Natural Resources: Sam Costigan

In the beginning of Chapter Seven there is a quote by an Ojibwe spiritual leader, Jimmy Jackson. He said, "Plants, animals, grasses and flowers don't need us, but we need them. This quote really sets the stage for chapter seven. It talks about tribes in Minnesota and their connection with the land and also their battle to keep what little resources they still have. The Ojibwe Tribe has natural resource departments. The 1837 Treaty addressed the issue of Indian hunting and fishing rights. It reserves the tribes right to hunting and fishing and gathering in the designated areas, which cover land in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. The chapter went on to talk about tribal rights near and on Mille Lacs Lake. A case was brought to the Supreme Court which ruled in the Indians favor. Also, timber resources have played a large part in the loss of Indian reservation land in northern Minnesota. The land that was given to the Indians later was suitable for farming and without any timber. By 1920 almost all of the timber in northern Minnesota had been harvested. This subject relly got me thinking, because when I travel to this area of the state I see so much forest and pine trees that I cannot imagine who would have possibly been able to cut down so many trees. All that has since grown back would take years to remove again. It shocked me to think about the clearing of entire forests of that size. Overall, I am glad that Rights to hunt and fish and gather have been put into the hands of the Indians. If anyone knows how to take care of resources it is them. Also I am happy that I can travel to northern Minnesota to places like the Boundry Waters and see what things would have been like hundreds of years ago.

Chapter 7- Natural Resources- Stephanie Gronewold

A quote stated by Jimmy Jackson an ojibwe spiritual leader says " Plants,animals, grasses, and flowers don't need us but we need them." To me this is true because we need all of these things to survive. While they do not need us in order to survive. In the chapter it states that Native Americans have always been linked with Nature and the world around them. The Native American people used the land to ensure their long term survival focusing on more than one crop at a time. To me this seems like a pretty smart idea because what if one of these crops did not make it then they would always have another one just in case.
1971 U.S. District Court decision in a case brought up by Leech Lake Reservation upheld tribal members rights to hunt and fish throughout their reservation without state interference, and with this many of the tribal communities are exerting control over the hunting and fishing rights on their reservation. Why if the land belongs to the Native Americans did the United States government think they had a right to enforce laws on the land? In the 1837 treaty it included lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The portion of land involved with the treaty in Minnesota was just over three million acres. Twelve ojibwe bands signed the treaty getting their rights to hunting, fishing and gathering in these areas . A part of the treaty gives the Native Americans the right to spear and net fish and the right to regulate their own resources without state interference. Why if we had this treaties did it take us so long to keep our end of the bargain?
To me the fact that during the 1970's the Native American reservations were left without funding is something very disturbing because of all the things that the United States government promised the Native Americans, they were unwilling to help. Basically leaving the Native American people to fend for themselves. So by 1993 there were many serious environmental problems on the reservations. To me the fact that the government just left the Native American people alone before they knew that different things would have a dramatic effect on the land.
When the chapter states that the underlying issue is sovereignty the right to make their own decisions on how to protect their land this to me is so true because the Native American people and the United States government have been fighting about this for so long. After being ignored for so long the Native American reservations are finally getting the help they need. What would Native Americans of the past think of what we are doing to the land today? Would they be upset that we are wasting the land, not using it for our survival leaving it to rot because we as people are to lazy to use it. I really like the way that this chapter ends it says " We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we rent it from our children."- A Native American leader said this.

Natural Resources: Chris Schroeder

Jimmy Jackson, an Ojibwe spiritual leader once said, "Plants, animals, grasses and flowers don't need us, but we need them" (Graves). This statement helps illustrate how nature has always, and continues to be, central in American Indian culture. While this is true, nature has also found it's way into the political sphere and become a central issue in many dealings between tribal lands and the U.S. state and federal governments. Nature and natural resources have been at the center of debates for tribes to maintain and even regain their inherent rights to hunt, fish, and gather on tribal lands, and have been restored based on court cases concerning the 1837 and 1854 treaties (Graves). Another issue that has arisen within the past 10 years is tribal relations with Xcel Energy. Pine Island and Buffalo Ridge are both homes of sort to an Xcel power plant, nuclear on Pine Island, and wind farms along Buffalo Ridge. On Pine Island, storage casks have been filled, and during a special session of legislation in 2003, additional dry casks were approved for the storage of nuclear waste that was originally supposed to be reprocessed (Graves). Down along Buffalo Ridge a permit was approved for the building of an additional 115 kV line, expansion of an existing substation, building of an additional substation and the rerouting of lines and the line structures (Xcel). According to the potential impact #63 of the Environmental Quality Board's findings, "...Five archaeological site locations were identified within one mile of the proposed Project, but no impacts to these sites are anticipated" (Xcel). This became untrue as an access road was built not around these sacred sites as proposed, but through them, forever displacing sacred sites. These examples just further illustrate the disregard to agreements made between American governments and American Indian peoples, and the disregard for the sovereignty bestowed upon Indian peoples by the same governments. Efforts to regain lands and restore the natural cycle of things have been made, and it's as one Indian leader said, "We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we rent it from our children" (Graves).



Graves, Kathy Davis and Elizabeth Ebbott. Indians in Minnesota. Fifth Edition.
University of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis, MN. 2006.


Xcel Energy's Application to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board for a Route Permit for a Buffalo Ridge-White 115kV Transmission Line. Retrieved from: http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/pdf/FileRegister/04-84-TR-XCEL/finalfindings.pdf.

Chapter Six by Sam Costigan

Chapter Six talks about native populations in Minnesota from the years 1990 to 2000. It also deals with education and economic situations that Indians in Minnesota are going through.It states that about 28% of Indians live below the poverty level as of 2000, but this number is down from 1989 when it was at 44%. It also states that Indians make about half of the income of whites on a statewide basis. Anohter thing the chapter talks about is the infant mortality rate of Indians compared to whites. The infant mortality rate of Indians is three and a half times higher than in the white population.

After reading this chapter I feel like the Indian population is a lot worse off than the white population, but feel they are making progress with their community and all these things I have just talked about are looking up for Indian communities in Minnesota. The numbers from 1990 to 2000 show that mortality rates are down since 1990 and so are graduation rates from 68% in 1990 to 74% in 2000. I believe if things continue the way they are it will become less and less difficult for Indians in Minnesota and arouond the country.

chapter 6 byt Jesus Saenz

This chapter talks about what characteristics do the Native Americans in Minnesota have. The BIA says that you need one fourth Indian ancestry or membership in a federally recognized tribe. However Native American medicine man Jimmy Jackson says” if you have one drop of Indian blood, the spirits will accept you and hear you prayers.” The 2000 census counted 54,967 Indians in Minnesota who identify themselves just Native Americans, that is 1.1 % of the total Minnesota state population. The percent hasn’t changed since the 1990 census. This chapter also states an interesting face that the twin cities Minneapolis area ranked 7th in the number of Indians there. Native Americans young population is a median age of 26.3 compared to the state average of 35.4 years of age. There are 6.5% elders which compared to the general population is 15%. The income of a Native American in Minnesota is low. 28% fall below the poverty line. The death rates are 305 times higher as well. 74% of Native Americans have a high school degree a rise from the 1990. 32% of Native Americans live in the Twins Cities and only 23% live on the reservation. However Indian services in the Twin Cities are helping a lot with programs like Indian social services and safe houses for chemically dependent men. The chapter also talks about the Indian advocacy organization call AIM which has been called to help in many situations.
The chapter raises the question of why does the BIA decide who is a Native American. It was a good chapter to read because it shows that there are people and programs out there that are really reaching out to help.
sources are my book and class discussion. American Indians in Minnesota

Characteristics of the Indian Population of Minnesota - Jasmine Friesen

Chapter Six in our text "Indians of Minnesota" covered many aspects of American Indian life in this state, including state and tribal definitions of who is actually an American Indian. These definitions are important because they determine whether or not people are eligible for Indian-designated programs. I am ashamed to admit that before i read this chapter i did not fully realize the reason or importance of the U.S Census and how up until recently did not accurately represent the American Indian populations in this country, resulting an even larger lack of funding for much needed services and programs.

The reading also discussed social and economic characteristics and while I am glad to see that things are slowly improving, the fact that American Indians are still worse off than any other ethnic groups in the state is proof that there is much more work to be done. Another topic of the chapter is where American Indians live, with focus on reservations and the Twin Cities. Residence is an important issue because American Indians living in urban areas may not be receiving the same access to programs or may become isolated and disenfranchised. I did not realize that living off the reservation could have so many drawbacks. I was very pleased to read about the urban programs and services that are available, especially those provided by individual tribes, which also create jobs and provide an environment that may be more comfortable. Conditions for American Indians have improved on and off the reservation, some credit can be attributed to gaming although mainly benefiting reservations. It is good to see that with the economic clout brought about from the gaming industry is allowing Indians to fight some of the prejudice and discrimination that they face. Although new stereotypes and ways for the government to cut into the profits are inevitable.

On the Right Track By Jill Docter

Chapter six in "Indians of Minnesota," listed characteristics of the Indian population in Minnesota. Statistics show that the population of Indians has grown substantially since 1930. While I believe the population has increased, I also feel the population growth can be attributed to more pride in the Native American culture. More people who originally wouldn't claim to be of Native American descent are being empowered and educated in their native culture. They are no longer ashamed to be classified as a Native American. Statistics also show that poverty rates have seen a huge decrease from 44 percent in 1989 to 28 percent in 2000. These statistics prove the programs are working. The Gaming Act was a major part of raising people out of poverty. Now if the government continues to aid them, the poverty percent will continue to decrease.

The chapter also highlighted multiple agencies and programs that have been created in the last twenty years to improve the living conditions of Native Americans. Centers have been established in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and also in smaller cities. Both the urban and rural settings are seeing aid. I'm glad the indigenous people of this country are getting the aid they deserve. Obviously, more services and funding can still be provided to help the Native Americans. More health care should be implemented because many diseases Natives have can be treated. Also, the education systems can always continue to improve. Minnesota is definitely on the right track though.

Indian Populations (Chris Schroeder)

The question of who can be considered Indian is defined in a number of different ways. To be qualified for the programs set-up for Indian peoples as part of the treaties and reorganization, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requires a one-fourth Indian blood ancestry or to be a tribally enrolled member (Graves). The state differs slightly as to whether a person needs to be tribally enrolled (Graves). While this is set up so the federal government can qualify and categorize a people, where do the individuals in question stand on the issue? As Jimmy Jackson, a spiritual medicine man of the Ojibwe nation says, " If you have one drop of Indian blood...Spiritually you can remain an Indian even if the BIA says you're not" (Graves). This differing on qualifications of who is and who is not Indian has led to a sort of Catch-22 between living in urban areas and living on the reservation. While living in suburban areas tends to correlate with higher education, less unemployment, and more stable families among Indian peoples, urban living is quite the contrast as there is a disproportionate number of unemployed and homeless individuals. While there is a movement of Indian peoples back to the reservations and back to their ancestry and family, many of these people live in poverty and in poor health as they do not qualify for the programs set aside for Indians on reservations as they are not "Indian enough" according to the blood quantums of the BIA. While this remains a problem, there are programs in place and being implemented to help combate the issue. Programs and places such as the Minneapolis Area Indian Center (MAIC), the Division of Indian Work (DIW), and the Center for American Indian Resources (CAIR) are set in place to help Indian peoples adjust to urban living, provide health care services, and combat chemical dependency among others (Graves). With the continued success of these programs it will hopefully help erase the stereotype of the poor, homeless, uneducated urban Indian and can help provide the services promised to Indian peoples following a forced move, yet denied to many of their ancestors because the government fails to recognize them as Indians based on blood quantums established by White America.


Graves, Kathy Davis and Elizabeth Ebbott. Indians in Minnesota. Fifth edition. University of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis. 2006.

State and Local Relations (Lexy Becker)

I'm a bit late due to my forgetfulness! I'm sure everyone read it (or can already assume from the title) but this chapter talked about how the state and the tribe have interacted. One thing I wanted to focus on is the recurring issue of taxation and public services. The book states, "Some local officials complain that Indians living on reservations require services that must be paid for by property taxes, but Indians do not pay this tax."* They also continue to talk about later on how tensions between the tribe and the state are releasing due to the success of the casinos.
I looked up some of the Casinos mentioned in the book and I found the Mille Lac Ojibwe Tribe to be extremely interesting. For those who don't know, they own the Grand Casino enterprise. This may be a good example of a tribe who prefers to have steady connection to the state and various counties. They defend themselves saying,

"The Mille Lacs Band, the Corporate Commission, and Grand Casino Mille Lacs paid $395,226 in property taxes to Mille Lacs County in 2008.The Mille Lacs Band, the Corporate Commission, and Grand Casino Hinckley paid $1,039,881 in property taxes to Pine County in 2008. The Mille Lacs Band and the Corporate Commission paid $56,308 in property taxes to Aitkin County in 2008." **


As we talked about in class today, there are far more tribes who offer money in order prove their willingness to negotiate. If you would like to read more on what's contributed, I provided some links down below.

1. http://www.shakopeedakota.org/4neighbor.html
2. http://www.millelacsojibwe.org/Page_FactSheet_Benefiting.aspx
3.http://www.maicc.org/tourism.aspx

*Graves, Kathy Davis, and Ebbot, Elizabeth. Fifth Edition: Indians in Minnesota.

Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006.

**Millelacsojibwe.org. Benefiting the Local Economy. Retrieved 5 October 2009 from Millelacsojibwe.org: http://www.millelacsojibwe.org/Page_FactSheet_Benefiting.aspx

State and Local Relations ( Stephanie Gronewold)

How come we as human beings can deny people their rights? When the government first came in to contact with the Native Americans they should have treated them as equals we could have brought together the two cultures. The government and the Native Americans should have come together to form a unified group. If this would have happened we would not be looking for ways to break agreements with the Native Americans for example casinos. We would not be looking at the casinos as a way to get us out of a budget deficit. Once the government saw the money that could be made out of the casinos the government wanted in. In some areas of government the Native American sovereignty is respected while in other areas it is not. For example in some areas the local government and the trial community are not getting along. Casinos have made dramatic impact on local relations by bringing much needed employment and economic benefits. Several tribes have donated money to there neighboring communities. I think that the Native Americans should have the right to govern their own lands and people without the United States government getting involved. Things that are coming about now should been taken care of long ago and we should abide by the rules that were set up. If are not going to abide by the rules then there should be an agreement between the United States government and the tribal communities.

State and Local Relations (Richard Pendleton)

This chapter is about the state and local relations between the government and the Indians. Indians are U.S. citizens and are supposed to be provided with education, health, and public welfare but the government has broken this law. In the 1950’s, the federal policy wanted to stop the responsibilities of the Indians, which Minnesota went against the federal policy and started programs that helped the Indians’ needs; A few of the state Indian programs are: better education, supplemental state aide, and state support. Thanks to the Indian Affairs Council, the Indians actually have protection over themselves, for an example, the Council “has the power to make legislative recommendations administer programs, establish Indian advisory councils to state agencies, investigate and protect Indian burial sites, and act as an intermediary in Indian-state government questions, problems, or conflicts.” Indians had state support but not completely when it comes to jobs. Indians are apart of many positions in the work force but the positions that the governments employ the Indians are lower paid. Another situation that happened with the Indians is that the policymakers tired to go against the tribal-state Indian Gaming Compacts by trying to negotiate with the Indians to start sponsored gaming but it never passed. The relations with local communities were tough towards the Indians; they weren’t allowed to vote since the communities did not want them to be able to be apart of the city office, but it was take to court and it was overruled. Ever since casinos started business, they have provided many incentives to the surrounding communities such as hotels, businesses, treatment centers, etc. The Indians have gone a long way to get to where they are today but even after all the treaties and laws that have been passed, the Indians still are not treated 100% fairly.

Finally (Jill Docter)

After reading chapter five, I have conflicting emotions. The chapter before talked about sovereignty and how the tribes and the states are having issues with laws and who has control of what on the reservations. In chapter five, however, the states are helping the tribes with funding and programs. The states have made programs that help with health, education, and burial sights; all of which have been issues in the past. Scholarships are being made for Native American students and Native Americans have been given the chance for seats in community governments. I thought last chapter we had just discussed how the states haven't been working with the Native Americans with rights and their sovereignty. Now we see that the states have been trying to work with the Native Americans which is encouraging.

I'm impressed at efforts the states have been making towards working side by side with the Native Americans. It's about time they were given some respect and representation in the community. I'm also quite astonished at how willing the Native Americans are to give back to communities that aren't their own. The chapter mentioned many instances where a reservation has given some of the casino profits towards scholarships and funding for neighboring communities. I believe the character of the Native Americans is something to strive for. I was highly encouraged by this chapter. I'm glad Minnesota has finally begun to recognize Native Americans as equals and treat them as such.

State and Local Relationships ( Jesus Saenz)

This chapter talks about the state and local relationships between natives. It starts by the 1887 Supreme Court Noting that tribes are communities dependent on the United States: dependent largely for their daily food: dependent for their political rights. They owe no allegiance to the States, and receive no protection. However, because Indians, as US Citizens, have constitutionally mandated rights to state and county services, states cannot ignore Indian needs (quoted from book by Kathy Graves and Elizabeth Ebbot). It also talks about how many states say supporting Native is a purely Federal function and this still holds true to this very day which is very unfortunate since it is 2009 and you would think that ignorance would go away. However there is light because in the 1928 Meriam Report found that a few states like Minnesota were concerned with the Native Population and help set things in place to help them out. The chapter also talks about the the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council which became the first legislated state body to focus on just Indians. It is the official Liaison between state and tribal government. (Indians in Minnesota). The state helped set programs up for the Native Communities like a joint tribal community college at Fond du Lac and higher education scholarships. Native Americans still have the most problems with local community because of ignorance or just not understanding their way of life, but some places like Prior Lake really are making an effort to help mend things and become a whole community. Private giving’s and foundations are really helping Native American Communities to send their children to college and earn degrees.
The chapter gave a positive outlook on those things that are happening and how communities and states are trying to work together with the Native Nations. However it still raises the question of why is there still such poor cooperation in this time and age.