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Top 10 Things to know about the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

  1. The Mille Lacs Band is a major economic force in East Central Minnesota, employing more than 4,100 people and providing business to approximately 1,227 vendors. The Mille Lacs Band is the 40th largest employer in Minnesota.


  2. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has made its home around Mille Lacs Lake and in rural areas in East Central Minnesota for more than 250 years.


  3. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is a self-governing, federally recognized Indian tribe. The Band’s tribal government is based on a separation of powers – similar to the federal government – and includes legislative, executive and judicial branches.


  4. There are more than 4,300 Band members, the majority of whom live on the Mille Lacs Reservation. The reservation is divided into three districts, which include areas near Onamia, McGregor, Isle and Hinckley.


  5. The Band taxes its casinos at 100% and uses the funds to provide important programs and services that benefit Band members and surrounding communities (e.g., clinics, assisted living facilities, housing programs, a police department, a wastewater treatment plant, and schools).


  6. The Band manages or provides housing maintenance services to approximately 430 homes on or near the reservation. The Band also offers home loan programs, home improvement grants, and affordable housing programs to Band members.


  7. The Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission oversees the Band’s investments and businesses, which include Grand Casinos, a golf course, a movie theater, restaurants, convenience stories, and a grocery store.


  8. The Band operates a state-of-the-art diabetes program, which provides prevention education and care for Band members, who are 2.3 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Indians. The program combines cutting-edge medical treatments with traditional remedies to address diabetes in a culturally relevant manner.


  9. Since 2006, the Mille Lacs Band and its businesses have given an estimated $3,734,000 in charitable donations to educational causes, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, food shelves, and other organizations and projects that serve local communities and the region.


  10. The Mille Lacs Band works to preserve its language and culture for future generations and provide opportunities for Band members to learn more about Ojibwe traditions. For example, the Band has an award-winning Ojibwe Language and Culture Program in its schools, as well as cultural immersion grounds, ceremonial buildings, and powwow grounds.