TREATY RIGHTS CELEBRATION BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Annual event highlights stewardship efforts, partnerships, and treaty resources
Story and photos by Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
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.
Chief Executive Virgil Wind opened his remarks reiterating the significance that Treaty Rights Day is more than a celebration. "It is A reminder that our rights are not given to us by any government. They are not temporary. They are not negotiable. They are ours," He said. "They come from the scarifies of our ancestors — those who stood firm, who negotiated, who protected our way of life so that we could stand here today as Anishinaabe people. They secured for us the right to hunt, fish, and gather... the right to live as Ojibwe... the right to remain who we are. Anishinaabe."
Applegate shared updates on several DNR initiatives, including work by the Fisheries program led by Carl Klimah, a fisheries biologist who monitors fish populations and reviews models developed by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) and the State of Minnesota as part of the co-management of the Mille Lacs Lake fishery.
The department is also conducting several studies, including an energetic study at the fish hatchery. Plans are underway to renew the hatchery, which is expected to produce up to five million fish and support restoration of the lake's resources — a project Applegate described as "a great flex to our sovereignty."
The Wildlife program continues conservation work by collecting samples from harvesters for research, including chronic wasting disease studies, and partnering with the Minnesota DNR and Ducks Unlimited on wetland and manoomin restoration projects. Other projects include installing floating docks on Lake Minnewawa, replacing the dock at the powwow grounds, and developing a landing at Walleye Road.
Executive Director Susan Klapel also recognized the work of the many divisions within the DNR, noting that the department's success depends on the people behind it. She highlighted the Band's nine certified wildland firefighters, who protect lives, property, and natural resources while helping restore and maintain healthy ecosystems through collaborative fire-management programs. "The work they do and the expertise they have and the sacrifice they provide is top notch," Applegate said.
Last year, the DNR also partnered with local schools to plant 100 fruit-bearing trees at Lenny's Apple Orchard in Onamia. Wildlife staff continue monitoring wildlife and waterfowl populations throughout the region.
Community partners hosting informational booths included Water Over Nickel, the Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, Mille Lacs Kathio and Father Hennepin State Parks, the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, Rice Lake and Sherburne National Wildlife Refuges, the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Free event T-shirts were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
