HISTORY


The remnants of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe reside on and near a 32.35 acre reservation in Aitkin County, Minnesota. The reservation lies nestled in the southern part of the famous Arrowhead country; a region of fish-filled lakes, of deep valleys, and of rugged pine and hardwood covered hills.

The reservation is located approximately one hundred and twenty-five miles north of the Twin Cities and sixty miles west of Duluth, near the town of McGregor, Minnesota.

Sandy Lake Band's history as an Indian Group can be traced back to the 1730s, when westward Ojibwe expansion reached beyond the Great Lakes to the Sandy Lake area of what is now Aitkin County in Minnesota.

The Sandy Lakers played a vital role in establishing a permanent Ojibwe presence in the north-central Minnesota region.

The Sandy Lake Band strategically made its home on the historic Mississippi water route - rich in wild rice and game - and the legendary Savanna Portage, which linked the Mississippi and Great Lakes drainage systems. This important transportation network hosted the exploratory travels of notables like David Thompson, Zebulon Pike, Lewis Cass, and Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, to name a few, who all wrote about the Sandy Lake Ojibwe.

Traders and government officials did business with the Sandy Lakers; and missionary activity at Sandy Lake went on for decades. In fact, the first school in what is now Minnesota was established at Sandy Lake by Rev. Frederick Ayer and his wife in 1831. Prominent missionaries like Ely, Hall, Pierz, Spates, and Whipple speak of the Sandy Lake Band in their correspondences and memoirs. The British Northwest Company and the American Fur Company established posts there in 1794 and 1826 respectively.

Chiefs and headmen of the Sandy Lake Band figured prominently in Ojibwe history. Grosse Guelle, a Sandy Laker, was among the Chippewa who addressed the 1825 treaty conference which included Chippewa, Sioux, and U.S. Government officials at work on the Chippewa-Sioux boundary line, Ka-ta-wah-be-dah (Broken Tooth), Kroseweezais-hish (Curly Hair), Hole-in-the-Day I, We-we-shan-shis (Bad Boy), and Ka-nan-da-wa-win-zo (Le Brocheux), were a few of the Sandy Lake leaders during a long period in the 18th and 19th centuries when Sandy Lake was the most prominent power base for the Chippewa. In 1864, Chief Hole-in-the-Day II (younger) represented the Chippewas of the Mississippi in treaty negotiations.

Sandy Lake Band prominence, as a people and as an Ojibwe leadership capitol, are treated at length by historians, from the Ojibwe writer, William Whipple Warren(History of the Ojibway People) to William Watts Folwell, scholar and first president of the University of Minnesota(A History of Minnesota, 4 vols.); from N.H. Winchell's TheAborigines of Minnesota (1911)to
ethnohistorian Harold Hickerson's Ethnohistory of Mississippi Bands and Pillager and Winnibigoshish Bands of Chippewa. (1974).

Scores of academic works in the areas of history, ethnohistory, and archaeology detail the Sandy Lake Band record. In his book, Minnesota's Chippewa Treaty of 1837 (Brainerd, Minn,: Historic Heartland Association, 1993), Historian Carl Zapffe observed correctly that for many years "Sandy Lake was to the Ojibwe people what Washington D.C., is to the United States today."

Indian agency and subagency records from places like St. Peters (Fort Snelling), Fond du Lac, La Pointe, St. Louis, Crow Wing, and Sandy Lake- plus the correspondences of agents and other government personnel, refer specifically to the Sandy Lake Band and help detail its ongoing condition, its relations with the U.S. government, and its continuing existence as an autonomous Indian group.

Today's Sandy Lake Band archives include scores of documents for each decade beginning in the 1820s, when the Sandy Lake Band travelled to the St. Peters Agency at Fort Snelling. (The papers and diaries of Agency Lawrence Taliaferro, at the Minnesota Historical Society, are detailed).

The Annual Reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs contain considerable information about the Sandy Lake Band, including descriptions of the Band (example: Alexander Ramsey's Smith's report on how attempts to remove the Sandy Lakers in the late 1860s were "a farce", and how despite government efforts, the Sandy Lake people "with few exceptions, returned to their old haunts". (Annual Report, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, For the year 1872, p. 208.) Records of annuity payments and census reports of Chippewas of the Mississippi include the Sandy Lake Band as a separate Indian group.

The Sandy Lake Chiefs and Headsmen were signatories to ten (10) treaties with the United States beginning in 1825 and ending in 1867 during the 1871 treaty-making period. The original Sandy Lake Indian Reservation, was created by the Treaty of Feb. 22, 1855 (10 Stat., 1165), included all of what is now called Big Sandy Lake and a surrounding land area. The reserved tract at Sandy Lake is specifically described in the treaty document.





HISTORICAL TIMELINE

Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa


1730s

First Ojibwe group to establish a power base west of the Mississippi River.

1794

Establishment of British Northwest Company trading post at Sandy Lake.

1825

Treaty of Prairie du Chien with the Sioux in the territory of Michigan on August 19, 1825.

1826

American Fur Company post built at Sandy Lake.

1826

Treaty with the Chippewa concluded at the Fond du Lac of Lake Superior on August 5, 1826.

1831

Mission school established at Sandy Lake by Frederick Ayer and wife, the first school in what is now the State of Minnesota.

1837

Treaty with the Chippewa at St. Peters (the confluence of the St. Peters and Mississippi rivers) in the territory of Wisconsin on July 29, 1837.

1842

Treaty with the Chippewa at LaPointe of Lake Superior in the territory of Wisconsin on October 4, 1842.

1847

Treaty with the Chippewa of the Mississippi and Lake Superior made and concluded at the Fond du Lac of Lake Superior on August 2, 1847.

1850

U.S. Indian Department established a subagency at Sandy Lake.

1854

Treaty with the Chippewa made and concluded at LaPointe, in the State of Wisconsin on September 30, 1854.

1855

Treaty with the Chippewa made and concluded at the City of Washington, D.C. on February 22, 1855.

1864

Treaty with the Chippewa, Mississippi, and Pillager and Lake Winnigigoshish Bands (1864) made and concluded at the City of Washington, D.C. On May 7, 1864 (Treaty is similar to the treaty of 1863, only addition was the tribe residing on the Sandy Lake Reservation shall not be removed).

1866

Northwest Indian Commission came to meet with the Sandy Lake Ojibwe.

1867

Treaty with the Chippewa of the Mississippi, 1867, made and concluded at Washington D.C. on March 19, 1867.

1886

Northwest Indian Commission came to meet with the Sandy Lake Ojibwe.

1889

U.S. Indian Commission travelled to Sandy Lake and Kimberly, Minnesota to hold five councils with the Sandy Lake Band of Ojibwe.

1915

32.35 acre Sandy Lake Indian Reservation established on Sandy Lake by Executive Order No. 2144 of President Woodrow Wilson upon recommendation of the Interior Secretary.

1940

147-acre Sandy Lake Indian Reservation was established via purchase by the Interior Department from the fund"Acquisition of Land for Indian Tribes".

1954

June 14, 1954, Sandy Lake Local Council, Chaired by George Skinaway, to sell timber on the reservation in order to repair community pump at Sandy Lake.

1979

Clifford Skinaway Sr., descendant of of the Chief's Hole-in-the-Day of the Mississippi and recognized as Chief Hole-in-the-day VII, by other potential heirs to the title and further recognized as such by members of his community and officials of the State of Minnesota, began study and work towards efforts to restore the federal recognition of the historic Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe.

1980

May 29, 1980, Elmer Nitzschke, Field Solicitor for the Department of the Interior, Office of the Field Solicitor, Twin Cities, Minnesota Office, rendered an opinion without citing to any relevant authority proclaimed "that the Executive Order No. 2144 established a reservation at Sandy Lake and that the Mille Lacs Reservation Business Committee is empowered to exercise control over the reservation." 

The opinion did not address the question of the status of the Sandy Lake Band's federal recognition.  It was not an "M-Opinion" which would have been binding on the Secretary of the Interior.  Moreover, even if the opinion had been an M-Opinion, the opinion would not have been sufficient to affect the Sandy Lake Band's federal recognition status.  Only an act of the United States Congress could have taken away the Sandy Lake Band's recognition by the federal government.

The loss of federal recognition of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa resulted from an erroneous legal opinion by a field solicitor.

1991

In August, Hereditary Chief Clifford Skinaway, on behalf of the Sandy Lake Band, presented a petition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to request a secretarial election to adopt or deny the application of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe pursuant to the provision of the Wheeler-Howard Action (IRA) of 1934.
The petition was denied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

1991

Hereditary Chief Clifford Skinaway, on behalf of the Sandy Lake Band initiates a federal court action against the Secretary of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Arffairs. The court case was later dismissed without prejudice because the Sandy Lake Band is required to exhaust all administrative remedies. The administrative process is less than certain because it is questionable as to whether the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe even has a standing to bring an action under the Bureau of Indian Affairs administrative process which is designed to help petitioners who "are not currently acknowledged as an Indian tribe".

1992

On March 10, 1992, at the request of Hereditary Chief, Clifford Skinaway, the Aitkin County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution in support of the Sandy Lake Band as a governmental entity to be federally restored as a tribe in a reservation, separate and apart from all other Ojibwe bands in Minnesota.

1994

On July 5, 1994, Hereditary Chief Clifford Skinaway Sr., passed away. Due to extreme political pressures of the Mille Lacs Band and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes, he was unable to achieve the federal re-recognition of his tribe in his lifetime. Today, his family and the Sandy Lake Band members pledge their commitment to continue his efforts.

1995

On July 5, 1995, Sandy Lake Ojibwe and Dakota descendants attend "Healing of Nations Gathering" at Lac du Flambeau against Colorado developer's plans to build homes on Strawberry Island, burial site of a Chippewa-Dakota battle site.

1996

On November 26, 1996 the Aitkin County board of Commissioners passed a second resolution supporting the Sandy Lake Band as a governmental entity to be established as a tribe in a reservation, separate and apart from all other Ojibwe Bands in Minnesota.

1997

S.F. No. 1098 A bill for an act; relating to Indians, was introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature on March 6, 1997, recognizing the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa as a state recognized Indian tribe.

H.F. 2208, A bill for an act; relating to Indians, was introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature by Representative Irv Anderson on May 13, 1997, recognizing the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa as a state recognized Indian tribe.

Due to budget issues and the end of the legislative session, our legislation was tabled until the next legislative session, where it was never brought up again.

1999

H.F. 2382, A bill for an act; relating to Indians, was re-introduced by Representative Irv Anderson on April 12, 1999, recognizing the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa as a state recognized Indian tribe.

H.F. 2382 had a first reading in the Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee on April 12, 1999 and a second reading and Committee Report passed on March 2, 2000. H.F. 2382 was sent to the General Register of bills for a full house vote.

2000

S.F. 3703, A bill for an act; relating to Indians, was re-introduced by Senator Bob Lessard on March 2, 2000, recognizing the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa as a state recognized Indian tribe.

S.F. 3703 had a first reading and was referred to the Governmental Operations and Veterans Committee on March 02, 2000. The Committee reported to pass on March 09, 2000.

Senator Roger Moe, influenced by the opposing Minnesota Tribes, under Rule 35 referred our state recognition bill to his Rules and Administration Committee where it was left to languish.

            While state recognition would largely be symbolic,
     it would help honor and preserve the history and identity 
    of the historic Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa.
 
 

2000

On December 2, 2000, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Ojibwe 
gathered with members of the Lake Superior Chippewa to commemorate 
the 150th anniversary of the Sandy Lake Tragedy in Minnesota when 
hundreds of Lake Superior Chippewa died from illness, hunger and 
exposure in the winter of 1850.

2001

On July 26, 2001, members of the Sandy Lake Band attended the 
Sandy Lake Memorial Dedication Ceremony. The descendants of the  
1850 annuity bands gathered to dedicate a memorial to those Ojibwe 
who  suffered and died in 1850. The memorial stands as a tribute.

 

On September 13, 2001, The Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Council at a  
Regular Tribal Council Meeting, adopted a resolution in support of the 
Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa in their efforts to restore 
federal recognition to their tribe.

2002

On October 4, 2002, members of the Sandy Lake Band attend the 
Annual Sandy Lake Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the 
anniversary of the Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850.

2003 
 

On September 19, 2003, members of the Sandy Lake Band attended the
annual Sandy Lake Tragedy Memorial ceremony to commemorate the
anniversary of the Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850.

2004  

Members of the Sandy Lake Band attend the Annual Sandy Lake
Tragedy Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the
Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850. 

2007   

On April 10, 2007, Representatives of the Sandy Lake Band of
Mississippi Chippewa met with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Tribal
Council to seek their support for the Sandy Lake Band's efforts to restore
federal recognition to our tribe.  After our presentation, the Red Lake
Tribal Council chose not to support Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
Chippewa in their efforts.

           
       

On July 25, 2007, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
Chippewa attended the annual Sandy Lake Tragedy Mikwendaagoziwag
Ceremonies to honor the victims of the 1850 Sandy Lake tragedy
hosted by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
(GLIFWC). Sandy Lake tribal members participated in the "paddle" 
across Big Sandy Lake. The annual ceremony was held at the 
Mikwendaagooziwag Memorial at the US Army Corps of Engineers 
recreational site north of McGregor, Minnesota.
 

2009  

 On October 1, 2009, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
 Chippewa attended the annual Sandy Lake Ceremonies to honor the
 victims of the 1850 Sandy Lake tragedy hosted by GLIFWC. Two tribal
 members participated in the "paddle" across Big Sandy Lake, it was a
 very cold day.  The annual ceremony was held at the Mikwendagooziwag
 Memorial at the US Army Corps of Engineers recreational site north of
 McGregor, Minnesota.

2010 

  On May 14, 2010, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi 
  Chippewa attended the 1855 Treaty forum held at Diamond Point park in
  Bemidji, Minnesota.  Tribal representatives from the Leech Lake and 
  White Earth reservations hosted the collaborative public forum to 
  educate the greater public about the 1855 Treaty reserved and inherent 
  treaty rights.  

          

 On August 4, 2010, as in previous years, members of the Sandy Lake
 Band of Mississippi Chippewa attended the Annual Sandy Lake
 Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the Sandy
 Lake Tragedy of 1850.  The annual ceremony was held at the
 Mikwendagooziwag Memorial at the US Army Corps of Engineers
 recreational site north of McGregor, Minnesota.

          
     

 On September 8, 2010, the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi  
 Chippewa filed a law suit against the Bureau of Indian Affairs to restore 
 their tribal federal recognition status.

          

 On September 30, 2010, a few members of the tribal council of the 
 Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa were invited to attend a
 meeting at the Palisade school in Palisade, Minnesota regarding the
 garbage and hazardous waste processing facility being proposed in the
 shore land zone of the Mississippi River in Palisade. The Sandy Lake
 Band is opposed to this facility since we know little about the
 environmental impact of the proposed gasification project.  It has the
 potential to contaminate the air, soil, water, the wild rice beds and the
 wildlife.  It is also not far from the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation.

2011     

On May 14, 2011, representatives of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa participated in a rally at the Governor's fishing opener in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as part of the "Protect Our Manoomin" group that hosted this rally as part of the continued efforts to create awareness of the wild rice sulfate standard. Current legislation that will negatively impact wild rice is expected to pass. Therefore, it was imperative that Governor Daytonbe made aware of this issue and that we strongly encourage his veto of this legislative bill that will raise or suspend the current sulfate standard.  "Protect Our Manoomin" intended to gift Governor Dayton with wild rice on behalf of the Anishinaabe people, but Dayton chose not to meet with the Protect
Our Manoomin group to talk about the wild rice sulfate standard legislation.

           

July 1, 2011, United States District Judge Donovan W. Frank granted   
the defendant's motion to dismiss.  The case was dismissed 
WITHOUT PREJUDICE which would allow the Sandy Lake Band of 
Mississippi Chippewa to file another lawsuit against the United States    
Government.

           

On July 27, 2011, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
Chippewa attended the annual Sandy Lake Tragedy Mikwendaagoziwag
Ceremonies to honor the victims of the 1850 Sandy Lake
tragedy sponsored by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife
Commission (GLIFWC). Sandy Lake tribal members participated in the
"paddle" across Big Sandy Lake. The annual ceremony was held at the 
Mikwendaagooziwag Memorial at the US Army Corps of Engineers 
recreational site north of McGregor, Minnesota.

              On August 13, 2011, the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
               participated in the 50th Birthday celebration of the Savanna Portage
               State Park.  Tribal members conducted wild rice and maple syrup
               demonstrations.

          

 On September 28, 2011, the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
 Chippewa filed the second Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive
 Relief against the United States of America; Ken Salazar, as Secretary of
 the Interior; Larry Echo Hawk, as the Assistant Secretary for Indian
 Affairs.

           

December 13, 2011, Chairwoman Sandra Skinaway of the Sandy Lake
Band of Mississippi Chippewa, provided a statement to the St. Louis 
County Board of Commissioners on behalf of Protect Our Manoomin 
(POM), in testimony, against a resolution in support of  Minnesota's first 
copper mine.  This would be the first of what is expected to be several 
copper-nickel precious metals mine projects proposed from Aitkin 
County to Ely, Minnesota.  Protect our Manoomin is an Anishinaabe 
grassroots organization that works to educate our people on 
reservations about the dangers of non-ferrous mining and it's effects on 
our manoomin.

Due to strong opposition of copper mining from many concerned 
citizens in Duluth, the resolution was withdrawn and will be 
resubmitted on December 20, 2011 in Ely, MN where the resolution 
author believed the resolution would pass with full support of the Iron 
Range citizens.  Many people and a few commissioners believed that 
the county was acting too quickly before a full environmental review 
process was finished and before the state and federal agencies could 
determine if a copper mine could be built without causing serious
environmental harm.

                2012

   On February 10, 2012, the hearings on the Sandy Lake Band of
    Mississippi Chippewa's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and also
    the United States Motion to Dismiss, or in the Alternative., Motion for
    Summary Judgment, were heard before the Honorable Donovan W.
    Frank, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, in St. 
    Paul. Federal Judge, Donovan Frank will issue his opinion within sixty
    days.

   March 8, 2012 - Representatives of the Sandy Lake Band of
    Mississippi Chippewa participated in a rally at the state Capitol in 
    support of Frank Moe and his sled dog team who had ran 360 miles
    from Grand Marais, Minnesota to the state Capitol in St. Paul to raise
    awareness of the danger of sulfide mining pollution in Minnesota. The
    sled dog trek also carried petitions containing 13,000 signatures
    from concerned Minnesotans who oppose nonferrous (sulfide) mining
    adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which would
    ultimately affect the whole state of Minnesota. Frank Moe vowed to
    personally hand deliver these petitions to Governor Mark Dayton in
    which he did. Non-ferrous mining will endanger our wildrice beds, the
    wildlife, and the future of our future generations.

   March 14, 2012 - Sandra Skinaway, Chairwoman of the Sandy Lake
    Band of Mississippi Chippewa provided testimony during the hearing of
    the Minnesota Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans
    Committee, opposing the Minnesota Legislature's legislation to establish
    wolf hunting and trapping seasons in Minnesota. Chairwoman Sandra
    Skinaway wanted to place on public record that the Sandy Lake Band of
    Mississippi Chippewa is OPPOSED to the public hunting and killing of
    the wolf. The wolf holds a special and sacred place in the Anishinaabe
    culture and that we have a duty to try our best to protect the wolf and
    speak for them since they don't have a voice. 

   May 4, 2012 - For the second time, Federal Judge Donovan Frank
    dismissed WITH PREJUDICE, the Sandy Lake Band's second Complaint
    for Declaratory and Injunctive relief against the United States of America;
    Ken Salazar, as Secretary of the Interior; Larry Echo Hawk, as the Assistant
    Secretary for Indian Affairs.  The Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
    Chippewa will appeal this decision to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

   June 22, 2012 - Representatives of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
    Chippewa provided a feast and lecture to the students and staff of the
    Nandagikendan Academy of the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. 
    The lecture and presentation was on the 1850 Sandy Lake Tragedy & 
    Mikwendaagoziwag Memorial located at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
    Sandy Lake Recreational Campground in McGregor, MN. 

 

On July 5, 2012, the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa filed the notice of Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from the final judgment filed on May 7th, 2012.

The Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa hopes to have an unbiased, fair, and equitable decision from this Court. 

On July 25, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Miississippi Chippewa attended the annual Sandy Lake Tragedy Mkwendaagozwag Ceremonies to honor and remember the Anishinaabe victims of the 1850 Sandy Lake Tragedy sponsored by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC). 

The annual ceremony was held at the Miikwendaagoziwag Memorial at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreational site north of McGregor, Minnesota.

          On August 9, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of
           Mississippi Chippewa participated in a rally sponsored by a non-
           profit group called "Howling for Wolves" against the Minnesota
           Department of Natural Resources sanctioned Wolf Sport Hunt
           scheduled to coincide with the 2012 Deer hunting season.  In the
           Anishinaabe creation story, the wolf is our brother and whatever
           happens to the wolf will happen to the Anishinaabe people.  The wolf
           is a political pawn to the state of Minnesota.

           The Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi chippewa has declared all
           Sandy Lake Indian Reservation lands as a sanctuary for the wolf and
           is off limits to wolf hunting.

 

      On September 7, 2012 members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
       Chippewa sponsored a rally in downtown Duluth in an effort to inform  
       the public about their opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport
       Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota.  Dr. Maureen Hackett of
       Howling for Wolves also attended from the Twin Cities. It was a call to the
       public to call Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr
       to stop the Wolf Sport Hunt.

         

On September 15, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa sponsored another rally in downtown Duluth in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota.  It was a call to the public to call Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop the Wolf Sport Hunt.

         

On September 22, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa sponsored another rally in downtown Duluth in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota. It was a call to the public to call Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop the Wolf Sport Hunt.

         

On September 28, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa sponsored another rally in downtown Duluth in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota. It was a call to the public to call Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop the Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping Season starting November 3, 2012.  The Wolf is a part of our culture and heritage.

         

On October 6, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa sponsored another rally in downtown Duluth in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota. It was a call to the public to call Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop the Wolf Sport Hunt.

        

On October 13, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa sponsored the 6th Stop the Wolf Hunt rally in downtown Duluth  in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming  2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and
Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota. It was a call to the public to call
Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop
the Wolf Sport Hunt.

       

 On October 20, 2012, many members of the Sandy Lake Band of  
 Mississippi Chippewa attended "WOLF WALK 2012" in downtown  
 Duluth. Sandra Skinaway, Chairwoman of the Sandy Lake Band also
 co-founded the "Northwoods Wolf Alliance" along with Reyna Crow,
 who co- sponsored the Wolf Walk 2012 Event along with "Howling for
 Wolves".  About 200 people across Minnesota attended an rally and
 Walk at the Duluth's Civic Center.  The speakers of the Event
 included:  Robert DesJarlait, Red Lake Ojibwe, Bob Shimek, White
 Earth Ojibwe, Lisa Herthel, Mole Lake Ojibwe, Bob Babcock, Hunter
 and Environmentalist,  Mr. Howard Goldman, MN Director of the
 United States Humane Society, and Dr. Maureen Hackett, founder of
 Howling for Wolves.  The rally urged people to contact Minnesota
 Governor Mark Dayton and DNR Commissioner, Tom Landwehr to
 stop the Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping Season scheduled to begin
 November 3, 2012.  The event concluded with a historic Walk through
 Downtown Duluth.  The wolf is part of our culture and heritage and is
 a part of our creation story.  Many feel that the wolf has barely begun
 to recover from the brink of extinction and that is why many are
 pushing very hard to stop the wolf hunt.

        

On October 27, 2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
Chippewa sponsored the 8th Stop the Wolf Hunt rally in downtown Duluth in another effort to inform the public about the opposition to the upcoming 2012 DNR Wolf Sport Hunting and Trapping of the Wolf in Minnesota.  It was a call to the public to call on Governor Dayton and the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr to stop the Wolf Sport Hunt. 

          

On October 5, 2012, motion for extension of time to file brief is filed by Mr. Scott Johnson for Appellant Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa.  Motion granted for extension of time to file brief and to file the opposition for leave to proceed as amicus curiae filed by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe as an interested party.  Sandy Lake's response and opposition to the above entries are due in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals by October 26, 2012.

         

On November 3,  2012, members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi
Chippewa will be in travel status attending various Honoring Ma'iingan events during the opening of the 2012 DNR Sport Hunting and Trapping Season.

        

 


           The Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa continue   
           the efforts to restore their federal recognition status. 

 







Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa