GRAND PORTAGE — A first-of-its-kind agreement between three tribes and the U.S. Forest Service for co-stewardship of the Superior National Forest is now in place.
Chairwoman Cathy Chavers of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Chairperson Kevin R. DuPuis Sr. of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Chairman Robert Deschampe of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Forest Service Regional Forester Gina Owens and Superior National Forest Supervisor Tom Hall signed a memorandum of understanding on May 2.
The memorandum provides for co-stewardship and protection of the bands’ treaty-reserved rights under the 1854 treaty within the forest, a news release stated.
“It’s historic with three Bands within the 1854 Treaty area coming together as one,” Chavers stated in the release. “We, as Tribal Leaders, are charged with caring for our natural resources. This includes our elders and youth. We also must think of the next seven generations by building partnerships and strengthening relationships to work together to achieve that common goal. Chi Miigwech — we are very thankful to everyone involved in finalizing the MOU.”
“This is a great tool in the toolbox, moving forward to protect this land we have very little of left, as we have approximately 20% of our 6.2 million acres of the 1854 Treaty area remaining for access by tribal members."Robert Deschampe, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
On Sept. 30, 1854, the bands entered a treaty with the United States whereby they ceded ownership of their lands in northeastern Minnesota. Under the treaty, the Bands retained their inherent rights to hunt, fish and gather in the 1854 ceded territory.
This ceded territory encompasses approximately 6.2 million acres of land in what is now considered present-day northeastern Minnesota, including 3.3 million acres in what is now called the Superior National Forest. The 1854 Treaty is an express recognition of the government-to-government relationship between the bands and the United States.
The agreement recognizes the bands as original stewards of the lands and outlines procedures to ensure tribal input is meaningfully incorporated into Forest Service decision-making. This includes robust processes for early tribal consultation on Forest Service decisions that may impact the bands’ treaty-reserved rights. It also includes provisions for designation and protection of culturally sensitive areas within the forest, coordination on forest management objectives and tribal-Forest Service training.
Through the agreement, the bands and the Forest Service also commit to jointly pursuing funding opportunities to support co-stewardship. Through this agreement, the bands will assist the Forest Service using deep, place-based tribal traditional ecological knowledge to support shared goals of protecting and enhancing the land and water for future generations, the release stated.
“This is a great tool in the toolbox, moving forward to protect this land we have very little of left, as we have approximately 20% of our 6.2 million acres of the 1854 Treaty area remaining for access by tribal members,” Deschampe said. “Today we are protecting all we have left. Chi Miigwech to everyone who worked on this.”
The agreement is also intended to fulfill the objectives in the Joint Secretarial Order on Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters, issued in November 2021 by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That order commits to using agreements as a tool to foster cooperation on protection of treaty and subsistence rights and taking action to ensure tribes play an integral role in decision-making related to the management of federal lands and waters through consultation, capacity building and other means.
“It's been 169 years since the signing of the 1854 Treaty, it says shared resources — that is true today,” Dupuis Sr. stated. “Our Tribal leadership has an obligation to the ones who came before us, and we are here today to make sure that our unborn can exercise our inherent rights given to us by the Creator. Today ensures that we can move forward and teach our people the way of life, that we as Anishinaabe people, are tied to each and every thing that grows in the forest that the Creator gave us.
“When we speak our language, we bring our elders, our history, our past all the way from the beginning forward with us to today. It was a long time coming, 169 years, these shared resources didn’t come in their true form until today.”
Owens of the Forest Service said things will look different going forward.
“Truly listening and making meaningful change will require us to understand our mind, body and souls need for the land to provide food, shelter, and medicine,” Owens stated. “We will walk shoulder to shoulder to integrate meaningful and deep place-based Tribal knowledge as part of what we do every day to be able to look back and be proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
