Tribal leaders weigh in on Walz’s work with tribal-state relations

Two weeks have passed since presidential nominee Kamala Harris, the current vice president, chose Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Leading up to the pick, elected tribal leaders across Minnesota voiced their support of Walz as choice for VP in a letter to the Harris campaign. 

Leadership from all 11 tribal nations in the state signed the letter of support, citing Walz’s commitment to tribal-state relations. 

President of Lower Sioux Indian Community Robert Larsen signed the letter. He says the biggest change in tribal-state relations over the past several years has been access to decision-makers.  

“When it comes to certain things, you’re able to go to the top of the agency,” said Larsen. 

Governors going back to Jesse Ventura have issued executive orders affirming the government-to-government relationship. In 2019, Walz issued an order directing all state agencies to consult with tribes. 

COVID-19 was a major test of tribal-state relations during the Walz administration. Early in the pandemic, tribal leaders set up a daily phone call with one another to talk about their emergency response. 

“The governor, the state, heard about that ... and they started going on those calls and subsequently, from that, we have a weekly call. It originally was from the governor’s office. Now it’s the state call with different commissioners on there each week,” said Larsen. 

During the pandemic, tribal leaders made response decisions in keeping with their own laws. They decided whether to close schools and businesses or issue their own stay-at-home orders. Tribal leaders also started drafting legislation requiring the state to consult with them on matters affecting tribal nations. 

“We pushed that in the Legislature ... the state was busy doing their thing with COVID,” said Larsen. “Lo and behold, we got it done. The governor signed it.” 

The 2021 law takes the spirit of Walz’s executive order and requires agencies to appoint tribal-state liaisons and mandates state agency employees to attend training. 

Red Lake Nation secretary Sam Strong added his name to the letter in support of Walz. Strong says Walz’s choice of White Earth Nation citizen Peggy Flanagan as lieutenant governor has had a big impact on tribal-state relations. 

“The most important partnership he ever had was with the lieutenant governor and having her be a voice for tribal nations and voice for the state. Because she doesn’t just represent tribal nations, but she is a tribal nation citizen,” said Strong.  

The connection between Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan dates to Flanagan’s work training Walz for his first run for Congress. Flanagan worked as a candidate trainer at Camp Wellstone — a program of Wellstone Action, an organization founded by the late Senator Paul Wellstone. 

Key Legislation, key Appointments 

Tribal leaders say Walz earned their support by passing legislation aimed well-being of Indigenous people, including the restoration of 2 acres of land to the Upper Sioux Community; a bill aimed at removing mascots from Minnesota schools; an education bill that included “Indigenous Education for All”; and others aimed at increasing protections for Indian children and Indigenous people who are murdered or go missing.  

The letter also applauds Walz for the “historic number of Native people appointed to key leadership positions.”  

This summer, Walz shook up the state’s racetrack commission appointing two former tribal leaders to its ranks. Last year, Walz appointed former tribal chairperson of the Prairie Island Sioux Community to the commission tasked with redesigning the state flag.  

In 2022, Walz appointed attorney Tadd Johnson to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the first Native American to be appointed to the board since it was established more than a century and a half ago. 

‘Moments of disagreement and difference’

The letter of support for Walz also pointed to “moments of disagreement and difference.” 

The letter is silent on tribal nations’ opposition to the reconstruction of Enbridge's Line 3.  

Enbridge operates six pipelines carrying millions of barrels of Canadian oil across the northern part of the state. The network of pipelines crosses waterways full of wild rice, a dietary and cultural mainstay of Ojibwe life. 

White Earth Nation chair Michael Fairbanks opposed the pipeline.  

“We did what we could with our legal department and exhausted everything we could to halt this project coming through northern Minnesota,” said Fairbanks. 

The pipeline passes just north of White Earth Nation’s lands. 

"I feel like there could have been something little more that could have been done to halt this pipeline,” said Fairbanks. 

According to previous MPR News reporting, Walz maintained it was not his role to stay permits for Line 3.  

Larsen says despite differences, Walz has been a good partner. 

“The tribes can be as big or a bigger ally than they’ve been an opponent, and I believe this administration has heard that, understood it and worked with us,” he said.

Last year, Walz became the first governor in state history to visit all 11 tribal nations. 

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