Latest news with #TurtleMountainBand
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parents ask Grand Forks district to reconsider decision to prohibit Indigenous beadwork on graduation caps
May 24—GRAND FORKS — A group of parents are asking Grand Forks Public Schools to reconsider after they say district officials told Indigenous students they would not be allowed to wear traditional beadwork on their graduation caps. District policy does not allow adornment of graduation caps, but since 2015, the district has given an accommodation that allows American Indian students to wear eagle feathers for their graduation ceremony. Although beadwork is not specifically allowed, in past years, students have worn it without issue, according to Courtney Davis, a parent in the district and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band. Davis said the district's request left her confused. "It felt like they're finally getting to a place where it was being understood and celebrated," said Davis, also a former Native American liaison for the district. "But now we've got to go back and suppress the students' ability to express their identity and their culture." The district's Native American Parent Committee plans to meet Tuesday to discuss the issue with district officials. Melissa Bakke, a spokesperson for the district, confirmed to the Grand Forks Herald that the graduates are expected to dress "in an appropriate manner," requiring cap, gown, tassel and shoes, and that "no other personal additions shall be allowed other than school-issued stoles of honor without prior permission of the administration." "At Grand Forks Public Schools, we value all students, including the meaningful traditions of our Indigenous communities," Bakke said in a statement. "With that in mind, we are actively exploring how Grand Forks Public Schools can continue to honor and celebrate all students in meaningful and respectful ways. ... As we review our practices, including those related to graduation ceremonies, our focus is on maintaining the dignity and formality of the event while ensuring it reflects the values of our GFPS school community." North Dakota Century Code says school districts may not establish a dress code that prohibits students from wearing traditional tribal regalia at graduation, and specifies that for the purposes of the law, regalia refers to an eagle feather or eagle plume. The law is written to give districts local control, said Davis, who successfully pushed for the eagle feather accommodation in Grand Forks as a district employee more than 10 years ago. The state law followed in 2019. Davis said she hasn't yet had a conversation with district officials about the issue, so she can't guess what the reason is for their decision on beadwork. In the past, those against allowing graduation cap decorations argued they could isolate or exclude some students, or could become disruptive. Davis and others in favor argue that graduation rates for American Indian students in the district and state are low, and allowing graduates to wear traditional adornment is an important way to instill a sense of pride. The district does offer an alternative graduation to celebrate the achievements of Indigenous students, Davis noted. Davis and other parents have been encouraging people in the district to write letters of support to district officials ahead of the Tuesday meeting. She has also been in touch with the Native American Rights Fund, which helped her change the district policy in 2015. She's hopeful for a positive conversation on Tuesday with district officials. "I just want to make sure that people are conveying why it's important and significant, in a good way," she said.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Native communities keep maple syrup traditions going, even in urban areas
Chandra ColvinMPR NewsIn south Minneapolis, the sound of cars driving by is like white noise. Blue bags hang from maple trees that line the sides of city streets. The Native American Community Development Institute, or NACDI, has been busy collecting sap from neighborhood trees in recent weeks for the purpose of sugar bushing is the process of collecting and boiling down sap into syrup or even pure sugar. Gloria Iacono works with NACDI as the Four Sisters Urban Farm manager. She is leading the project this spring. 'You go into hibernation in the winter and then you get that nice, like, first spring day, and it's just something that you can gather around. It's a practice that you can build community around,' Iacono has had the support of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, since it's the first time NACDI is leading an urban sugar bush. Forest Hunt is a plant scientist with the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and is a direct descendent of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota. They say sugar bushing is a springtime tradition in Native communities. 'It has been happening in Woodland Native tribes for over a millennium,' Hunt said. NACDI has been collecting sap from Center School, Bii Di Gain elder housing, and South High School, where a demonstration was held. Hunt showed students how to properly identify when a tree can be tapped and how to tap a tree. 'You can always tell that it's time to tap when the snow starts to melt and when you start to see little patches of dirt or dead grass. That's around when you should start tapping your maples,' Hunt explained. Hunt then drilled a small hole into the tree before using a hammer to lightly tap a metal spile, like a spout, in the rest of the way until water-like sap began to drip out. Several stepped up to try the sap straight from the source after being invited by Hunt. The taste? They say it was sweet. Iacono has been boiling the sap into syrup right at the organization's urban farm in East Phillips. Community members were invited to watch the process of how sap turns into syrup.'We have a steel drum, with the top cut off, that fits pans in the top. And you build a fire within the drum, and then that boils the sap,' Iacono said. She says five gallons of sap will boil down to about a mason jar's worth of one community boil, Turtle Mountain Band member Tyra Payer demonstrated how to turn maple syrup into candies. They say although they tap trees outside of the metro, there is cultural value to be had in urban sugar bushing. 'There are teachings that only happen at this time of year,' they said. 'The teachings that we have around maple, and making maple sugar and what our community looks like and how we support each other.' Hunt says maple syrup has been a significant food historically alongside wild rice. 'It's really important for us to continue practicing these traditions, because it allows us to continue to have that, that sense of self, that sovereignty that we really need,' Hunt said. With the amount of sap that the community has collected over the course of a few weeks, Iacono says they will produce about one gallon of pure maple syrup. The syrup will be distributed to those who helped collect the (March 20, 2025): A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Forest Hunt's affiliation. The story has been updated.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grand Forks casino plan could get new life as amendment
Mar. 26—BISMARCK — A plan to someday build an American Indian casino in Grand Forks could be getting a second chance. After a bill to allow the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa to operate outside its borders failed to earn approval in the state Senate earlier this year, the plan has re-emerged as a proposed amendment to Senate Bill 2018, an appropriations bill related to the Department of Commerce. The amendment was discussed Wednesday afternoon in a meeting of the House Education and Environment Committee. The committee did not vote on the amendment but only heard testimony, including from Rep. Emily O'Brien, R-Grand Forks, and Mayor Brandon Bochenski. O'Brien made the proposal, saying she sees it as an "opportunity for the state to support local and tribal (economic development)." She said the state shouldn't stand in the way of what she considers local development decisions. During Wednesday's committee hearing, O'Brien cited her own written testimony supporting the proposed amendment to SB 2018. She said the casino proposal is "designed to create jobs, revenue and revitalization" for Grand Forks and the area. In North Dakota, the Department of Commerce oversees the state's Tourism Division. "This aligns with the Grand Forks strategy to improve economic (and) community development, and quality of life and attract visitors and new residents," she said. "This is a perfect fit for the Department of Commerce's budget and meeting their mission of 'leading the efforts to attract, retain and expand wealth and talent in North Dakota.'" Technically, proponents are seeking a change to state law that will allow the Turtle Mountain Band to operate a casino outside of its traditional boundaries. It's just one of a number of steps that must occur before a casino could begin construction in Grand Forks, which is roughly 170 miles from the Turtle Mountain Band's headquarters. The tribe hopes to build a casino and "high-end resort " along the west side of Interstate 29, just south of the Grand Forks city limits. Expected to cost upwards of $300 million, the resort and casino would likely employ some 800, making it one of the city's top 10 employers, according to data compiled in a 2022 feasibility study. If built, the casino could see as much as $80 million in gross annual gaming revenue in its first year and $90 million by year five, the study predicted. That does not include revenue from food and beverage sales, lodging and other amenities. The tribe already owns the land, but needs the change in state law to allow it to operate outside of its current borders. If that's approved, it would also need a series of other approvals — at the local, state and federal level — before construction could begin. Originally, the proposal to allow the tribe to operate in Grand Forks County was presented to the Legislature in Senate Bill 2376. It failed to get out of the Senate, falling 29-15 in a mid-February vote. Opponents have said they worry about a casino's impact on legal charitable gaming. They also cited concerns about a potential increase in gambling addiction, while some wonder if it would start a movement of casino projects in other cities. O'Brien said in her testimony that she frequently requests reports on charitable gaming in Grand Forks and "if they suffer losses, we can evaluate the best path forward," although she said it's unlikely any trends would develop for a few years. She also wrote in her testimony that the state "is dedicated to raising awareness and stopping gambling addictions in North Dakota," noting the balance of the Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Fund was $1.2 million last session. Bochenski and the Grand Forks City Council have been amenable to the proposal. Earlier this year, the council voted to enter into a non-binding letter of intent to help move the plan forward, while Bochenski testified in favor of the plan during a Senate committee hearing on Feb. 5. At the time, he noted that the tribe is not seeking any sort of city funding incentive. "This is my second term and this is the first time a $300 million project has come to us that isn't asking for anything. Every time somebody comes in, they want an incentive. Quite frankly, (other projects) want the moon and we have to try to deliver that or they will find greener pastures. That's not the case with this one," he said. "On top of that, the economic impact numbers speak for themselves." Wednesday, he told the House committee that even if the amendment is added to SB 2018, and even if the bill gets final approval, it could be as long as five years before construction would begin. A committee member asked Bochenski about taxation. If the casino is built, the land upon which it is constructed would be considered tribal trust and therefore would be exempt from traditional taxation. Specifically, the casino would be on a small portion of the 146 acres the tribe owns at the site; the rest of the land — the portion that doesn't have the casino building itself — would be taxed as usual, Bochenski said. Further, the city and the tribe have discussed annual payments from the tribe to local taxing entities in lieu of typical taxes. "There are really two ways the local subdivisions will get funding (in lieu of taxes). Aside from the economic impact it would bring to the community, you also have a small portion that would be in trust but the rest of the land would pay taxes as a normal entity would," Bochenski said. "The other way is through a community host services agreement. We'll have that spelled out. That's a piece that needs to be solved before this can move forward. What exactly is going to be the benefit for the local subdivisions? We've had conversations with them. They do expect something or they won't be supportive of the project and I'm not going to be supportive of the project." O'Brien said that even if the committee approves the amendment, SB 2018 still has several legislative steps to pass before it can be approved.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cash for proposed Grand Forks casino would come from tribal funds, 'private bank financing,' Azure says
Feb. 5—BISMARCK — Tribal economic funds and "private bank financing" would be utilized to build a proposed casino in Grand Forks, the chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa told a state Senate committee on Wednesday. The project is being pursued in the "spirit of partnership," he added, hoping it can help attract visitors and capture a portion of the traffic on Interstate 29. Jamie Azure was among several who testified Wednesday at a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol in Bismarck, hoping to successfully push forward Senate Bill 2376, which seeks to allow the Turtle Mountain Band to expand beyond its traditional borders and build a casino along Grand Forks' southern edge. Meanwhile, three meeting attendees spoke against the proposal, with one saying construction of a casino in a large North Dakota city — a first in state history — sets a precedent and increases the chance of problem gambling near a major university. The committee did not vote on SB 2376 but took testimony. The tribe seeks "to capture a market that has been bypassing Grand Forks and leaving the state and which will help revitalize a community," Azure said. Pressed on who, exactly, would be raising the money to build the proposed $280 million to $300 million resort and where its proceeds would go, Azure said the tribe has worked hard in recent years to not only build its capital but also to use funds to make improvements to infrastructure and various reservation entities and amenities. "With the casinos that we have in place now, there is a percentage that automatically goes back to the tribe from each casino ... (that goes) into an economic development fund. So we would utilize a lot of our economic development funds," he said. "In the last 10 years, Turtle Mountain has really turned the corner on economic development with other strategies that we have implemented. If there was a credit score for a tribe, we are doing very well right now." The funds to build the proposed casino thus would come from "private bank financing and self-financing — that would be a large majority of how we would move forward," he said. Enrolled Turtle Mountain members do not receive a per-capita payout from casino proceeds, he said, but the funds are instead used to provide myriad services, ranging from ambulance and bus purchases, youth sports facilities, food pantries and supplementing wages for social workers. In short, he said, revenue goes back into the community. A new revenue stream — from a Grand Forks casino, for instance — would likely "mean we are able to start building up infrastructure underneath," he said. Senate Bill 2376 was introduced by Sens. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, and Richard Marcellais, D-Belcourt, along with Reps. Landon Bahl, R-Grand Forks, and Jayme Davis, D-Rolette. It seeks to add a line to Section 54-58-03 of North Dakota's Century Code, which at present limits the Turtle Mountain Band to gaming "on land within Rolette County held in trust for the band by the United States government which was in trust as of the effective date of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988." If SB 2376 passes, it will add to the end of that section the following sentence: "and on land within Grand Forks County, if approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988." Without SB 2376, the proposed resort cannot move forward. The idea of an American Indian casino has been discussed for years in Grand Forks but surfaced again last month when the latest plan was presented to the City Council . It includes a resort with a Class III casino, approximately 200 hotel rooms, forms of family entertainment and space for conferences. The City Council has approved a nonbinding letter of intent to help move the process forward. The Grand Forks County Commission gave its support in a 4-1 vote Tuesday. Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski spoke during Wednesday's committee meeting in Bismarck and noted that the tribe is not asking for economic aid. "This is my second term and this is the first time a $300 million project has come to us that isn't asking for anything. Every time somebody comes in, they want an incentive. Quite frankly, (other projects) want the moon and we have to try to deliver that or they will find greener pastures. That's not the case with this one," he said. "On top of that, the economic impact numbers speak for themselves." The resort could draw as many as 900,000 guests per year, according to a 2022 study, half of which would be from outside of Grand Forks. It would require 800 workers, with a payroll of $31 million, and add $71.9 million to the Grand Forks economy in direct gross domestic product, the study predicted. Since tribal trust land cannot be taxed in a traditional sense, the tribe and the city have discussed annual payments in lieu of typical taxes — probably somewhere around $855,000 to $1 million annually. The school, county and park district would be included in other payments as well, according to early documents. The tribe already owns more than 140 acres just south of city limits and west of Interstate 29 and would only need a fraction of that land to be in trust for its casino. The remainder of the land likely would be taxable. During Wednesday's meeting, Bochenski said the tribe does not want to hurt existing businesses, including charitable gaming operations. "We have 33 charitable gaming sites currently in Grand Forks. That number has doubled or tripled in recent years," he said. The tribe wants "to find a way to work together not just with the charities that are in charitable gaming, but the other charities." Committee member Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, told Bochenski she had heard the city-owned Alerus Center has "been kind of struggling to keep up." Bochenski countered: "We had a record year in 2023 and that was even better in 2024 ... and we are short on hospitality." A Grand Forks Herald report from late December showed the Alerus Center had ticketed attendance of nearly 280,000 heading into the final four weeks of 2024, nearly 81,000 more than in 2023 and 45,000 more than in 2022. The facility's to-date profit in November 2024 was $1.12 million. The economic impact it generated for the first nine months of 2024 was estimated at more than $19 million. Also speaking in favor of the proposal during Wednesday's meeting were Meyer, Bahl and Marcellais, along with Mark Rustad, a member of the Grand Forks County Commission. City Council member Mike Fridolfs was in attendance but didn't speak when the other testimony ran long. His written testimony was entered into the record in favor of the casino. Three people spoke against SB 2376, including Bill Colonick, representing the Charitable Gaming Association of North Dakota; Jacob Thomsen, representing North Dakota Family Alliance Legislative Action; and Connie Osowski, a Grand Forks resident. Thomsen voiced concerns about building a casino so close to a major university — UND is just a few miles away, he noted — and worries about its potential to add to compulsive gambling issues in the state. "Adding a casino near a major city in North Dakota sets a precedent for all the other major cities," he said. "It sets the potential to radically expand gambling in our state, which we see as a major problem as it can drastically increase problem gambling in our state. We have to encourage our citizens toward financial security and responsibility rather than encourage wild spending on games of chance." Colonick's concern centers on the potential economic impact to charitable gaming organizations and Osowski raised questions about tribal sovereignty and the rules associated with it.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill seeks to open path for casino project in Grand Forks
Jan. 31—GRAND FORKS — A bill making its way through the Legislature seeks to expand the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa's reach for casino operations, an early step in a long process to possibly build a resort in Grand Forks. Senate Bill 2376 was introduced by Sens. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, and Richard Marcellais, D-Belcourt, along with Reps. Landon Bahl, R-Grand Forks, and Jayme Davis, D-Rolette. If passed in its present form, SB 2376 will add a line to Section 54-58-03 of North Dakota's Century Code, which at present decrees that the Turtle Mountain Band may only conduct gaming "on land within Rolette County held in trust for the band by the United States government which was in trust as of the effective date of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988." If SB 2376 passes, it will add to the end of that section the following sentence: "and on land within Grand Forks County, if approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988." The proposal came to the Legislature from the Turtle Mountain Band and was presented to the lawmakers by Mike Krumwiede, a lobbyist from Staiger Consulting Group. The four lawmakers listed as sponsors hail from the two counties that would be affected: Bahl and Meyer from Grand Forks County, where the tribe wants to build the casino; and Marcellais and Davis from Rolette County, where the tribe is headquartered. If it's built, it likely would come with construction and development costs of $280 million or more, employ some 800 and become one of Grand Forks' Top 10 employers, according to data compiled by a 2022 feasibility study. Further, the study predicted the casino would have gross annual gaming revenue of approximately $80 million in its first year of operation, a number that likely would climb to nearly $90 million by Year 5. Those figures don't include lodging, food, beverage and other amenities. All plans are still in the most preliminary stages, but no progress will happen without a change to state law, which is what SB 2376 seeks to do. "I know it's not an easy lift. The Legislature tends to abstain from gaming, but I look at it as a tourism driver for our community and an economic driver not only for the community but the state," said Meyer, also noting what he considers an economic benefit for the tribe. "I know we already might be behind the eight-ball when it comes to folks who are anti-gaming, but I'm trying to show there is a lot more to it — the tourism aspect, the spa, concerts. Hopefully, something like this also increases the retail opportunities in our community." Bahl, whose full-time job is in the hospitality industry in Grand Forks, said he signed on to the bill because he enjoys discussing big ideas. "And this is a big idea," he said. He doesn't necessarily see it as competition — at least in its earliest form. Most often, "you go to the casino for the casino. If you want a downtown vibe, then let's talk about a hotel. You aren't going to stay at the casino hotel just for fun. Now, if it's a resort, that's a different story — you're starting to compete with places downtown," he said. "That's why it needs to be crafted carefully. The city needs to be careful to ensure we're not taking people away from the businesses and entrepreneurs (that already exist)." He said city and state leaders need to be diligent about its potential ramifications, but "I look at this as a forward-thinking opportunity." Building an American Indian casino in Grand Forks has been discussed for two decades, but plans "died out because of lack of support on city and state levels," the Herald reported in the past. The idea is once again before the City Council . The latest iteration is a "high-end resort" — as worded in council documents — that would include a casino, hotel, a family entertainment center and convention space. The plan calls for it to be built on 146 acres of land on the extreme southern edge of the city, on the west side of Interstate 29. Whereas the tribe owns the land, the acreage must be put into tribal trust and identified for gaming before a casino could be erected there. At Monday's meeting of the Committee of the Whole, council members approved to move forward on a non-binding letter of intent with the tribe that requests city support and assistance, to (the) extent allowable by law, in obtaining necessary approvals for the development by state, local and federal agencies and officials. One difference between this proposal and those in the past is that the tribe now owns the land. However, it's not likely the tribe would use more than a fraction of the total acres for the actual casino/resort, City Administrator Todd Feland said earlier this week. State and federal approval will be required before the project can move forward. Feland said the tribe has met with Gov. Kelly Armstrong, who "has generally provided his support for moving forward with this, with the understanding that it will require legislative support, too." Meyer and Turtle Mountain Chairman Jamie Azure also say Armstrong has been supportive. Since tribes are sovereign nations, their casinos operate within a framework of unique rules. For example, a casino in Grand Forks County probably would be exempt from paying property and sales taxes. Feland said if the city gets behind the project, the city will require payments from the tribe in lieu of traditional taxes. "That would be an important part of the development agreement," he said. "In lieu of taxes, whether sales or property taxes, we will have to make a determination of what it would be and then put it into the agreement — that they will pay those sums of money to the community, or city, for services and infrastructure and economic impact. ... If we can't tax it in an ordinary way, we will find other mechanisms to make up the difference." Mayor Brandon Bochenski, during Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting, said the tribe isn't asking for a tax incentive. "I expect them to pay an equal amount of taxes that all the rest of us do and then some," he said. "It's some other mechanism that (will require the casino) pay what a normal facility like this would pay in taxes and then some. The whole idea is that this would benefit the schools, parks, city and county." The city's likely investment and commitment, according to Feland, would be "water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation infrastructure investments that (Turtle Mountain) has committed to paying for through upfront cash payments and or/special assessments over time." Additionally, the land would be annexed into the city. In 2022, a study by the Innovation Group — provided to the Herald by the city — showed that the casino/resort in Grand Forks could attract as many as 900,000 visitors annually (more than 400,000 from outside the local area), require staffing of 812 workers and have a payroll of some $31.7 million. It would add $71.9 million to the Grand Forks economy in direct gross domestic product, they study predicts. For comparison on visitation, approximately 280,000 attended ticketed events at the Alerus Center during the first 11 months of 2024. The study noted that "it is common for tribal casino trust applications to include agreements for the host city municipality to receive direct payments as a percentage of gaming revenue. We estimate that such a payment would result in an annual payment to the city of Grand Forks of approximately $855,000, for a total local fiscal impact of nearly $1 million." Some of the land would be "fee land" and applicable to taxation, according to the city. The portion of the land in trust (such as the casino itself) would not be subject to property taxes, but the tribe likely would pay the city through the host community agreement. Notes compiled by the city for the next council meeting notes that estimates "translate to (Turtle Mountain) paying roughly $2.4 million per year to local subdivisions through property tax and the host community services agreement." Local subdivisions include the school district, the city, the county and the park district. The 2022 study delved into the possible impact it would have on other businesses. Bahl, the supporting Grand Forks lawmaker who works in the hospitality industry, said he believes a casino will have amenities that will make it unique, but that it probably "won't be able to compete" with existing hospitality sites and neighborhoods that each have their own niche. According to the 2022 study, "casino development increases room demand at non-casino hotels, even when casino hotels are built." The study cited data from Shreveport, Louisiana, noting that occupancy in hotels not associated with a casino there went from approximately 60% prior to the casino's opening to 74% a few years later. The study said "the positive spillover effect on local hotels for one is unequivocally demonstrated in numerous jurisdictions, even in markets where casinos operate hotels for their gaming customers." Feland figures it'll be a year or two to "work through the process." If built, the Grand Forks resort will be the only American Indian casino in one of North Dakota's large cities and one of just two adjacent to an interstate highway.
