Members of Minnesota's Chippewa tribes have served notice to the state that they plan to begin harvesting wild rice this week on all public waters, lakes and rivers within the territory ceded by the 1855 Chippewa Treaty with the federal government. They plan a major wild-rice harvesting event Thursday on Hole-in-the-Day Lake near Nisswa.
Frank Bibeau, Honor the Earth Attorney, joins us to talk about the letter sent earlier this month to Minnesota Governor Dayton by the members of the 1855 Treaty Authority.
"From pipelines, to wild rice and walleye, the State of Minnesota does not appear to be protectively regulating the natural resources or pipelines, but rather defining acceptable levels of degradation in the land of sky blue waters for the profits of foreign corporations. Presently Minnesota has zero pipeline abandonment law and appears perfectly willing to give eminent domain to Enbridge again via the PUC, with a free ticket for abandoning hundreds of miles of pipeline across northern Minnesota's wild rice lakes and rivers. This is unacceptable." Archie LaRose, Chairman of the 1855 treaty in his letter to MN Governor Mark Dayton
Coming up tomorrow on Northland Morning, we'll talk with Sarah LittleRedFeather Kalmanson of Honor the Earth. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has granted Eminent Domain for the Sandpiper Pipeline and is calling for an environmental review and cooperation with tribes.
