The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

According to oral traditions, the Ojibwe first lived on the Atlantic coast of North America. About 500 years ago, the ancestors of the Mille Lacs Band began migrating west. By the mid-1700s, the Ojibwe had established themselves in the region around Lake Mille Lacs in what is today Central Minnesota. But it wasn’t long before the Mille Lacs Ojibwe’s self-sufficient way of life was affected by a new presence in their homeland. 

Because of diseases and federal policies, by the end of the nineteenth century, only a few hundred Ojibwe remained on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Over the next century, the Mille Lacs Band struggled with poverty and despair. 

Today, the Mille Lacs Band is recognized as the first Indigenous tribe in the country to use casino revenues to back a development bond issue, which raises more than $20 million. The Band uses the money to begin rebuilding its reservation and strengthening its culture. Community improvements to date include two new schools, a new medical clinic, two new ceremonial buildings, two new community centers, water treatment facilities, improved roads, and new homes.