Building the Future: Community Development Advances housing, infrastructure, And Workforce Training
From housing renovations and infrastructure improvements to new workforce training initiatives, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Community Development Department - overseen by Commissioner Tracy Burr — is advancing a number of projects aimed at strengthening communities across the Reservation while building long-term capacity within the Band government.
The Community Development Department provides development and improvement services that promote safety, security, and cultural sensitivity while building stronger communities. The department is responsible for housing construction and maintenance, roads, and critical infrastructure such as water and sewer systems.
UNDERSTANDING MAKWA GLOBAL
Makwa Global is a tribally owned business, 100% owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, that works with U.S. government agencies to generate revenue for the Band and create long-term opportunities for Band members.
In recent months, community members have asked a number of questions about Makwa Global - how it operates, what types of work it performs, and how it benefits the Band. The following information addresses some of the most common questions and provides a clearer understanding of the company's work and role within the Band's economic development efforts.
Is Makwa involved with ICE or Border Patrol?
No. Makwa does not provide services or support to ICE, detention centers, or U.S. Border Patrol in any form. It has never done this type of work and does not plan to. The focus is on projects that align with Tribal values and create opportunities for Band members.
Tribal Government News
UNDERSTANDING THE BAND'S INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe created an Institutional Investment Committee in December 2021 to help guide the management of the Band's investment portfolio and support long-term financial stability for future generations.
The committee was established through Ordinance 15-22, which amended Title 17 of the Mille Lacs Band Statutes. The ordinance was introduced to the Band Assembly and approved on December 1, 2021, formally creating the committee and outlining its responsibilities in overseeing the Bands investments.
TREATY RIGHTS CELEBRATION BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Band members and community partners gathered March 27 at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Convention Center for the annual Treaty Rights Celebration. The event featured presentations, the Little Otter Drum Group, department updates, informational booths, lunch, and a large raffle giveaway. Speakers included Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Virgil Wind and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Kelly Applegate.
Sugar Camp Begins: DNR CULTURAL RESOURCES BRINGS THE SPRING TRADITION TO AREA YOUTH
For more than a decade, the Cultural Resources Department has worked closely with area youth and the Mille Lacs Band community to pass down cultural harvesting practices. These teachings include treaty rights — especially those connected to the 1837 Treaty - seasonal harvesting traditions, safety protocols, and the rules and responsibilities that guide each season, whether it is ricing, sugar bush, fishing, or gathering.
THREE YEARS OF CHOOSING WATER OVER NICKEL
Three years ago, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe launched Water Over Nickel, an initiative rooted in our duty to protect Minnesota's clean water, land, and cultural resources for future generations. Our ancestors chose this place because of the waters that sustain life. Those waters still provide for our people today - from the wild rice beds and fisheries that feed our families to the lakes and rivers that shape our culture and way of life. Water Over Nickel was established to ensure these waters remain protected.
Highlights
GRAND CASINOS: FROM PROJECTS TO PEOPLE
Five years can go by in a blink, especially when you're busy growing, learning, and making a difference at Grand Casino. For Shannon Porter, celebrating five years at Grand Casino is about looking back at a career filled with new experiences and meaningful connections. Now the Director of Talent for both Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Hinckley, Shannon is well known for her commitment to Associates and her steady, people-focused leadership.
Shannon's journey is one of deep roots and personal growth. As a proud citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, her connection to the community has always been a guiding force. Through life's ups and downs, the MLB community and her mother's unwavering encouragement have been constant sources of support for her and her family. Her path has not been without obstacles, but she has overcome them by embracing her culture and seeking strength through, which includes attending ceremonies and helping her daughter go through Mildewin.
MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe continues its tradition of supporting communities through charitable giving through the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Foundation. The Foundation recently awarded donations to several organizations supporting education, culture, language preservation, and community services across the region.
Sharing Humor, Culture and Connection: Band member Dylan Oswaldson uses popular social media platform to reach and encourage youth across Indian Country
Humor, culture, and everyday Rez life are reaching thousands of viewers online thanks to a young Mille Lacs Band member whose voice is resonating far beyond the reservation. Dylan Oswaldson has built a following of more than 200,000 people on Tiklok, where his videos blend humor, cultural teachings, and encouragement for young people across Indian Country. What began as a few short videos during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a platform where he shares relatable moments and messages of connection. His platform is called #Rezzalations.
Mille Lacs band member Leads the Way in Ojibwe Language Achievement
Mille Lacs Band member Tecumseh Fahrlander has earned the inaugural World Language Proficiency Certificate for the Ojibwe language, becoming the first person in Minnesota to receive the certificate for Ojibwe from the Minnesota Department of Education.
The World Language Proficiency Certificate is the state's official award recognizing high school students who demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Students must demonstrate designated levels of proficiency in four areas of communication: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
REFINING HER UNIQUE ARTISTIC VOICE
Ella Strauss is discovering how art can be a powerful way to express ideas and raise awareness. The 15-year-old sophomore attends the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Fla., a school known for its demanding academics and rigorous arts programs.
At Dreyfoos, students are encouraged not only to master technical skills but also to think critically and create boldly. Strauss has embraced that environment as she continues to explore and refine her unique artistic voice.
Indian Country News
US national parks told to remove signs on mistreatment of Native Americans, climate, Wash Post reports:
U.S. officials this month ordered national parks to remove dozens of signs and displays related to the mistreatment of Native Americans by settlers, as well as about climate change and environmental protection, the Washington Post reported. The move is part of President Donald Trump's campaign to reshape public spaces and museums in a way that rights advocates say could undo decades of social progress. The National Park Service staff last week removed an exhibit on slavery from a Philadelphia historic site in line with Trump's claims, rejected by civil rights groups, of "anti-American ideology" at historical and cultural institutions. The removal orders include a display at the Grand Canyon about the forced removal of Native Americans, the Post reported, while at Glacier National Park, Trump administration officials flagged a brochure and a sign about climate change. The U.S. Interior
Department, which oversees the National Park Service, said in a statement that it was carrying out Trump's executive order on "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." Source: Reuters.
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.
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