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The basics of Tribal Government
Leech Lake Reservation is one of seven geographic territories known as
Chippewa Reservations in Minnesota. Treaties were made with
many
bands of Chippewa like Mississippi, Pillager, Sandy Lake,
Winnibigoshish in and around Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For administrative purposes, for the ease of federal government, the
various treaty bands within the boundaries of the state of Minnesota,
became the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) under the Indian
Reorganization Act of 1934. A MCT Federal Corporate Charter
was
adopted as the administrative mechanism to accept and dispense federal
and other tribal funds. Six of the seven (not including Red Lake)
MCT reservations derive their governmental powers from the MCT
Constitution.
While the MCT Constitution provides for a federalist, governmental
structure with two at-large elected representatives (Chairman and
Secretary-Treasurer) to serve on the Tribal Executive Committee (TEC)
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, actual exercise of tribal government
authority is exercised on each local reservation, with varying degrees
of consistency between member reservations.
MCT reservation government has devolved to six geographic autocracies
with little TEC concern for how other tribal members are treated by
other MCT governments.
LINKS
MCT Member Reservations
Minnesota Public Radio
Special - "On Their Own?"
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