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St. Louis County board to attend two-day tribal relations training hosted by Bois Forte
Summary
County leaders and roughly 30 staff will attend a two‑day state‑sponsored tribal relations training organized with Bois Forte leadership and offered through the University of Minnesota, county officials said.
Chair Commissioner Harlow told the St. Louis County Board that the county will send commissioners and about 30 staff to a two‑day state tribal relations training hosted by Bois Forte leadership.
The training, presented by trainer Chad Johnson, covers the history of federal Indian policy, jurisdictional differences on reservations, and practical cooperation topics such as joint infrastructure projects, Johnson said. "Governor Dayton's executive order in 2013...essentially said that the state had to consult with the Indian tribes," Johnson said, adding that subsequent action by Governor Walz made training a statutory requirement for state agencies that will work with tribes.
Why it matters: County leaders said they want staff and elected officials to arrive with a clearer, shared understanding before conducting intergovernmental work with nearby sovereign tribal nations. Chair Commissioner Harlow said the County Tribal Relations Committee — which she said includes Commissioner McDonald and Commissioner Dzukovich and senior staff — is using the training to prepare participants for consultative discussions and joint projects.
Board members who spoke described local examples of cross‑government work that informed the decision. Commissioner McDonald recalled past joint projects — including repair and infrastructure work with Bois Forte and Fond du Lac tribes — and said the training will strengthen those partnerships. Commissioner Nelson praised trainer Johnson as “a quiet voice of common sense” and said the training had moved state officials toward cooperative solutions in the past.
The county will attend the full two‑day session, Harlow said, and staff have placed the event on participants’ calendars. Harlow said the invitation came from Bois Forte leadership and was ratified by other tribal nations in Minnesota, which the county interprets as a formal and coordinated invitation.
Board members asked whether representatives from Fond du Lac would attend. Johnson said tribal leaders’ participation varies by session but that the program typically includes a tribal leaders panel and usually features representatives from multiple reservations during the year. "If you want to ask questions that are pertaining to Fond du Lac, we have a lot of time for question and answers," he said.
The training will include historical background, presentations on reservation land ownership and jurisdiction, and other material Johnson said is designed to be nonthreatening and practical. The board did not take a formal vote on the invitation; commissioners framed the training as preparatory and educational rather than as a binding policy action.
Ending: County leaders said they will report back to the board after the training and flagged Fortune Bay as the planned meeting location for the sessions.
