White Earth, Fish & Wildlife will sign Tamarac Refuge conservation agreement on Tuesday
“So that’s something that’s very exciting for the tribe, that we are eventually going to run our own refuge," said Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks. A memorandum of agreement has been finalized between the White Earth Band and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Detroit. The agreement allows tribes to contract with the federal government to operate programs serving their tribal members and others. The signing ceremony is set for 10 a.m. June 4 at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen. Public Law 93-638 gives tribes the authority to run their own refuge. White Earth Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks announced that one of the other tribal nations in Minnesota is planning to buy cannabis from them through the Tribe's cannabis-growing program. The city of Minneapolis is also considering a government-to-government land transfer there.
Veröffentlicht : vor 11 Monaten durch Nathan Bowe in Science
DETROIT LAKES — A memorandum of agreement has been finalized between the White Earth Band and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.
“Good things are happening, some positive announcements today,” White Earth Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks said at the Reservation Business Committee (Tribal Council) meeting on Friday, May 31.
“We’ll be signing an MOA with the Fish & Wildlife Service on starting the process of '638ing' the Tamarac Refuge,” Fairbanks said. “So that’s something that’s very exciting for the tribe, that we are eventually going to run our own refuge. But in due time this all falls in with getting the land back, too. So that’s something that we can be proud of, that Tamarac is moving forward.”
Public Law 93-638 gives tribes the authority to contract with the federal government to operate programs serving their tribal members and others.
The MOA signing ceremony between White Earth and the Fish & Wildlife Service is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 4 at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen.
“White Earth Members, please join us for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement with Tamarac Wildlife Refuge,” the council posted on the White Earth Facebook page.
“On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, leaders of the White Earth Nation, (WEN) will join The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge for a signing ceremony to formalize a memorandum of agreement supporting the governments’ long-standing conservation partnership," the Facebook post says. “Band members have harvested resources in the area that is now the refuge since time immemorial. Certain activities were guaranteed to the Tribe through an agreement with the Department of the Interior in 1935.”
In other news, also at the Tribal Council meeting, Fairbanks announced that one of the other tribal nations in Minnesota “is going to be buying cannabis from us,” through the White Earth cannabis-growing program. He did not mention any specifics.
White Earth is also considering an offer from the city of Minneapolis for a government-to-government land transfer there.
Minneapolis has several sites available, mostly one-lot sites, but also a larger site, about half a city block in size, that could be used for housing and chemical dependency treatment.
One option is for White Earth to build a residential treatment facility, which would help people experiencing homelessness and also provide treatment. The model would include transitional housing after treatment, with continuing support provided through White Earth’s mental health and addiction programs.
Homelessness is a big problem in the Twin Cities. “Indigenous individuals are 26 times more likely to experience homelessness” than other people, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry said in a letter to White Earth.
“Something like this could decrease the amount of homelessness down there, and help our people to get help and services they need,” Chairman Fairbanks told the council. “So it’s … important we stay on top of this, because we do need services down there, too.”
White Earth Secretary-Treasurer Michael LaRoque agreed. “We’re stronger as a people if we collaborate with all the other tribes down there,” he told the council. “If we could collaborate with Red Lake and Leech Lake and Mille Lacs … pretty much all 11 bands, I think we’d be much stronger if we did that.”
The proposed site is in the area of the American Indian Community Development Corporation withdrawal management (detox) facilities on Chicago Avenue.
Themen: Wildlife