Learning about Red Lake Nation

This blog post was written by Cameron Comadoll, a third year nursing major, and Regan Sheipline, a recent education graduate.

Red Lake Nation is located in northwestern Minnesota and is federally recognized as an Indian tribe that possesses all the powers of a Sovereign Nation. Red Lake Nation is home to about 5,000 members and residents of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe and when you include people who work and commute to Red Lake for jobs and family, the population is closer to 8,500. 

At the geographical center of this nation are the lower and upper lakes of Red Lake, which together make up one of the largest national fresh lakes in the United States.The lower part of Red Lake is located within Red Lake Nation, and at this time of year ice is still making its way out of the lake and onto the shore. In addition to being surrounded by big and small lakes, our group has also enjoyed the natural beauty of the abundant birch, ash, and various pine trees, as well as the eagles, bears, turtles, dogs, and other animals that live here. 

The focus of our service with MDS is response to an environmental disaster that occurred here on July 5th, 2021. This EF-1 tornado produced 95 mph winds and hail the size of golf balls. It damaged buildings, vehicles and homes in its path. Driving down the roads, we noticed the damage caused by the tornado, including plywood patched doors and windows and siding that is pockmarked by hail damage. While our hope was that our main service work would be on residing and repairing homes, most of our time has been spent finishing the volunteer space that will house future MDS volunteers as they work on repairing homes and then the tribe after MDS leaves the area.

We have made many friends here in Red Lake, including our collaborators at the Oshkimaajitahdah (meaning new beginnings), a tribal agency responsible for most social services and support for Red Lake residents, including managing disaster response. On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to meet with the Assistant Executive Director, Eugene Standing Cloud, and the Executive Director, Jerry Loud, to learn more about the unique history of the Red Lake band of Ojibwe, as well as the vision they hold for their community.