Federally recognized
Carleton and St. Louis counties, Minnesota
105 University Road
Cloquet, MN 55720

(218) 879-4593
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Total area: 100,000 acres
Tribally owned: 4,800 acres
Allotted: 17,034 acres

The reservation is located about 20 miles west of Duluth. Its trust area presently totals about 22,000 acres. Treaties affecting Fond du Lac are on the Minnesota Treaties page.At the time it was established, it toalled about 98,000 acres. The surveyors cut off the rice and fish lakes to the south, and after protests that the tribe could not survive without rice and fish, added some of this area back, but cut off other acreage. Jim Northrup's grandpa remembers that the cutoff was " Perch, Dead Fish, Mud, Jaskari and Rice Portage. After some complaints, the southern boundry was redrawn to include the lakes. My Grampa used to say the Rez once went as far west as the Mississippi."

About 10 years, ago, the tribe opened a multimillion dollar community college -- the college whose network server this website runs on. They have been innovative in seeking technology grants, and received several substantial ones for computers and computer education. The college was built to an architectural plan that is Indian -- the entire layout of multiple buildings was designed to fit the concept of a gigantic bearpaw print. Buildings use round forms, and a "'drum-shaped" room is an archival library where documents of historical interest to Ojibwe people are collected and studied. The idea of the drum-shape -- which communicates over long distances -- symbolizes the communication of the information gathered in the library here.

The band operates the college, its schools, and a Head Start program through Ojibwe School Board.

JIM NORTHRUP Fond du Lac's most widely known writer -- is a regular columnist in the Indian press, has written books, poetry, a film. Here is a long, interesting interview at his home by Ojibwe writer Leslie Harpe, who drove up from Minneapolis. It was published in Shout   an e-zine of the arts.

The tribe operates two casinos -- Fond du Luth in the nearby city of Duluth, and later Black Bear Casino and Hotel was opened as a development expansion of the bingo parlor located near the reservation border town of Cloquet. Annual revenues are substantial, and about half the casinos' employment is tribal the rest local non-Indians. The tribe also operates a printing shop and Fond du Lac "Migizi" Eagle Enterprises, a professional planning and community development service. A tribal gift shop attached to the casino provies marketing services for tribal arts and crafts. There are 3 community centers and a tribally operated clinic. An annual tribla powwow, held each July, brings many visitors and draws back most of the enrolled members who live off-reservation.

1854 Treaty with the Chippewa of Mississippi and Lake Superior Bands signed at La Point, WI. Ceded most of the Arrowhead country; created Fond du lac, Grand Portage and Lake Vermillion (later ceded) Minnesota reservations. Transcribed from Kappler by Fond du Lac Education division.

CREDITS:I did the little map. Info comes mostly from American Indian Reservations and Trust Areas, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce, 1996. Veronica Velarde Tiller compiled this up to date information from tribal council sources for all tribes; same super-valuable info as she has in her book, advertised on her website. Other sources: Encyclopedia articles on Minnesota Ojibwes, Minnesota Indians publication of the league of Women voters, and tribal periodicals. The Fond du Lac casino logo comes from a guidebook to Minnesota Indian casinos, sold by the Minnesota Gaming Association. The photo of a main building is reduced, cropped, resized, brightened and sharpened from its use in FDLCC's on-line student newspaper story about the 10th anniversary since the college opened.

Last Updated: 2/8/97