Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
The League of Women Voters of Minnesota works with people and communities who occupy the ancestral and current homelands of the Dakota, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, and other Indigenous peoples. We acknowledge their stewardship and care of the land on which we now live. We recognize the terrible impact of colonialism on Native people, including injustices perpetrated by the U.S. and Minnesota governments. These include reprehensible actions such as annihilation, forced assimilation, broken treaties, destruction of culture, separation of families, and other attempts at dehumanization of Native people. We hold ourselves accountable to redress these harms through truth telling, including acknowledging our complicity in these harms. We pledge to defend the right of self-governance of our sovereign tribes and to uphold the rights of Indigenous citizens within our democracy.
The Native Governance Center in Minnesota provides outstanding resources to assist local Leagues and community organizations in helping to craft their own land acknowledgment, which begins with education and self-reflection. Use this excellent guide to honor our indigenous people and to create action plans to bring your land acknowledgement to life.
American Indian tribes, reservations and communities in Minnesota
In Minnesota, there are two tribes: the Anishinaabe (also known as Chippewa and/or Ojibwe) and the Dakota (also known as Sioux). There are seven Anishinaabe reservations within Minnesota boundaries, and four Dakota communities. From the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council:
A reservation or community is a segment of land that belongs to one or more groups of American Indians. It is land that was retained by American Indian tribes after ceding large portions of the original homelands to the United States through treaty agreements. It is not land that was given to American Indians by the federal government. There are hundreds of state and federally recognized American Indian reservations located in 35 states. These reservations have boundary lines much like a county or state has boundary lines. The American Indian reservations were created through treaties, and after 1871, some were created by Executive Order of the President of the United States or by other agreements.
Anishinaabe Reservations in Minnesota
Zagaakwaandagowininiwag / Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
shares land with: Koochiching, St. Louis counties / administered by: Executive Director, Tribal Council
Nah-gah-chi-wa-nong / Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
shares land with: Carlton, St. Louis counties / administered by: Chairperson, Business Committee
Gichi-Onigaming / Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
shares land with: Cook County / administered by: Chairperson, Tribal Council
Gaa-zagaskwaabiganikaag / Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
shares land with: Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard, Itasca counties / administered by: Chairperson, Tribal Council
Misi-zaaga'iganiing / Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
shares land with: Mille Lacs County / administered by: Chief Executive, Band Assembly, Tribal Court
Mis-Qua-Mi-Saga-Eh-Ganing / Red Lake Nation
shares land with: Beltrami, Clearwater counties / administered by: Chairperson, Tribal Council, advised by Hereditary Chiefs
Gaa-waabaabiganikaag / White Earth Nation
shares land with: Becker, Clearwater, Mahnomen counties / administered by: Independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches
Dakota Communities in Minnesota
Caŋṡa'yapi Otunwe / Lower Sioux Indian Community
shares land with: Redwood County / administered by: Tribal Council
Tinta Winta / Prairie Island Indian Community
shares land with: Goodhue County / administered by: Tribal Council
Ṡákpe Mdewak̇aŋṫuŋwaŋ Dak̇ota Oyate / Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
shares land with: Scott County / administered by: Business Council
Pezihutazizi Oyate (Upper Sioux Community)
shares land with: Yellow Medicine County / administered by: Board of Trustees
Thank you to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council for this helpful resource to better understand where our Minnesota tribal reservations and communities are located today. For additional information on the history of Native communities in Minnesota, including stories of survival, resiliency, and adaptation, check out the online and in-person exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. Native Americans - Dakota, Ojibwe, as well as people from other tribal nations - have dwelled in this area for thousands of years and still live here today. This exhibit shares their stories, enduring presence, and deep connection to the land.
Beyond a Land Acknowledgement
But a Land Acknowledgment alone is not enough. It’s merely a starting point. We need to ask ourselves - how do we plan to take action to support Indigenous communities? Some examples of ways to take action:
Support Indigenous organizations by donating your time and/or money.
Support Indigenous-led grassroots change movements and campaigns. Encourage others to do so.
Commit to returning land. Local, state, and federal governments around the world are currently returning land to Indigenous people. Individuals are returning their land, too. Research your options to return your land.
Check out these additional resources from the Native Governance Center to learn more.