National | Politics

Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota work towards constitutional reform

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Two Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota are working to update their constitutions in light of a historic vote from one of their fellow bands.

The Leech Lake Band plans to find out what members want to see in a new constitution. Elimination of a blood quantum requirement -- something the White Earth Band approved on Tuesday -- is one option.

“White Earth took a huge step (in reform) yesterday,” LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III, a Leech Lake council member, told Forum News Service. “It’s probably going to … pave the way for other tribes to do the same.”

The Red Lake Band is also working on a new constitution. A vote could be held in 2016.

"We’re doing community meetings, we’ve been doing surveys, we have a website that’s just being launched right now to basically get community input (on) what the new constitution could be,” Samuel Strong told Forum News Service. “The key component for us is engaging, educating and then incorporating the people’s desires for this constitution.”

Get the Story:
Leech Lake, Red Lake Ojibwe bands moving on constitutional reform (Forum News Service 11/21)
White Earth members approve new constitution (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/21)