Fond
du Lac Chippewa Reservation
home of
Little Black Bear Elementary School
Federal reservation
Chippewa
Canton and St. Louis counties, Minnesota
Fond du Lac Chippewa
105 University Road
Cloquet, Minnesota 55720
(218) 8794593
Fax 8794146
Total area 100,000 acres
Tribally owned 4,800 acres
Allotted 17,034 acres
High school graduate or higher 69.5%
Bachelors degree or higher 08.2%
Per capita income $5,457
Total labor force 407
Unemployment rate 27.3%
Total reservation population 3,211
Tribal enrollment 6,606
LOCATION AND LAND STATUS
The Fond du Lac Reservation is located in east-central Minnesota, about
20 miles west of Duluth. The reservation's trust area presently includes
approximately 22,000 acres and is predominantly flat and moderately lush
in vegetation. The western edge of Lake Superior lies due east of the
reservation (Duluth being a port city). The reservation is composed of
three districts: Cloquet, Sawyer, and Brookston.
The reservation was established by the treaty of 1854 and at the time
comprised nearly 98,000 acres. Today, only about 4,800 acres remain as
tribal community lands, with an additional 17,034 acres allotted to individual
tribal members.
CULTURE AND HISTORY
The Fond du Lac Reservation is a member reservation of the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe, a group comprising six Minnesota reservations, all located in the
northern half of the state. Chippewa,
the term generally used in treaties and official documents, is a corruption
of the early spellings of "Ojibway." The Ojibway were once one
of the largest Indian nations north of Mexico, controlling lands that
ranged from both shores of Lakes Huron and Superior in the east to North
Dakota in the west. The tribe was a nomadic timber people who engaged
primarily in hunting and fishing, the gathering of fruits and wild rice,
and some agriculture. Their tendency to remain in the native forests and
avoid the prized farming areas lessened the impact of white encroachment
upon the tribe. The tribe has been officially at peace with the U.S. Government
since 1815 and hence has experienced less dislocation than many other
tribes.
The original constitution and bylaws of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe were
ratified in 1936, greatly influenced by the Indian Reorganization Act
of 1934. The structure they arrived at allowed for a consolidated tribal
government without a relinquishment of control at the local level. Each
member reservation elects its own Business Committee, which governs locally
as well as furnishing representation to the larger tribal organization
which is in turn governed by a Tribal Executive Committee.
The modern-day Minnesota Chippewa are a highly diverse group, bent on
maintaining aspects of their traditional culture while improving their
economic and social conditions. The Fond du Lac Band has recently opened
a $7 million community college on their reservation. And they, along with
other bands in the tribe, have recently opened a tribal casino which has
already generated substantial employment and revenues, the latter of which
is being largely reinvested into tribal development and social welfare
projects. Finally, tribal cultural activities like pow wows, exhibitions,
and storytelling are held throughout the state. The Ojibway language,
once close to extinction, is now taught both on and off the reservations
in a number of area schools and colleges.
GOVERNMENT
The tribe is governed by the reservation Business Committee, which was
established by corporate charter subsequent to the 1934 Indian Reorganization
Act. The tribe also ratified its constitution that year. The Business
Committee is comprised of five elected officials, three of whom represent
the reservation's three districts, and two at-large positions. The Business
Committee oversees the tribal Administration Department and the tribally
owned businesses. The Administration Department is divided into over 40
separate programs which deal with areas such as education, social and
health services, conservation, and economic development. The tribe also
maintains its own court system.
ECONOMY
AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
The tribe currently engages in minimal agricultural production; crops
are grown primarily in individual gardens and small plots, for personal
consumption.
CONSTRUCTION
The tribe operates the Fond du Lac Heavy Equipment and
Construction Company.
FISHERIES
Fishing on and around the reservation is quite popular, primarily with
tribal members, but also with non-members. Moreover, Lake Superior is
20 miles to the east and offers a wide variety of recreational and commercial
fishing options.
FORESTRY
The reservation contains about 300 acres of forest, comprising birch,
aspen, jackpine, and Norway oak and maple.
GAMING
The tribe operates two gaming facilities: the Fond du Lac Big Bucks Bingo,
located near Cloquet, and the Fond du Lac Casino, located in Duluth. The
113,000-square-foot casino opened in June of 1993 and provides employment
to considerable numbers of tribal members, along with a nearly equal number
of non-Indians. Annual revenues are also quite impressive thus far.
GOVERNMENT AS EMPLOYER
Between tribally owned business enterprises and their education and human
services programs, the tribal government is responsible for the employment
of nearly 1,800 people. With an annual payroll of over $10 million, the
Fond du Lac Tribe represents the second largest employer in the greater
Cloquet area.
SERVICES
Aside from the gaming operations, the tribe operates the Fond du Lac Print
Shop and Fond du Lac Migizi "Eagle' Enterprises, a professional planning
and community development service. Attached to the casino is a tribal
gin shop, which does a healthy business.
TOURISM AND RECREATION
The gaming facilities serve as the reservation's biggest tourist attraction
for now and the foreseeable future. In a more traditional vein, the tribe
sponsors various cultural events, such as the annual tribal pow wow, which
is held in July and features native dancing, arts, and crafts.
TRANSPORTATION
The tribe operates a casino shuttle service, along with several buses
for the Fond du Lac School.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Interstate 35, and State Highways 2 and 210 provide road access to the
reservation. The Cloquet Airport is located on the reservation; nearby
Duluth also provides commercial air service. Commercial bus and truck
lines serve Cloquet and the reservation directly. The St. Lions River
passes through the reservation, while full port services are available
at Duluth.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The reservation maintains three community centers, which feature a wide
variety of facilities. Minnesota Power and Light provides electricity
to the reservation. Northwestern Power and Gas Company furnishes natural
gas, while propane and fuel oil are sold by local distributors. Individual
wells provide water to residences; individual septic tans provide sewer
service (though a few homes are connected to the Cloquet community system).
U.S. West and AT&T provide local telephone service. The Fond du Lac
operate their own branch of the Ojibwe School Board, which administers
the Ojibwe Spotted Eagle School, the Head Start Program, and the Fond
du Lac Community College. Finally, the tribe operates its own health clinic.
There is also a USPHS Hospital in Duluth.
All of
the above information is from "Tiller's Guide to Indian Country"
by Veronica E. Velarde Tiller.
BowArrow Publishing Company Albuquerque NM USA.
SSBN 1-885931-01-8 Copyright 1996.
Used by permission.
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