Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin keynoted the opening ceremony Monday for a travelling exhibit on the importance of treaties between American Indian tribes and the U.S. government.
"Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations," is on view through Dec. 18 at Central Lakes College. The exhibition includes 20 free-standing banners with text, photos and maps, and a 10-minute video. Its stay at CLC is part of a statewide tour of schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and University system, organized by Minnesota Humanities Center and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.
Following a traditional flag song, as well as an invocation in the Ojibwe language, Benjamin emphasized treaties were important because the land that eventually became Minnesota was ceded to the government from Indians through treaties. Everyone in the audience who owned a home was benefitting from the treaties, she said, because they wouldn't own the land had the treaties not been created.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, she said, treaties were not entitlements for Indians.
"Most of the time, people will talk about how the federal government 'gave' Indians special rights in these treaties," she said. "This is not true. The treaties gave special rights to the non-Indians, the ancestors of most of you in this room today."
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The U.S. entered into nearly 400 treaties with Indian tribes and the U.S. government has a bad habit of not honoring them, Benjamin said.
"It has a perfect record in that it broke every treaty that it signed," she said.
However, most treaties were created in the spirit of "peace and friendship," Benjamin said.
"They were written to prevent conflict, and to allow for peaceful interaction," she said. "Today, we are here as friends, and this is what is called a 'teachable moment.' I invite you all to read the quotes and learn from history. We have more in common than we realize."
Rosenmeier Forum slated for Dec. 7
Why Treaties Matter is also co-sponsoring the next CLC Rosenmeier Forum, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Chalberg Theatre on the Brainerd campus.
Prof. Tadd M. Johnson, Director of the Master of Tribal Administration and Governance program at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, will headline the forum.
Johnson's presentation will cover treaty-making in America, native origins of sovereignty, U.S. treaties in Minnesota, defending treaty rights in the 20th century, sovereignty through economic development and treaties as living documents, a CLC release said.
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ZACH KAYSER may be reached at 218-855-5860 or Zach.Kayser@brainerddispatch.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZWKayser .
