Bois Forte Indian Reservation
Encyclopedia
Bois Forte Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation
formed for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
(or Zagaakwaandagowininiwag (Men of the Thick Woods) in the Ojibwe language
). It comprises three sections in northern Minnesota
, United States
.
: Asabiikone-zaaga`iganiing, "At the Lake for Netting"), located at 48°05′31"N 93°11′12"W, is the primary reservation holding for the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, containing the unincorporated community of Nett Lake, MN
. The area of 162.872 sq mi (421.838 km²) surrounds Nett Lake
in Koochiching
and St. Louis
counties.
in Itasca County
, just east of the city of Effie
. This reservation was originally set aside for the Little Forks Band of Rainy River Saulteaux. Today, as the population have all relocated onto either the Nett Lake or to the Lake Vermilion Indian Reservation, this reservation is kept as a natural resources reserve for the Band.
: Onamanii-zaaga'iganiing, "At the Lake with Red ochre"). It consists of 1.623 sq mi (4.205 km², or 1,039 acre
s) of land at 47°49′11"N 92°20′07"W in southeastern Greenwood Township
on Lake Vermilion
just west of the city of Tower
in St. Louis County, containing the unincorporated community of Lake Vermilion, MN. Set aside by executive order, originally for the Lake Vermilion Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, today this reservation is one of the most accessible Reservations for the Band. Consequently, the Band operates Fortune Bay Resort Casino, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay golf course and the Atisokanigamig (Legend House) Heritage Center out of this reservation.
, the reservation had a total population of 657; the Nett Lake section had 328, the Itasca County section had 157, and the Lake Vermilion section had 172. The Bois Forte Indian Reservation is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
, who in July, 2007, reported 3,052 people enrolled through Bois Forte.
with the United States
in 1854 that set aside an undefined region around Lake Vermilion as a reservation. The regions at Nett Lake and Itasca County were officially established in an 1866 treaty, and the Lake Vermilion lands were defined in an 1881 executive order. Following the Nelson Act of 1898, the lands were surveyed and subdivided, but the U.S. federal government did not force tribe members to move to the White Earth Indian Reservation
.
50% of the reservation is wetland
, and the 7,300 acre (30 km²) Nett Lake is said to be the largest producer of wild rice
in the United States
.
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
formed for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa are an Ojibwe Band located in northern Minnesota, along the border between the United States and Canada...
(or Zagaakwaandagowininiwag (Men of the Thick Woods) in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
). It comprises three sections in northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Nett Lake Indian Reservation
Nett Lake Indian Reservation (OjibweOjibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
: Asabiikone-zaaga`iganiing, "At the Lake for Netting"), located at 48°05′31"N 93°11′12"W, is the primary reservation holding for the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, containing the unincorporated community of Nett Lake, MN
Nett Lake, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Nett Lake is an unorganized territory in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 272 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 35.5 square miles , of which, 31.6 square miles of it is...
. The area of 162.872 sq mi (421.838 km²) surrounds Nett Lake
Nett Lake, Koochiching County, Minnesota
Nett Lake is an unorganized territory in Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 56 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 139.1 square miles , of which, 131.3 square miles of it...
in Koochiching
Koochiching County, Minnesota
Koochiching County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 13,311. Its county seat is International Falls. A portion of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation is in the county. A small part of Voyageurs National Park extends into its northeast...
and St. Louis
St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
counties.
Deer Creek Indian Reservation
Deer Creek Indian Reservation, at 47°51′15"N 93°31′52"W, the second-largest section of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, comprises 35.109 sq mi (90.931 km²) in Effie unorganized territoryEffie (unorganized territory), Minnesota
Effie is an unorganized territory in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 200 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 80.3 square miles , of which, 79.7 square miles of it is land and...
in Itasca County
Itasca County, Minnesota
Itasca County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is named after Lake Itasca, which is in turn a shortened version the Latin words veritas caput, meaning 'truth' and 'head', a reference to the source of the Mississippi River. As of 2010, the population was 45,058. Its county seat...
, just east of the city of Effie
Effie, Minnesota
Effie is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 123 at the 2010 census.Minnesota State Highways 1 and 38 are two of the main arterial routes in the community.-Geography:...
. This reservation was originally set aside for the Little Forks Band of Rainy River Saulteaux. Today, as the population have all relocated onto either the Nett Lake or to the Lake Vermilion Indian Reservation, this reservation is kept as a natural resources reserve for the Band.
Lake Vermilion Indian Reservation
The smallest section of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation is the Lake Vermilion Indian Reservation (OjibweOjibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
: Onamanii-zaaga'iganiing, "At the Lake with Red ochre"). It consists of 1.623 sq mi (4.205 km², or 1,039 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) of land at 47°49′11"N 92°20′07"W in southeastern Greenwood Township
Greenwood Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Greenwood Township is a township in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 939 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 36.94%, is water....
on Lake Vermilion
Lake Vermilion
Lake Vermilion is a freshwater lake in northeastern Minnesota, United States. The Ojibwe originally called the lake Onamuni, which means "Lake of the Sunset Glow". French fur traders translated this to the Latin word Vermilion, which is a red pigment...
just west of the city of Tower
Tower, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 479 people in the city, organized into 233 households and 137 families. The population density is 176.8 people per square mile . There are 295 housing units at an average density of 108.9 per square mile...
in St. Louis County, containing the unincorporated community of Lake Vermilion, MN. Set aside by executive order, originally for the Lake Vermilion Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, today this reservation is one of the most accessible Reservations for the Band. Consequently, the Band operates Fortune Bay Resort Casino, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay golf course and the Atisokanigamig (Legend House) Heritage Center out of this reservation.
Other Bois Forte Indian Reservation holdings
There are additional scattered parcels less than 40 acres (16.2 ha) in size associated with the reservation. The reservation's total land area is 199.605 sq mi (516.974 km²).Demographics
As of the 2000 censusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the reservation had a total population of 657; the Nett Lake section had 328, the Itasca County section had 157, and the Lake Vermilion section had 172. The Bois Forte Indian Reservation is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is a centralized government for six Chippewa bands in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was created on June 18, 1934, and the organization and its constitution were recognized by the Secretary of the Interior two years later on July 24, 1936...
, who in July, 2007, reported 3,052 people enrolled through Bois Forte.
History
The community first entered into a treatyTreaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1854 that set aside an undefined region around Lake Vermilion as a reservation. The regions at Nett Lake and Itasca County were officially established in an 1866 treaty, and the Lake Vermilion lands were defined in an 1881 executive order. Following the Nelson Act of 1898, the lands were surveyed and subdivided, but the U.S. federal government did not force tribe members to move to the White Earth Indian Reservation
White Earth Indian Reservation
The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...
.
50% of the reservation is wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
, and the 7,300 acre (30 km²) Nett Lake is said to be the largest producer of wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.