Native Issues
Landback challenges
Mar 5, 2025

Minnesota officials challenge Mille Lacs land trust decision


March 5, 2025

Three Minnesota municipalities are seeking to overturn a federal decision placing 3,239 acres into trust for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, arguing the process is unconstitutional and biased. They claim the Bureau of Indian Affairs improperly approved the land transfer and that a funding arrangement between tribes and the BIA creates favoritism. The U.S. government defends the decision, stating the process follows established law.

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