Walz evasion of County officials while bowing to tribal reservation claims is disappointing

Traci LeBrun, “Walz, Ellison opinion regarding Reservation boundaries fail to meet due diligence test” Mille Lacs Messenger, February 26, 2020 reports on the Governor’s obvious failure to meet with Mille Lacs County officials.

Gov. Walz’s disregard was heightened by his recent appearance nearby as a keynote speaker for the State of the Band Address at the Mille Lacs Grand Casino January 21. This after months of ignoring the County’s request for a meeting.

LeBrun does not take a position on the controversial tribal claims for the existence of a long dis-established reservation. Which is laudable given Gov. Walz’s support for AG Ellison’s total reversal of over 100 years of settled public […]

T.A. LeBrun reported on a court filing that backs tribal reservation boundary claims, “Walz, Ellison deviate from long-held opinion on Reservation boundaries,” Mille Lacs Messenger, Feb. 25. (See article below)

LeBrun’s report details how Attorney General Ellison, with Gov. Walz’s support, recently filed court papers backing tribal claims that the long-disestablished 61,000 acre Mille Lacs reservation still exists.

The filing is considered by some to be purely political. It’s just a way to put pressure on the County, which is defending itself against a lawsuit to expand Tribal law enforcement jurisdiction.

It’s political because it carries little legal weight. First, the Ellison filing is not likely to be used in the current lawsuit, according to Randy Thompson, attorney for the County in that lawsuit. Second, as Thompson explains, it also has […]

In the past, the public was always invited to observe MLFAC and DNR rep discussions. Plus, 15 minutes were reserved for public comments and questions. Not this time.

A DNR Press Release for the January 28 MLFAC meeting never showed up. We found out about it the day before and quickly sent out an Email Alert. Three hours later, the meeting was canceled.

This gave the DNR time to conference call MLFAC members about the harvest quota for 2020 before it went public. Then they notified MLFAC by email about the next meeting date. Wednesday, February 19th from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm at Appeldoorn’s on Mille Lacs–45401 Mille Lacs Parkway, Isle, MN 56342)

Again, no Press Release. The public really needs to know what’s happening with “co-management.” Go to PERM’s Facebook page to get […]

The DNR has CANCELED the MLFAC meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 28

The meeting was canceled around 6:30 this evening.

A rescheduled meeting is to be set in about three weeks.

PERM will send an ALERT about the next MLFAC meeting as soon as we learn the date.

Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee Meets TOMORROW, Tuesday, January 28th at 5 pm

PERM just learned of a MLFAC Meeting being held TOMORROW, Tuesday, January 28th at 5 pm. (Prior notice by the DNR may have had limited distribution.)

The Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee (MLFAC) will meet from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28th, at Appeldoorn’s Sunset Bay Resort, 45401 Mille Lacs Parkway, Isle.

The agenda may include a report on a Tribal/DNR Technical Committee meeting regarding regs for 2020.

Members of the public are invited to observe MLFAC meeting discussions involving Committee members and DNR representatives. However, fifteen minutes are always reserved for public comments and questions.

PERM encourages its members and concerned citizens to attend this meeting. […]

The US Supreme Court did not order the State of MN, or the MN DNR, to discriminate in the Mille Lacs Treaty Case!

The 1837 Treaty did not promote discrimination; it did exactly the opposite. The treaties were promoting equal rights. Currently, the so-called “co-management” of Mille Lacs Lake discriminates–different rules for tribal vs. non-tribal anglers and hunters.

A main point of a recent Mille Lacs Messenger article, “County attorney and sheriff file lawsuit against State of Minn,” (below) is about efforts to recognize the historical 61,000-acre reservation. Recognizing that long dis-established reservation would expand discriminatory co-management law over another 56,000 acres regulating the harvest of wild game and fish based on race.

Those of us who attended the hearing back in the early ’90s can remember testimony by MN DNR and […]

Lawsuit part of campaign to expand “harvest rights” across entire 1855 ceded territory

Take a look at the Brainerd Dispatch article below by Jennifer Kraus. It’s the latest development in a case over illegal gill netting of walleye on Gull Lake.

We need to watch this case over an attempt to establish “treaty harvest rights” that are non-existent in the 1855 Treaty. In addition to creating such rights, the definition of “harvest rights” would be greatly expanded to include “property” rights. If successful, the attempt could turn the entire 1855 Treaty ceded territory into another [greatly expanded] Mille Lacs fiasco.

Doug
Douglas Meyenburg, President, PERM

In split decision, Court of Appeals rules in favor of state in netting case

By Jennifer Kraus | Dec 20th, 2019

This case began when two Ojibwe men […]

By Clare Fitz — CERA Report Member Update — December 2019

The economy of and surrounding Mille Lacs Lake, located 100 miles north of Minneapolis-St Paul, whose economy for many many years has been based on Walleye fishing and the tourism built around it, once known as the Walleye Capitol of the World, is being destroyed. Why?

Perhaps a little history is in order because I continue to believe that what we face at Mille Lacs is basically a land grab and with the land goes jurisdiction and power. And while on the surface it appears that the Indian tribes are the culprit, we have been able to prove through archival research that the culprit is actually the federal government […]