Bois Forte Band leaders outline governance and financial updates in state of the band address

Leaders of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa shared updates on governance finances and community projects during the tribe’s annual state of the band address Saturday at Fortune Bay Resort Casino in northern Minnesota, according to MPR News. Chairman Carlos Hernandez delivered his first address since taking office in June and discussed tribal priorities including transparency, government communication and conversations about removing the Secretary of the Interior from the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s constitution.

Hernandez also told band members that research into the federal boarding school era identified the remains of three children connected to the Genoa U.S. Industrial Indian School in Nebraska who were from the Bois Forte Band, according to MPR News. District 1 Representative Jeneal Goggleye said tribal audits for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 are currently delinquent but officials plan to complete them by the end of the year. Secretary Treasurer Tara Geshick said a loan tied to land for the tribe’s convenience store in Tower has been paid in full and the land is moving toward trust status.