Growing for the Future: Hinckley lake leaf dispensary now open

Lake Leaf Cultivation, a cannabis business owned by Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures (MLCV), proudly announces the opening of its second dispensary in Hinckley, Minn. This launch marks the next phase in the company’s seed-to-sale growth strategy, following the successful debut of its Onamia location earlier in June.

“We’re not just opening a second dispensary — we’re building a brand Minnesotans can trust, from cultivation to consumer experience,” said Aarik Robertson, General Manager of Lake Leaf Cultivation. “Over the past 18 months, we’ve worked hard to grow this business from the ground up. This opening is a milestone for our team, and we’re excited to continue growing with our customers. And we’re just getting started.”

Tribal Government News

TWO COMMISSIONERS SWORN INTO OFFICE

With the commissioner terms ending on September 30, 2025, two commissioners were sworn into office on Monday, June 30, 2025, during a special session of Band Assembly. Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate and Commissioner of Education Raina Killspotted were sworn in by Chief Justice Rhonda Sam.

GRA UPDATE- DON'T LET THE PAST HOLD YOU BACK

The Gaming Regulatory Authority (GRA) wants to help Band members who may not be comfortable in applying for casino positions due to their criminal history. GRA Licensing Employees are always happy to assist Band members with questions regarding their background. Band members who have faced licensing issues in the past are encouraged to contact our staff about eligibility and options.

TERO- REVVED UP AND READY TO ROLL

The Mille Lacs Band Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) proudly announces the graduation of eight participants from the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class A training course— marking a significant milestone on their path to new career opportunities in the professional driving industry.

A special graduation ceremony was held on June 27, 2025, to honor their dedication and hard work.

EXTENDED FOSTER CARE CARRIES BENEFITS TO YOUNG ADULTS

Let’s face it — adulting is hard. Even the word “adult” is vague. At some point, society decided that turning 18 magically transforms you into a full-fledged adult who’s supposed to have it all figured out. But life doesn’t come with an owner’s manual— and for many, especially youth aging out of foster care, the leap into adulthood can be overwhelming.

WATER OVER NICKEL UPDATE: UNDERSTANDING MINNESOTA'S CONNECTION TO CLEAN WATER

Water Over Nickel Published First-Ever Minnesota Water Outlook Survey

Water Over Nickel is grounded in our responsibility to protect clean water — not just for today, but for the generations yet to come. As part of our continued advocacy and education efforts, we launched the Minnesota Water Outlook survey to better understand how Minnesotans connect to clean water and their awareness of the threats it faces.

Highlights

BIRCH AND THE BOND BETWEEN US

What makes the birch tree so special is that while we, the Anishinaabe of the upper Midwest and Canada, used it for a millennium, we are not the only culture to make use of its wonderful qualities. Birch trees grow across the world, in places that share our same latitude (North and South) in both Europe and Asia, and have been used for baskets, canoes, medicines, writing, and more for thousands of years by Indigenous cultures everywhere who share similar elevation. Yet, across all cultures of the world, all who knew it used it to celebrate art, gather goods for survival, and even boil maple sap down to sugar in our neck of the woods.

MILLE LACS YOUTH REPRESENT AT NATIONAL UNITY CONFERENCE

In June, 28 Mille Lacs Band youth and eight chaperones from across all districts attended the national UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth) Conference in San Diego, California. The multi-day event brought Native youth from across the country together for leadership workshops, cultural exchange, keynote speakers, and breakout sessions focused on empowerment and identity.

Youth took part in lacrosse games, courtyard activities, a cultural night, talent show, fashion show, and gala. On Sunday, the group visited the San Diego Zoo, while others explored Los Angeles or toured Camp Pendleton — including one student preparing to enter the U.S. Marines.

MANOOMIN HARVEST 2025 OUTLOOK

Anishinaabe oral history tells of a prophecy guiding the Ojibwe to find their home “where the food grows on water” which lead them to the Great Lakes Region where manoomin grew in abundance naturally. Manoomin is a gift from the Creator as it is rich in nutrition it soon became a food staple that could be stored year-round. Manoomin has been deeply intertwined with Anishinaabe tradition, culture, identity, and spirituality for centuries.

IT'S COOL TO BE READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

Are you ready for backpacks, pencils, and pumpkin spice lattes? It is back to school time in just a few short weeks and it's not too early to start planning ahead to make the most of the new school year.

Here are some tips from HealthyChild.org to help you and your student transition to a fresh new school year.

Whether you are a seasoned professional back-to-school prep veteran or a first-timer, it is never too early to schedule that back to school clinic appointment and make sure everything is on track for a healthy school year.

MOCCASIN TELEGRAPH- FALL RICING

This article by the late Ken Weyous Sr. was first published in the Mille Lacs Messenger. It is reprinted here to preserve his teachings and bring them to the next generation.

Ricing is a very important seasonal activity for the Ojibwe, because wild rice was traditionally the main source of food for our people. Wild ricing begins in August and runs through October — about three months. In the fall, the rice is not on the big lakes — it’s on the shallow lakes with the muddy bottoms. So people would move from the large lakes, where they had been in the summer, to the smaller lakes.

Indian Country News

Wife of accused Minnesota lawmaker killer says husband's actions were "a betrayal"

The wife of Vance Boelter, the man accused in the deadly Minnesota lawmaker shootings, released a statement on Thursday calling her husband's alleged actions "a betrayal." Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed inside their Brooklyn Park home in the early morning hours of June 14. Their golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot and later died from his injuries. Also targeted in the shootings were Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were attacked inside their Champlin home about 90 minutes before the Hortmans were killed. Boelter, 57, faces federal and state murder and attempted murder charges. He was captured some 36 hours after the shootings near his home in Green Isle, about 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis, in what officials say was the largest manhunt in state history. Jenny Boelter's full statement, released on her behalf by her legal team: "On behalf of my children and myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hortman and Hoffman families. Our condolences are with all who are grieving during this unimaginably difficult time, and we are praying daily for them."

Source: CBS News.

‘As vulnerable as a plant can be’: New study finds climate change largely to blame for less wild rice:

A new study finds the availability of a wild rice in the Great Lakes region has been declining over the past 30 years, partially due to climate change. The decline, the study says, “has disrupted Ojibwe lifeways, family, and health.” Brandon Byrne, inland fisheries biologist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, or GLIFWC, coauthored and helped collect data for the study. Byrne said that the plant is most vulnerable during its early stages. “Not only is it vulnerable to weather or climatic variables, it’s also vulnerable to motorboat use. Its ecology is very delicate.” Rob Croll, coauthor of the study and commission policy analyst and climate change coordinator, said, “You have to look at manoomin and climate change holistically. It’s as vulnerable a plant as a plant can be. One of the things that we’re seeing — will continue to see — is our precipitation coming less frequently, but more intensely: much heavier rain storms, which can cause quick floods. During [early growth] stages, floods will uproot the plant. Later on in its growth, when there are seeds on the plant, big storms and heavy winds can devastate a rice bed just by blowing the stalks down into the water. Source: WPR Wisconsin Today.

White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities:

In President Donald Trump’s budget request, he’s proposing slashing funding for tribal colleges and universities, including eliminating support for the country’s only federally funded college for contemporary Native American arts. If the budget is approved by Congress, beginning in October, the more than $13 million in annual appropriations for the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be reduced to zero. It would be the first time in nearly 40 years that the congressionally chartered school would not receive federal support, said Robert Martin, the school’s president. Source: APNEWS.