Pine County Courthouse welcomes Mille Lacs Band flags in ceremony

The Pine County Courthouse held a ceremony Friday morning to welcome flags representing the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe into the building, according to MPR News. The tribal flags will be displayed next to Minnesota state flags in all three courtrooms.

Pine County and the Mille Lacs Band established a government-to-government collaboration in 2012, according to MPR News. Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Virgil Wind said in a statement that the relationship reflects “a shared respect for collaboration, understanding and service to our communities.” District Judge Stoney Hiljus said the flags symbolize coordination between state and tribal courts and noted that individuals appearing in state court may also have cases in tribal court. Hiljus said tribal court has primary jurisdiction over tribal families in Pine County under the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act. Wind said the flags affirm the band’s presence in Pine County and the importance of visibility, cultural recognition and tribal sovereignty within public institutions.