Grand Portage Indian Reservation facts for kids
The Grand Portage Indian Reservation (called Gichi-onigamiing in the Ojibwe language) is a special area of land for the Grand Portage Band. This band is part of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, which is a group of Native American people officially recognized by the United States government.
The reservation is located in Cook County, Minnesota, right at the very tip of Minnesota's "Arrowhead Region." This is in the far northeast part of the state. Long ago, this community was seen as part of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa. The reservation was officially created by a special agreement called the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe.
The small town of Grand Portage is also located within the reservation.
Since 1934, the Grand Portage Band has been one of six bands that make up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. This larger tribe wrote its own rules and started its new government in 1936. In 2020, about 618 people lived on the reservation. In 2007, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe reported that 1,127 people were officially members of the Grand Portage Band.
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Where is Grand Portage?
The Grand Portage reservation covers about 75.7 square miles (196 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 74.47 square miles (192.88 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 1.23 square miles (3.19 square kilometers), is water. The Grand Portage Band also owns a small amount of land outside the main reservation, which is held in trust for them.
Who Lives Here?
In 2020, the total number of people living on the reservation was 618. Most of the people living there, about 63.1%, were Native American. About 24.3% were White, and smaller numbers were Asian, Black, or Pacific Islander. About 11.5% of the people were from two or more different racial backgrounds. About 1.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
What is the Economy Like?
The Grand Portage community runs a fun place called the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. This helps create jobs and income for the community.
The Grand Portage National Monument is also located on the reservation. This important historical site is managed by the National Park Service. It includes a rebuilt trading post that looks just like it did in the 1700s.
In 2000, the state of Minnesota gave back ownership of the 300-acre (1.2 square kilometer) Grand Portage State Park to the Chippewa Band. This land had been lost many years before. This park is special because it is the only state park in Minnesota that is managed together by the state and a Native American band. The park has a beautiful 120-foot (37-meter) high waterfall, which has been an important landmark for hundreds of years. The band hires its own members to work at the park.
Famous People from Grand Portage
- Ruth A. Myers (1926–2001) was an activist. She was known as the "Grandmother of American Indian Education in Minnesota" because she worked hard to improve education for Native American children.
- George Morrison (1919–2000) was a famous painter and sculptor.
