BEMIDJI — For one weekend this July, the Red Lake Nation flag flew over Bemidji City Hall in honor of the late former Red Lake Chairman Roger Jourdain.
Jourdain was first elected Red Lake’s tribal chairman in 1959, a position he filled for more than 30 years. He was known as a fierce advocate for protecting the sovereignty of the Red Lake Nation, advancing ideas of tribal self-determination long before it became federal policy.
His leadership helped advance projects such as the Jourdain-Perpich Nursing Home, which was, at that time, the only project in the country that brought together stakeholders from the tribe, the state and the federal government.
His great-granddaughter Chelsey Jourdain commemorated his legacy during a ceremony Friday.
"Right here in Bemidji, a city that hasn't always welcomed Native people with open arms, Chairman Jourdain showed up," Jourdain said in her speech. "He walked into rooms that weren't built for us, and made space for our voices.
"He believed in building bridges between communities, even when it wasn't easy, because he knew the future of our children depended on it. For me, this isn't just history, it's family.”
Jourdain works as an educator at the Red Lake Charter School, which prides itself on being fully immersive in Ojibwe.
“Lately, I've felt called to show up in my own way to walk in his footsteps with the same integrity and intention,” Jourdain said. “That's what this flag means to me. It's not just cloth and color — it's commitment, it's courage and it's continuation.”
The school’s Executive Director Nate Taylor sang as the Red Lake Nation flag was raised that afternoon.
"We were very blessed and fortunate to have a a leader such as Roger and all that he did,” Taylor said after the ceremony. "He set the bar and as a nation, we should be following that and going hard in that way, to continue the dream of our ancestors and our leaders.”
Roger Jourdain died March 21, 2002, at the age of 89. Roger Jourdain Day was first commemorated in the city of Bemidji via proclamation on July 27, 2011, which would have been his 99th birthday.
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