White Earth inauguration looks to the future
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White Earth Nation Tribal Chair Michael Fairbanks took the oath of office for his second four-year term Tuesday. He told the crowd gathered at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen the tribe’s cannabis business is a great success, and he is pleased with the progress made in its recent “land back” campaigns.
Also sworn in was District 3 Rep. Laura Lee Erickson. She told attendees she looks forward to working with tribal and community leaders.
“It’s easy to identify what is wrong but we have to remain positive as well so we can keep doing what’s right and work together to find solutions for what isn’t working,” she said. “Together we’re resilient, resourceful people. Together we can overcome any challenge.”
Erickson said as a council she and her colleagues will work at strengthening educational, cultural and language programs while at the same time protecting natural resources. She also emphasized continued improvements in health care and combating the opioid crisis.
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Speaking after the ceremony Fairbanks said regaining lands promised under treaty, but later lost through questionable deals, would help everyone.
“It’s not only giving us the title to the land back, but a big, big part of it is the healing process on how it was taken away from us. And the other part is for us protecting it and sharing that land back,” he said. “And what we have been doing currently with some of the parks that we have, the parks and recs, we keep it open for everyone to see the natural beauty of our resources."
Fairbanks said he has been working with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, herself a White Earth member. Flanagan could become the nation’s first female Indigenous governor should Gov. Tim Walz become vice president.
“I’m so excited for her,” Fairbanks said. “When we talk about our people and we talk about the Native American, we talk about being grounded and being connected to Mother Earth, we talk about honoring our traditional values. And she has all those.”