galleries
MMIWR Event
Photos by Bradley Roache Jr.
Dreaming Our Future Indigenous Artists Gallery Opening
Photos by Bradley Roache Jr.
Wewinabi Family Fun day
Submitted Photos
Native American Heritage Month Celebration Powwow
The Native American Heritage Month Celebration Powwow was held on Friday, November 10 at the New District I Community Center. The event was hosted by the District I Office of Representative Virgil Wind in collaboration with the Maadaoonidiwag grant, Grand Casino Mille Lacs Band Member Recruitment, and Health and Human Services Population Health.
Maadaoonidiwag is a creative placemaking grant funded through the Blandin Foundation. Miigwech to the Initiative Foundation who are the financial administrators of this grant, without them this would not have been possible. Maadaoonidiwag means to share knowledge. This Powwow and cultural classes held this summer are a result of our efforts to Maadaoonidiwag!
District I Spooktacular Halloween party
Photos were submitted by the community and Virgil Wind.
WHAT DOES MINOBIMAADIZIWIN MEAN TO YOU?
Photos by Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Staff
The goal of the Mino-bimaadiziwin Community Project is to capture the perspectives of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members of all ages to highlight community, culture, and wellness in honor of Native American Heritage Month.
The Mino-bimaadiziwin project is a joint effort between the SHIP grant at Health and Human Services and the Ojibwe Inaajimowin.
Staff set out visiting each District and the Urban area as a way to include the perspectives from as many community members as possible.
Participants were asked to answer the question: "What does mino-bimaadiziwin mean to you?"
Each participant was photographed and their quote is highlighted by their photo. Those who chose to participate, but did not want to be photographed were given that option as well.
The project's images and quotes will be displayed at the Native American Heritage Month celebration powwow on November 10 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The powwow is hosted by the District I Office of Representative Virgil Wind in collaboration with the Maadaoonidiwag grant, Grand Casino Mille Lacs Band Member Recruitment, and Health and Human Services Population Health. Everyone is welcome to join in to share some of the beauty of the Mille Lacs Band culture with song, dance, family, and community
Photos have been placed in random order.
Miigwech.
2023 NAS Safety Day
Photos By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Staff
Fire Prevention and Safety Day was held at Nay Ah Shing schools on October 17 at both the Upper and Lower schools. Students at Abinoojiiyag learned about fire prevention and safety, visited with firefighters from the Garrison Fire Department and the Mille Lacs Band DNR Wildland firefighters; and learned about gas and electrical safety from Mille Lacs Energy Coop, East Central Energy, and Center Point Energy. Students had the opportunity to see equipment used in each profession.
Upper School students had a crash course in seatbelt use and impaired driving conditions from representatives of Minnesota Department of Transportation Towards Zero Deaths pro- gram. Students had the opportunity to participate in exercises using the seatbelt convincer, a rollover simulator, and had a chance to drive the peddle-powered go-cart while wearing impaired vision goggles.
Safety Day is an annual presentation coordinated through the Emergency Management Department and Community Risk Reduction.
District I Community Meeting 09-2023 Educators
DISTRICT I COMMUNITY MEETING HONORS AREA EDUCATOR
On Thursday, September 28, the District I Community Meeting was buzzing with energy as area educators with over 400 years of collective education experience gathered for a meet and greet at the District I Community Center. The evening was focused on supporting and recognizing those who dedicate their lives to education. Over 100 teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, school board members, bus drivers, and cooks from the local area schools gathered to support and celebrate education in the Mille Lacs community. District I Representative and Onamia School Board Chair Virgil Wind invited the area educators to meet the community during the District I September Community Meeting and he said the event held many purposes.
2023 NAS First day of School
Photos by Vivian LaMoore
District I End of Summer Celebration
Photos by Curt Kalk
Mille Lacs ISKIGAMIZIGAN Traditional Powwow
Photos by Rhonda Mitchell and Vivian LaMoore
East Lake Powwow 2023
Powwow Season
July 21-23, 2023
Hinckley Powwow 2023
Grand Celebration
June 16, 17, and 18, 2023
2023 memorial day powwow
The annual Memorial Day powwow was held on May 29, 2023, at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post.
Wildland Firefighters
On May 3, 2023, all of the elements for a prescribed burn aligned and the BIA along with Wildland firefighters from Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, and Fond du Lac performed prescribed burns on the Mille Lacs Reservation. The prescribed burns served as training tools for new wildland firefighters as well as to protect and support a healthy natural ecosystem, and protect cultural resources.
2023 Onamia Public Schools Powwow
On Friday, May 5, 2023, Onamia Public School held an end-of-the-year powwow for all students, staff, school board members, and faculty. Enjoy these photos of the afternoon with everything from royalty to the potato dance.
Secretary of the Interior Visits Mille Lacs
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is honored to have hosted U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community) on Saturday, June 3, 2023, as part of the “Road to Healing” tour led by Haaland and her staff. This is the seventh stop on a year-long tour as part of the DOI Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. This is an effort to uncover stories from federally run boarding schools for Indigenous children. Haaland and Newland listened to testimony from survivors of Indian boarding schools and from descendants of survivors.
Photos by Vivian LaMoore
Fifth Grade Celebration
Abinoojiiyag held a special celebration for the 5th grade transition to upper school on May 24, 2023.
Ice Rescue Training
Wearing ice rescue suits for floatation and warmth, participants practiced various rescue skills taught by the GLIFWC conservation officers lead by Warden Gale Smith.
CHIMINISING POWWOW
PHOTOS By MAAJIITAAZIIBIIKWE MARY SAM
New royalty was crowned at the Chiminising Ziigwan youth powwow held on Sunday, April 23, 2023, sponsored by Bebiskaneyaashiikwe, Wendy Merrill, District II Representative. The host drum was Red Willow. The Head man was Luther Sam with Head Woman Wendy Merrill. Both Merrill and Sam had the honor of dancing with the newly crowned youth royalty Smith and Gonzales pictured below. The Master of Ceremonies (emcee) for the youth powwow was Migizi Sullivan. Chi Miigwech to all who attended and to all of the volunteers.
NAS Sugarbush Camp 4th Grade
On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the Nay Ah Shing 4th grade class attended sugarbush camp to learn as they had fun while collecting sap and boiling for maple syrup. Please see the May issue of the Inaajimowin for the story.
Welcoming Sam Moose!
Sam Moose was sworn in as the new Commissioner of Administration by the Honorable District I Associate Judge Rhonda Sam before a full Band Assembly on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
Roundy of the Legends
The Roundy of the Legends was held on Friday, February 24, 2023, at Minisinaakwaang East Lake Community Center sponsored by District II Representative Wendy Merrill. The event was filled with fun, food, laughs, dancing, singing, contests, and community. Contests included: hand drum, womens backup, womens sidestep, mens sidestep, girls sidestep, boys sidestep, ribbon skirt and shirt, contests. Congratulations to all of the winners and miigwech to all who attended and volunteered.
exercising our treaty rights
All of the photos gathered are personal photos submitted by Mille Lacs Band community members and printed with their permission.
Community Outreach and Veterinary Medicine (COVE)
Community Outreach and Veterinary Medicine (COVE) is an interactive educational program designed to introduce community members to the exciting field of veterinary medicine.
Photos by Li Boyd, Band Member
BUILDING STEAM WHILE BUILDING LEGOS
Nay Ah Shing fifth-grade students in the Science Technology Engineering Art and Math (STEAM) class at the Abininoojiiyag Elementary School participated in a First Lego League competition on January 14, 2023, in Otsego, Minn. This was the first competition this STEAM team had participated in and they came back winners bringing home the Breakthrough Award for their Innovation Project.