WIND ADDRESS COUNTY BOARD OVER M-OPINION RESOLUTION
Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Wind addresses the Mille Lacs County Board. Photo by Vivian LaMoore.
May 3, 2026
Chief Executive urges cooperation while reaffirming the Band will defend Reservation boundary
By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
Chief Executive Virgil Wind appeared before the Mille Lacs County Board of Commissioners on April 21, urging county leaders to reconsider Resolution 02-03-26-03 asking the U.S. Department of the Interior to revisit the Solicitor's Opinion M-37032 (M-Opinion) affirming that the Mille Lacs Band Reservation boundary was never diminished or disestablished.
Speaking before commissioners and a room of county residents, Wind outlined the Mille Lacs Band's contributions to the region and urged leaders to pursue cooperation rather than renewed legal conflict.
Wind said the Band was disappointed by the county's resolution and emphasized that the M-Opinion has not caused harm to Mille Lacs County or its residents. He also noted that decades of legal disputes between the Band and the County have already cost both sides millions of dollars.
"The Mille Lacs Band has been good neighbors to the county," Wind said, pointing to employment opportunities for local residents, economic development and housing investments through Band enterprises, and the substantial property taxes generated by Band businesses, contributions to road maintenance, and protecting natural resources through partnerships with the Minnesota DNR.
"If we weren't doing this, the burden would fall on someone else," he said.
Wind also highlighted the Band's broader role in the regional economy, noting that Band enterprises and government center combined are the largest employers in Mille Lacs County and contribute significantly to local infrastructure, tourism, and community services.
At the same time, Wind made clear that the Band will continue to defend the Reservation boundary if necessary.
"We are not going anywhere," Wind said. "We are here. We will be here."
While reaffirming that responsibility, Wind urged the county commissioners to reconsider their resolution and pursue cooperation rather than renewed legal conflict.
"We can spend millions more dollars fighting. We can go back to court," he said. "Or we can figure out a way to come together."
Wind said prolonged disputes ultimately harm the communities both governments serve.
Despite the disagreement, Wind said he hoped the meeting could help rebuild a cooperative relationship between the Band and the County.
"Let's get in a room, turn the microphones off, clear the room and have the real conversations that matter," he said.
Wind said prolonged disputes ultimately harm the communities both governments serve. "Who stands to profit? Attorneys. Who will be hurt? Our children and our families. Please consider rescinding that resolution. There has been no harm. We have been good neighbors. And together we can go someplace different."
County Commissioners Respond
County commissioners thanked Wind for attending and shared their perspectives following his remarks.
Board Chair Ginny Reynolds said, "I don't think this resolution is going to change anything. It is just clarification for not only Mille Lacs Band but also Mille Lacs County residents. We want to help both of them and we do want to work together."
Commissioner Dan Whitcomb said the County's dispute was not directed at the Mille Lacs Band itself but rather at the federal government that issued the opinion. "Our fight right now is not with the tribe. It is with our own government. Governor Walz, Ex-president Biden, and whatever administration generated that [opinion M]. Sometime during that lawsuit, which I wasn't part of, I think today's politics with Governor Walz and Keith Ellison, and our county, has driven that [resolution]. Not necessarily the tribe. I don't think asking the department to reconsider it — well, is our sovereign right. That is all we asked is for them to reconsider it. If it comes out the same — fine. If it comes out different, then I guess we have more issues to talk about. I think this Board of Commissioners, because they were not part of it, was surprised by the Mlletter] | think the county's side is that we were not involved with it and the county's side was not consulted by the Department of Interior."
Commissioner Ronda Bjornson thanked Wind for his presentation and said that because many current commissioners were not serving when earlier legal disputes occurred, additional historical context about how the M-opinion came about could be helpful.
Commissioner Jay Munson expressed interest in finding a way to "keep us out of litigation, and keep us talking. Not everybody was in consensus in the vote. I hope you will not give up on working with us and come to the table often, as we should come to your table as well."
Commissioner Roger Tellinghuisen thanked Wind for coming and said he would "give it some thought."
Reynolds concluded by reiterating that the County would be open to further conversations and possible meetings with Band leadership moving forward.
In a follow-up email sent to the Band from County Administrator, Doug Hansen, he formally thanked Wind for the presentation and said, "Mille Lacs County remains committed to strengthening and building our relationship with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. We look forward to continuing meaningful dialogue and working together in a spirit of mutual respect and shared goals for our communities."
The County's resolution asks the U.S. Department of the Interior to revisit the M-Opinion, which concluded that the Mille Lacs Band Reservation boundary was never diminished or disestablished. Wind reiterated during the meeting that the Band will continue to defend that finding while remaining open to dialogue with County leaders about how the two governments can move forward.
