant populations
 United States ( Minnesota)
Languages
English, Ojibwe
Religion
Midewiwin, Roman Catholicism, Methodism
Related ethnic groups
other bands of Minnesota Chippewa
and other Ojibwe people

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and as Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg in the Ojibwe language, is an Ojibwe band located in Minnesota and one of six making up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The band had 9,426 enrolled tribal members as of March 2014. The band's land base is the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, which includes eleven communities aggregated into three districts, as defined in the tribal constitution,

Government

As a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, which also includes the bands of Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Mille Lacs, and White Earth, the Leech Lake Band is governed by a tribal constitution, written following the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. The tribe's constitution established a corporate system of governance with "reservation business committees," also referred to as "Reservation Tribal Councils", as the governmental body. The committees are composed of a chairperson, a secretary-treasurer, and three district representatives. The representatives are elected for four-year terms. Their elections are staggered.

The current Tribal Council is as follows (with the year of next election for the position in parentheses):

  • Chairman Faron Jackson Sr. (2020)
  • Secretary/Treasurer Arthur "Archie" LaRose (2018)
  • District I Representative Penny DeVault (2018)
  • District II Representative Steven White (2018)
  • District III Representative LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks III (2020)

Socioeconomic initiatives

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe operates three casinos: Palace Casino and Hotel in Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation; Northern Lights in Walker; and White Oak in Deer River. The Band's Business Development Division also operates the Che-We-Ka-E-Gon Complex in Cass Lake, which consists of a convenience store and gas station, a gift shop, and an office supply store. Additionally, the Band operates the Northern Lights Express, a gas station near the Northern Lights Casino.

In addition to economic initiatives, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has founded two major educational initiatives: the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, an open enrollment K-12 school, and Leech Lake Tribal College, which grants associate degrees.

Like the Red Lake and White Earth Bands, the Leech Lake Band is known for its tradition of singing hymns in the Ojibwe language.[1]

Notable Leech Lake Band citizens

References

  1. ^ Dan Gunderson (2013-01-14). "At White Earth, hymns a unique part of a renewed Ojibwe culture". Park Rapids Enterprise. Park Rapids, Minnesota. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  2. ^ Dr. Priscilla Fairbanks, University of Minnesota Duluth
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leech_Lake_Band_of_Ojibwe&oldid=751377641"