Newspaper of the Leech Lake EBAHJIMON Band of Ojibwe DOctober 2020 | Vol. XXXVII No. 4 Battle of Sugar Point 2020 LLBO Inauguration held at NLC Event Center Recount the events of The Battle of Sugar Point that made headlines Chairman and District III Representative Leech Lake Housing Authority Board Bug O Nay Ge Shig School Board across the Nation. Page 3 How to Vote MN The Presidential Election is Nov. 3. Follow our in-depth guide to make sure your vote is counted. Page 5 LLBO Quarterly Council and Division Directors recently hosted the bands Quarterly Meeting in Walker, MN.. Page 6 PAID Article PRSRT STD PRSRT US POSTAGE US BEMIDJI, MN BEMIDJI, PERMIT NO. 68 NO. PERMIT and Photos: Kayla Duoos Cont. on Page 2 ‘Leech Lake Nation Welcomes You’ Newly installed welcome signs greet travelers along 4 main roadways into Leech Lake Borders. CASS LAKE – New Leech Lake monu- boundary placed against a brown back- ment signs were posted across the reser- drop, with waters features splashed across vation Friday October 9. the map. In red font the sign says “Gaa- zagaskwaajimekaag, Leech Lake Nation, The new signage which replaces the old Welcomes You.” entering and leaving signs, welcomes com- munity members and visitors to the reser- In the next month, landscaping will be vation at all 4 entrance roads. Department added around the base of the new sign and of Resource Management, Environmental solar downcast lighting for illumination. Deputy Director Brandy Toft says the signs have been being worked on since 2017. The signs can be found on the West side of the Reservation on Hwy 2, Hwy 46, Hwy The new signs feature the Leech Lake 371, and in Deer River on Hwy2. 2 Binaakwii giizis • Falling Leaves Moon October 2020 | Debahjimon Vol XXXVII No 4 Cover story continued. The Debahjimon is a free, monthly publication of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Leech Lake Tribal Council » Faron Jackson Sr., Chairman » Arthur “Archie” LaRose, Secretary-Treasurer » Robbie Howe, District I Representative LeRoy Fairbanks sworn in as DIII Representative by his wife Becky Fairbanks » Steve White, District II Faron Jackson sworn in as LLBO Chairman by elder, Fred jackson. and their 5 children. Representative » LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III, District III Representative Staff Michael Chosa, Editor Kayla Duoos, Journalist Anthony Belgarde, Graphic Design Submissions The submission of pictures, articles, announcements and letters is encouraged. All submissions are subject to editing for spelling, Chairman Faron Jackson swears in newly elected LLBO Housing Authority Board Members Petra Rodriguez and Evelyn Brown (left) and Bug O grammar, length and libelous Nay Ge Shig School Board members Rose Robinson, John Johnson and Shirley Young (right). content. Submission does WALKER – The Leech Lake Band thing eye to eye, we’re not all these difficult decisions we’re hav- The event which had limited guests not guarantee publication. of Ojibwe held their 2020 expected to agree on everything, ing to make are ones not even old- due to the COVID pandemic, was The Editor reserves the Inauguration, Friday October 9 at we’re not all expected to paddle est elders have seen in life like this live streamed on the Band's right to reject any material the Northern Lights Casino. the canoe down the same river, the before. It’s not easy to make these Facebook page and is now avail- submitted for publication. same way. As Anishinabe people- decisions sometimes, but… know able for viewing. Being sworn in were both re-elect- we have a special uniqueness my decisions that affect Leech Debahjimon ed Reservation Tribal Council among all of us, among our fami- Lake in regards to how we’re deal- Congratulations to all elected (RTC) members, Chairman Faron lies, and relatives…. But a lot of the ing with this, come from first hand Band Members and good luck on 190 Sailstar Dr. NW Jackson and District 3 same issues we encounter and deal knowledge and first hand experi- your upcoming terms. Cass Lake, MN 56633 Representative Leroy Staples- with are similar in all three dis- ence,” said Staples-Fairbanks. Fairbanks, as well as the Leech tricts and we are better when we RTC [email protected] Lake Housing Authority Board can be united. That's the way we Later asking community members • Faron Jackson, Chairman and the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig were brought up… I hope we can to know that every decision the • Leroy Staples-Fairbanks, Ph: (218) 335-8200 School Board members. look forward in unity,” said Jackson. RTC makes is done with the District III Representative Fax: (218) 335-8309 mindset of keeping the commu- The ceremony was opened by the The COVID pandemic was not far nity safe and that they will con- Leech Lake Housing Deadlines Nut Hill drum group, the LLBO from everyone's minds, as it's tinue to work forward to address Authority Board Color Guard and the blessing was shaped this year and Leroy Staples- problems in the community. • Petra Rodriguez, District I Nov. Issue.................10/30/2020 provided by Mike Smith Sr. Fairbanks after being sworn in by • Shawn Monroe, District II Dec. Issue.................11/27/2020 his family, took a moment to share “Now is not the time to hit cruise • Evelyn Brown, District III Jan. Issue...................12/18/2020 Chairman Jackson, who was sworn his family's struggle after testing control, now is the time to put on in first, took his time to reflect on positive with Corona and how it some miles and evolve. We’re still Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig what it means to be a leader in the has affected his style of leadership. dealing with a lot of major issues, School Board community, and how unity will we need focus and we need all • Rose Robinson, District I always be a staple of his leadership. “There're so many people who are folks in leadership positions in • Shirley Young, District II dealing with this across the coun- Leech Lake to kick some butt,’ said • John Johnson, District III “We’re not expected to see every- try and across the world...and Fairbanks. October 2020 | Debahjimon Binaakwii giizis • Falling Leaves Moon 3 On This Day in History: charge of the arrest of Bug-O-Nay- outcries to the US Government for Ge-Shig that day, went forward to assistance and protection were tell a tale of how they were sur- pouring in from the non-native rounded by over 200 warriors and people in Minnesota. Memories of The Battle of Sugar Point attacked, when in reality it was a Custer’s defeat at Little Big Horn, By Kayla Duoos small group of Pillager band mem- just 22 years prior in 1876, led the bers. Reportedly, less than 20 peo- newspapers of the day to run wild On the early Wednesday morning out of these has alarmed us.” ple, mostly women, aided in Bug- with unsubstantiated headlines. of October 5, 1898 a handful of O-Nay-Ge-Shigs escape. young Pillager men held off “We trust that you will protect us The townspeople of Walker sur- approximately 100 U.S. soldiers on when the truth reaches you.” Once the U.S. Army received word rounded themselves with a 24-hour the shores of Sugar Point. The fire- of Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shigs escape, rotating shift of armed guards.. In fight resulted in seven dead and The letter went unacknowledged by they put out wanted notices for Bemidji, all of the women were herd- ten wounded with no casualties the U.S. Government, further per- those reported to have been ed into a courthouse as 200 armed reported on the Ojibwe side. The petuating the poor relationship involved in his escape. To be cer- “militiamen” stood guard outside. It soldiers were eventually forced to between the tribe and U.S. officials. tain those men were caught, they took a few weeks for the buzz to die retreat back to Walker, MN. This sent down an additional 77 sol- down, though the relationships event has come to be recognized Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig (Hole-In- diers from Fort Snelling. between the Ojibwe and their neigh- as the last military conflict between The-Day) was an elder Pillager man bors were never fully repaired. the U.S. and American Indians. and one of the many Ojibwe who The 80 soldiers began their quest had first-hand experience of the that fateful morning and arrived on With all of the nation’s attention As with many conflicts, the ten- downfalls within the U.S. justice the shores of Sugar Point that turned towards Leech Lake, the sions that led to the Battle of Sugar system. In April 1898, Bug-O-Nay- afternoon. After failing to find U.S. Government was forced to Point were varied. Lumber compa- Ge-Shig was arrested by a U.S. Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig, the army set hear the grievances put forth by nies routinely swindled the Ojibwe Marshal on bootlegging charges up base camp. the Ojibwe people. Commissioner people out of large amounts of and brought to Duluth for court. of Indian Affairs, William A. Jones, money through unscrupulous How the battle began has often was soon dispatched to the area. practices. Once arraigned and let go due to been disputed throughout the After an extensive number of meet- “Old Bug” Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig. Photo insufficient evidence, Bug-O-Nay- years. The Pillager have held that ings with the tribal elders, an One of the most cited complaints courtesy of the MN Historical Society. Ge-Shig was left to make the 135 the soldiers began firing on a canoe agreement was reached.