The
Leech Lake Indian Reservation or
Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag in the
Ojibwe languageOjibwe , 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...
, is an Native American reservation located in the north-central
MinnesotaMinnesota 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...
counties of (in descending order of reservation area)
CassCass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 28,567. Its county seat is Walker. A portion of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation is in the county.-Geography:...
,
ItascaItasca 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...
,
BeltramiBeltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...
, and
HubbardAs of the census of 2000, there were 18,376 people, 7,435 households, and 5,345 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 12,229 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
. It is the land-base for the
Leech Lake Band of OjibweThe Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and as Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg in the Ojibwe language, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 8,861 tribal members as of July, 2007...
. As of the
2000 censusThe 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...
, it had a population of 10,205, making it the largest
Indian reservationAn 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...
in the state by number of residents. Over one-fourth of its territory comprises lakes, as the reservation covers 972.517 sq mi (2,518.806 km²) of land and 337.392 sq mi (873.841 km²) of water. As a result it is the second-largest reservation in Minnesota (to the
White Earth Indian ReservationThe 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...
) when viewed in terms of land area, and the largest reservation in Minnesota when viewed in terms of total area.
The largest lakes on the reservation include
Leech LakeLeech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir...
,
Lake WinnibigoshishLake Winnibigoshish is a body of water in north central Minnesota, in the Chippewa National Forest. Its name comes from the Ojibwe language Wiinibiigoozhish...
, and
Cass LakeCass Lake is a glacially-formed lake in north central Minnesota in the United States. It is approximately long and wide, located in Cass and Beltrami counties, within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, adjacent to its namesake city of Cass Lake...
.
The core areas of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation were established according to a
treatyA 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...
in 1855 as three smaller reservations for the
Pillager Band of Chippewa IndiansPillager Band of Chippewa Indians are a historical band of Chippewa , originally living at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Their name "Pillagers" is a translation of Makandwewininiwag, which literally means "Pillaging Men"...
and modified several times thereafter. Under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the present "Greater" Leech Lake Indian Reservation was formed from the merger of Leech Lake, Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish Indian Reservations of the Pillager Band, Chippewa Indian Reservation of the removable Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians and White Oak Point Indian Reservation of the Mississippi Chippewa.
Most of the reservation land is now taken up by the
Chippewa National ForestChippewa National Forest is a National Forest located in northcentral Minnesota, United States, in the counties of Itasca, Cass, and Beltrami. Forest headquarters are located in Cass Lake, Minnesota. There are local ranger district offices in Blackduck, Deer River, and Walker.-History and...
, and only a very small percentage is owned by tribal members. About 40 area lakes are used for the production of
wild riceWild 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...
and the community produces more rice than any other reservation in the state.
Communities
Eleven communities make up the villages of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, with two additional communities with substantial number of Leech Lake Band members.
- Ball Club
Ball Club, Minnesota is a small town on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Itasca County, MN. The majority of this town is populated by Native Americans of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.Ball Club's small economy includes a general store and gas station...
- Bena
As of the census of 2000, there were 110 people, 48 households, and 31 families residing in the city. The population density was 218.0 people per square mile . There were 72 housing units at an average density of 142.7 per square mile...
- Cass Lake
As of the census of 2000, there were 860 people, 331 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 753.2 people per square mile . There were 384 housing units at an average density of 336.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 30.12% White, 64.42%...
- Deer River
As of the census of 2000, there were 903 people, 389 households, and 220 families residing in the city. The population density was 850.9 people per square mile . There were 415 housing units at an average density of 391.1 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 84.05% White, 12.07%...
(part, population 0)
- Inger
Inger is an unincorporated community in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States, along the Bowstring River of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation....
- Longville
Longville is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 156 at the 2010 census. The city was named after its founder Jim Long. The town is roughly 4 hours north of the Twin Cities. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area...
(part, population 0)
- Mission
- Oak Point
- Onigum
- Pennington
Pennington is an unincorporated community in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Pennington is northeast of Cass Lake. Pennington has a post office with ZIP code 56663....
- Smokey Point
- Squaw Lake
Squaw Lake is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 107 at the 2010 census.The town center is located along Minnesota State Highway 46.-Geography:...
- Sugar Point
See also
External links