I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Nov. 7, 1999
By Devlyn Brooks
Some cabin owners who lease land on Leech, Cass or Boy lakes are being told by the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa that their leases may not be renewed because the tribe needs the land.
Tribal Chairman Eli Hunt said the band is evaluating leases as they come up for renewal because the tribe needs more space for its members and businesses.
"As leases expire, we intend to take into consideration that we have a use for the land ourselves. When we have a great need ourselves to serve our people, the people come first," Hunt said.
Much of the prime land on the 667,000-acre Leech Lake Reservation in north-central Minnesota is leased to non-Indians. The tribe leases out about 370 lots on Cass, Leech and Boy lakes. About 200 of the leases involve non-band members.
"We have so little land in trust, and the bulk of the real good stuff we are leasing to non-Indians," said Bruce Baird, executive officer for the Leech Lake Band.
The nonrenewal of leases is a legitimate concern for cabin owners, Hunt said, but the band must "ensure that our tribal members have adequate land for housing, and that we can diversify our economy to develop tribal businesses that are non-gaming."
The band cannot do that without a land base, Hunt said.
Band members have been returning to the reservation because they now can find jobs there, primarily because of the two casinos on the reservation. The unemployment rate for band members has dropped from about 60 percent to 30 or 40 percent because of the casinos, Hunt said.
The influx is causing a housing shortage. the tribe has about 200 applications for housing, and an average of five people coming in every day looking for places to build houses.
Hunt said it is not a guarantee that all leases will not be renewed, adding that each lease will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If the land is needed to build housing or a tribal business, it is highly likely the lease will not be renewed.
Hunt also said that for those who did build houses or cabins on the land, the tribe may negotiate with them to purchase the structures. He added that renters will be warned a year, and maybe two years, in advance so that they have plenty of time to make a decision about permanent structures.
"For one thing: It's not a very good idea (to build a permanent structure) on leased land," Hunt said about the concern of longtime lease holders losing their homes. "Anybody with some basic economic sense would build on their own land -- private land."
The band needs to think about its responsibility to its members, tribal spokeswoman Judy Hanks said. It has non-band members leasing land who do not live on the reservation and just use the land for recreation. On the other hand, there are tribal members who don't have a place to live, she said.
Hanks said one council member told her of a family living in a car because they don't have anyplace else to live.
Cabin owners typically have been leasing land for $600 per year, far below the market value, while waterfront property typically sells for about $300 per lakeshore foot, said Pauline Johnson of the band's land resources office. If an individual wanted to buy such a lot on the open market, it would cost around $38,000, she said.
Lease prices on the reservation have been the same since 1983. For the leases the band does agree to renew, the cost will go up, Johnson said.
The band will pay a fair price for cabins on land where the lease is not renewed, Hanks said. Those cabins will be appraised and the price negotiated just like any other land deal, she said.
(This story contains material from the Associated Press.)