Red Lake Incorporated About Us:
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians have a powerful story. It is a tale of resolve and strength. From being the local military juggernaut to resisting allotment to even being among the first tribes to have a court have all lead to Red Lake to where it sits today. Red Lake sits today as unique in Indian Country—it resisted allotment and owns most of lands communally. Further, Red Lake did not fall victim to Public Law 83-280, which was the transfer of responsibility (including financial responsibility) for public safety to the state from the federal government.
As a testament to the tribe’s resolve in resisting allotment, the Red Lake leaders of the day referred to Knute Nelson, a Minnesota Congressmen and a celebrated Minnesota Governor (who has a statue at the Minnesota Capital) as “the Chipmunk.” In other words they saw him as someone who merely created noise.
Red Lake tribal members are proud of those leaders and are celebrated. Resolve and strength is in our ethos of who we are as a people, as a community. Our resolve and strength comes from our sense of community and who we are to each other. Our families are larger, we have more aunties and uncles than our grandparents had children. We take care of one another. We have strength and resolve because we love our people and our land.
Red Lake Incorporated is wholly owned by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. Our vision isn’t something thought up in a board meeting that sounded cool. Instead our vision comes from our love of our people and our commitment to change our economic fortunes. Our mission comes from our resolve. We do it for our people, our community.
Among one of the most important jobs of Red Lake Incorporated is the operation of “The Golden Standard of Indian Economic Development”—the Red Lake Fisheries. It’s the golden standard because of its longstanding operations, spanning more than 70 years of fishing and providing incomes to band members. Today, most of Fisheries revenue goes back into the community through payments to anglers and payroll.
Red Lake Propane came to be when tribal leaders became disenchanted with the excessive fees charged for delivering propane to Red Lake residences. We breathed a sigh of relief that we had Red Lake Propane because our propane company stepped up to the plate and served our entire community after certain propane companies quit delivering propane to Red Lake altogether during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Red Lake Builders have built most of Red Lake over the last 45 years. But its not just Red Lake, Red Lake builders has built other communities as well and has done great work during its time.
Red Lake Foods is an amazing company with potential abound and room for growth. Food sovereignty has come to mean something to Indian Country. It means the capability to provide food to the community—but long before it was a thing, we were doing it.
We have more businesses that those—we only share these businesses to highlight our strength and resolve.
Lastly, we are not done. Not even close. We plan on more growth. Our powerful story is just the start.