Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Weekly Update – March 7th, 2025

Cass Lake-Weekly updates will be released to keep our Band Members updated on Tribal projects/ divisions and anything from the federal level that may impact us. Print versions of Friday updates will be available monthly in the DeBahJimon.
Employees and Community members can begin submitting news, events, and updates to be included in the week’s update every Monday. Updates can be sent to news@llojibwe.net

Chi Miigwech to everyone who submitted updates for this week.

This week, the band held an RBC meeting, The Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act Technical Amendment was presented to the Senate committee on Indian affairs, D2 opened their satellite office and job openings at Sweetest Grass Dispensary were announced.

RBC Briefing

The Reservation Business Committee held a meeting 3/4/25. All available council members attend RBC meetings, including scheduled presenters and LLBO division directors. Agenda items are discussed at the Tuesday briefings and then voted on for passage at the Thursday meeting. Occasionally, due to time constraints, a combination briefing and conference will take place on the same day. The meeting is available to watch in full on the band’s Vimeo page. A full written breakdown of notable presentations is available in the print version of the DeBahJimon newspaper every month.

Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act presented to Senate Committee

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs met 2/5/25 to vote on S.622, the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025. The bill was ordered to be reported without amendments favorably.

• Key Details:
  Bill Name: S.622 – Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
  Purpose: To restore 4,400 acres of land unlawfully taken from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe by finalizing the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act.
• RBC Advocacy
  Secretary/Treasurer Leonard Fineday met with U.S. Senator Tina Smith last Tuesday to discuss critical issues, including the S.622 bill. Fineday emphasized that the bill merely aims to correct the injustice of the federal government’s previous illegal land transfer without the tribe’s consent.
  Senator Smith voiced strong support for the legislation, reaffirming her commitment to ensuring its passage. Fineday and Smith also discussed the EPA’s role in remediating the St. Regis Superfund Site in Cass Lake. In December 2024, the Leech Lake Band received a $19.9M grant for constructing a new Division of Resource Management facility, and concerns were raised that recent federal executive orders could jeopardize the funding despite it already being appropriated by Congress.

News Briefing: District 2 Satellite Office Now Open

The District 2 Satellite Office is officially open as of March 3rd, 2025, offering a variety of important services to the community. The office will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Available Services:

• LLBO Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering Permits
• LLBO Housing Applications
• Energy Assistance Applications
• Notary Public Services
• Household Items for Those in Need
• Fresh Coffee

Elder Services:

• Elder Haircut Services: Available the first Saturday of each month, from 11 AM to 3:30 PM.
• Elder’s BINGO: Held on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 PM.

Location:

• Dave Morgan Community Center, Old Housing, Bena Drive

For more information or to schedule an appointment for elder haircuts, please call Terri at 218-407-4011.

Sweetest Grass Dispensary Now Hiring Budtenders

Sweetest Grass Dispensary, located in Walker, MN, is hiring 16 Budtenders as part of an expansion effort. The dispensary is looking to fill these positions with Leech Lake Band members by Monday, March 10, 2025.
Job Details:

• • Position: Budtender
    Starting Pay: $15/hour + tips
    Location: Sweetest Grass Dispensary, Walker, MN
    Job Type: Full-time, immediate start
    Application Deadline: March 10, 2025

How to Apply:

• • Complete the job application via this link: Sweetest Grass Dispensary
    Once applied, email shane@sweetestgrass.com to confirm your submission.

Tribal ID Printing at LLBO Twin Cities Office

The LLBO Twin Cities office will be offering Tribal ID printing on Thursday, March 13th and 14th, 2025. Hours for March 13th are 10am-6pm. Hours for March 14th are 9am-4pm.

Band members aged 14 and older can receive their Tribal ID by providing one of the following documents:

• MN Identification Card
• Valid Driver’s License
• Social Security Card
• Certified Birth Certificate

The first ID and expired ID’s are free. IDs are valid for 4 years. Payment is $15, cash only. Lunch break 12-12:30pm

A Community Conversation with James Vukeilich
James Vukeilich(Turtle Mountain Descent), an author, speaker, and digital creator, will be speaking at the Sanford Event Center in Bemidji, MN, on the important topic of maintaining balance and living the good life.

• Date: March 8th, 2025
  Time: 4:00 PM
  Location: Sanford Event Center, Bemidji, MN
  Sponsors: Northwest Indian Community Development Center in partnership with Sanford Health

 

St. Patrick’s Day Family Bingo & Potluck Celebration
Leech Lake TCO and the Twin Cities Local Indian Council are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Family Bingo & Potluck event on March 17th, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This fun-filled event will be held at 2438 27th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406.

• Activities:
  Costume Contest: Dress up in your best homemade costume for a chance to win!
  Homemade Dessert Contest: Bring your delicious homemade desserts and compete for a prize!
  Family Bingo: A fun game of bingo for all ages—bring the whole family!
  Potluck: Enjoy a community meal by bringing a dish to share.
  Details:
  Date: March 17th, 2025
  Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  Location: 2438 27th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
  Age Group: 5+ and up

Gaa-Niigaaniziwaad: Connecting Youth to Culture Week
All activities are part of Gaa-Niigaaniziwaad’s “Connecting Youth To Culture Week.” Gaa-Niigaaniziwaad is not responsible for accidents, injuries, or lost or stolen items. Youth will be provided with all meals.
For questions regarding the Makazinitaagewin, please contact Mike Novak at 218-209-5313. For all other questions, please contact Nashel at 218-910-7921 or Sydney at 218-838-8429.
Open to Leech Lake community youth ages 12-20. Membership required for participation in the sessions and dance. Please stop by the Gaa-Niigaaniziwaad Office (located in the SW corner of Facility Center) to pick up the forms, email sydney.novak@llojibwe.net, or will be available day of.

• D3 Culture Night
  Date: March 11th
  Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
  Location: Bemidji, Rail River Folk School
• D1 Culture Night
  Date: March 12th
  Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
  Location: South Lake Community Center
• D2 Culture Night
  Date: March 13th
  Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
  Location: Bena Community Center
• Culture Day
  Date: March 14th
  Time: 9 AM – 10 PM
  Location: Cass Lake Facility Center
  9 AM – 4 PM: Youth Makazinitaagewin Tournament
  2 PM – 6 PM: Youth Activity Stations
  7 PM – 9 PM: Youth Dance

Contact Information:
For the Makazinitaagewin Tournament: Mike Novak at 218-209-5313
For all other questions: Nashel at 218-910-7921 or Sydney at 218-838-8429
You can pick up the forms at the Gaa-Niigaaniziwaad Office or contact via sydney.novak@llojibwe.net for more information.

MCT Constitution Reform
The Leech Lake Delegation has been actively working on MCT Constitution Reform since 2018. The work slowed and continued throughout the two-year COVID period. In April of 2022, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe published a report of their findings – the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is not a tribe. It is an organization of the Federal government to make it easier for the federal government to take the natural resources from the Ojibwe in Minnesota. Since that report, the six nations – Leech Lake, White Earth, Bois Forte, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac, and Mille Lacs have been working on writing their own nation’s constitution. The goal is to establish constitutions that will institute a Nation’s government structure rather than the five-person business committee of the MCT Revised Constitution. The MCT Revised Constitution is a business document that established the Reservation Business Committees of six nations and each nation participates with membership. Leech Lake’s Constitution will institute citizenship, laws (not resolutions), and will establish elected Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. The Leech Lake citizens will vote into law each law to govern as a whole. The LL Delegation meets each Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. at the Pub 33, Cedar Lake Casino, Cass Lake, MN.

• For more information:
  Sally Fineday sallyfineday@gmail.com 218-368-1766
  Avis Poupart avis.poupart12@gmail.com 612-759-0787
  Donovan Staples Donovan.staples76@gmail.com 218-308-1556