The Fond du Lac Indian Reservation (or Nah-Gah-Chi-Wa-Nong (Nagaajiwanaang in the Double Vowel orthography), meaning "Where the current is blocked" in the Ojibwe language) is an Indian reservation in northern Minnesota near Cloquet in Carlton and Saint Louis counties. Off-reservation holdings are located across the state in Douglas County, in the northwest corner of Wisconsin. The total land area of these tribal lands is .

On September 2 1862 a letter was sent from the Fond du Lac St. Louis Reservation to Governor Alexander Ramsey. Chief Naw-Gaw-Nub and Chief Shin-Gwack(Shin-goob) requested that the Governor relay to President Lincoln that the Fond du Lac Chippewa wanted to help with the Sioux Uprising.

The Fond du Lac Reservation was subject to allotment under the Dawes Act of 1887 and the Nelson Act of 1889, causing tribal land to be subdivided into the ownership of individual tribal members or alienated to white settlers and timber companies. Almost 3/4 of the Fond du Lac reservation had passed into non-native ownership by 1934. The band began to reacquire land after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and had regained control of just over half of the land within the reservation by 1981.

Government

The FDL adopted a written constitution with an elected government. Its tribal council has five members, who serve four year staggered terms.

The FDL operates social services, tribal housing, a tribal police force, a natural resource building, a gas station, three community centers, and a private health clinic and pharmacy called Min No Aya Win Health Center. The tribe also operates two satellite health clinics, one in Duluth, named The Center for American Indian Resources (CAIR), and another in Minneapolis, the Mashkiki Waakaaigan Pharmacy (Medicine House). It has numerous members who live in these urban areas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the combined reservation and off-reservation trust land have a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, the total population living on Fond du Lac Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land was 4,184. The population density was . There were 1,713 housing units at an average density of .

The Fond du Lac Reservation has a significant non-native population due in part to the allotment and sale of reservation lands in the early twentieth century. The racial makeup of the reservation and off-reservation trust land in 2020 was 2,069 (49.45%) White, 1,697 (40.56%) Native American, 18 (0.43%) Black, 5 (0.12%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) from other races, and 289 (6.91%) from two or more races. Ethnically, there were 102 (2.44%) people Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Economy

The tribe owns two casinos: Black Bear Casino (and golf course) in Carlton, Minnesota and Fond-du-Luth-Casino in Duluth.

The tribe also owns Northwoods Radio, FDL Gas & Grocery, FDL Propane, and FDL Sand & Gravel.

Communities

  • Big Lake (in Perch Lake Township)
  • Brookston
  • Cloquet (part)
  • Mahnomen (in Brevator Township)

Townships

  • Arrowhead Township (part)
  • Brevator Township (part)
  • Brookston (city not included in any other township)
  • Cloquet (part; city not included in any other township)
  • Culver Township (part)
  • North Carlton unorganized territory (part)
  • Perch Lake Township
  • Stoney Brook Township (most)
  • Twin Lakes Township (part)

Notable members

  • Jim Northrup, columnist

See also

  • Church of Sts. Joseph and Mary-Catholic
  • Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
  • Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

References

  • Fond du Lac Reservation
  • 2000 US Census Tract Map for the Fond du Lac Reservation (T1125)
  • Digital copy of the 1854 Treaty establishing the Fond du Lac Reservation
  • Digital copy of the letter requesting to modify the Fond du Lac Reservation
  • Digital copy of the Executive Order modifying the Fond du Lac Reservation
  • Black Bear Casino Resort
  • Fond du Lac Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Minnesota/Wisconsin, United States Census Bureau