Editor's Note: This content was updated on April 2, 2024 to reflect the latest information around this work.
At the request of Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa leaders and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the University has been engaged in regular and ongoing dialogue about the Cloquet Forestry Center, which is wholly located within the Fond du Lac Reservation. While these conversations have included returning the land, they have also focused on information about the University of Minnesota research and education programs being conducted on the land, how these research and teaching efforts may align with the research and education needs of the Band, program development and community engagement, history of the property and cultural uses, and more.
These conversations led to a plan to move forward collaboratively—with the Fond du Lac, the University and the State of Minnesota—to return to the Band the approximately 3,400 acres that house the Cloquet Forestry Center. The transfer of ownership for some of this land requires facilitation through the State, including Legislative action to transfer title of approximately 400 of these acres from the State of Minnesota to the University and to settle outstanding debts associated with facility maintenance on the property.
Additional information about the University’s intentions can be found in the public docket materials from the February 2023 University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting, specifically under Informational Items for the Board of Regents Finance & Operations Committee.
This FAQ provides additional details about the history and context surrounding this decision and potential next steps.
- Categories:
- Campus Affairs
- American Indian
