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Tribal Relations
The Superior National Forest is within the traditional homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people. They occupied the area for thousands of years before the establishment of the United States and the creation of the Superior National Forest. On September 30, 1854, the Tribes entered into a Treaty of La Point with the United States under which they ceded to the United States ownership of their lands in the northeastern portion of what is now called Minnesota (the “Ceded Territory”) The area that makes up nearly the entire Superior National Forest is part of that Ceded Territory.
The Zagaakwaandagowininiwag (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa), Gichi Onigaming (Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), and Nagaajiwanaang (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) maintain strong cultural connections to the natural resources found in the Superior National Forest. Since the 1970s, tribes have been successfully reasserting hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the ceded territories of Minnesota.
There are locations across the Superior National Forest that illustrate the long term use of the land by the Dakota and Ojibwe people. Archaeological excavations have found stone tools and fish bone that show people have camped and fished the vast waters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) for as many as 10,000 years. From well used campsites and portages within the BWCAW, to the petroglyphs scattered across the Forest the picture of the past is vividly clear!
The Superior National Forest is dedicated to working with the bands of the 1854 Treaty in the spirit of shared stewardship of the landscape as well as conducting Government-to-Government consultation with all Federally recognized tribes with interest in the management of federally managed lands.
Did You Know:
The 1854 Ceded Territory makes up approximately 5.5 million acres of what is Northeastern Minnesota. The Superior National Forest boundary is just under 3.9 million acres. The remaining 1.6 million acres is a mixture of State, County and Private Land.
Tribal Relations Training Videos
- Tribal Consultation 2021 Final - YouTube
- Tribal Sovereignty Edited 2021 final - YouTube
- History of Federal Tribal Relationships 2021 Final Edit - YouTube
- Tribal Trust Responsibility Lecture 2021 - YouTube
Memorandum of Understanding
This Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) is entered into between the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Superior National Forest and the federally-recognized Indian tribes:
- the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (“Grand Portage Band”),
- the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (“Fond du Lac Band”), and
- the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa (“Bois Forte Band”)
- 1854 Treaty Authority
Memorandum of Understanding Resources
This Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) is entered into between the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the federally-recognized Indian tribes on May 2, 2023:
Memorandum of Understanding Frequently Asked Questions
If you have additional questions, please submit to Juan Martinez, SNF Tribal Relations Liaison
The MOU was Requested by the three Bands to help Facilitate Gov‐to-Gov Consultation and Coordination and build a relationship of Shared Stewardship within the 1854 Treaty Area.
The Bands and Forest used multiple sources of inspiration in the development of the MOU, but it is unique to this relationship and location.
Its intent is to provide a framework for cooperation at its fullest extent between the Superior National Forest (SNF) and Bands. The co‐stewardship MOU between the SNF and the Tribe’s is intended to outline their relationship and level of engagement for natural resource management, Ojibwe cultural life‐ways (living cultural resources and Tribal Cultural properties), enhance opportunities for economic development (education, training and employment), Tribe’s right to self‐governance, advancement of Environmental Justice, and issuance of special use permit or land exchange within the Superior National Forest and trust lands within the 1854 Treaty boundaries.
The MOU will provide a framework for Forest Service (FS), Tribal leadership and staff to improve the consultation and coordination process in the future as leadership and staff turnover occurs.
Consultation Framework, Tribal Resource management priorities, Tribal Access and Tribal Special Area designation. (See MOU for specifics)
The MOU establishes a co‐stewardship framework to engage with the three Bands on how to move forward. This relationship is a paradigm shift in how we meet our Tribal Trust Responsibilities.
There has been a lot of discussion at multiple levels including the Forest Level, the FS Regional Level, FS Agency level and the USDA Department Level.
The public will be able to see this through the actions we take together and the way in which the Bands’ Tribal Treaty Rights are protected.
The MOU was signed by the FS R9 Regional Forester (Gina Owens), the SNF Forest Supervisor (Tom Hall) and the Three Tribal Chairs (BF‐ Ch. Cathy Chavers, FDL‐ Ch. Kevin DuPuis, Sr, & GP – Ch. Robert Deschampe).
Co‐stewardship is a paradigm shift to engage with all things that we manage as opposed to consultation which is a legal requirement to engage at certain points in a decision process.
The MOU is intended to strengthen the relationship and allow us to work together going forward from the beginning of projects to the end.
The Forest will be working with the Bands on identification of these special areas and determining if Forest Orders or Forest Plan amendments are needed to limit certain types of activities or use of those lands. Any proposed actions resulting from identifying these areas will have a public comment period through the NEPA process.
The MOU is already being implemented through our consultation on all projects across the Forest. The other elements of the MOU are in the early stage of implementation.
It will not change the SNF decision making process. The SNF will still go through the NEPA process and Tribal Consultation process for all decisions and look at impacts to resources. The MOU outlines consultation timelines and how the SNF works with the Bands to incorporate their Traditional Needs and Treaty Rights into the proposed action. The Bands are already Federally Recognized Tribes, and the Forest has a responsibility to Consult with them on actions they may be interested in. The MOU only enhances those legal processes.
The work identified in the MOU around shared priorities and identification of special areas could influence how and where some activities occur.
The MOU is expected to help more clearly protect Tribal Treaty Rights through more clear communication and transparency. The Monthly Tribal meetings offers earlier consultation on projects, allowing for further consideration of Tribal Priorities as outlined in the MOU.
While the signing of the MOU was a momentous occasion, it was felt by all that we should focus on the relationship being built.
Timber management is a tool that is used to promote a healthy ecosystem and timber industry will continue to be an important stakeholder in the appropriate management of the Forest far into the future.
Tribal Governments are afforded special rights as domestic dependent nations that are recognized by Treaties signed with the federal government. The Forest Service engages in a special government to government consultation with the Band to fulfill its legal trust duty. The legal status held by tribes’ means the rights of tribal governments are different from the public and our agency partners.
MOU is a guiding document for our Gov‐to‐Gov relationship and outlines our intent moving forward, not a decision. Any future decisions will entail considering comments from the public and stakeholders.
Per the ‘2023 Strengthening Tribal Consultation and Nation‐to‐Nation Relationships ‐ USDA Forest Service Action Plan’, we are reviewing how our policies affect Treaty Rights and our Trust responsibilities nationwide and on the SNF.
A fiduciary obligation on the part of the United States to protect tribal treaty rights, lands, assets, and resources, as well as a duty to carry out the mandates of federal law with respect to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages.
Alerts & Warnings
- UPDATED: Forest Roads inaccessible
- Fire Restrictions - Cook and Lake Counties
- Campfire Use Restrictions in Boundary Waters
- Upcoming Road Closures and Delays in Tofte and Gunflint Areas
- Superior NF Issues Free Wood Permits for Select Storm Damage Sites
- Cannabis Use on National Forest System Lands
- Lutsen Access Trail
