Tribal Nations

There are 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations within the geographical boundaries of the state of Minnesota. Tribal Nations and their members have inherent rights and a political relationship with federal and state governments. The U.S. Constitution provides the foundation for recognizing the inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations. The U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed that Tribal sovereignty predates the constitution and survives the establishment of the United States. 

Minnesota’s cannabis law is among the strongest in the nation to honor and recognize Tribal sovereignty and the authority of Tribal Nations to make decisions about cannabis sales on Tribal land. As sovereign nations, Tribes determine how they want to regulate and oversee businesses—including cannabis businesses—on their land and determine if they wish to participate in the state’s legal cannabis market off Tribally regulated lands.

Compacts

A compact is an intergovernmental agreement between sovereign entities. Under Minnesota state law (Minnesota Statutes, section 3.9228), the state of Minnesota, represented by the governor or their designee, may enter into compacts with Tribal governments to address jurisdictional issues related to the medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis industries.

Learn more about Tribal Compacts.

Tribal contacts for state-licensed businesses

Cannabis compacts outline how the state and Tribal Nations will work together to promote a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship to regulate cannabis and promote public health and safety. The compacts create unique opportunities for partnership between state-licensed cannabis businesses and Tribal Nations. Below is contact information for regulatory and operational offices within each Tribe that has an executed compact with the state.

Tribal Nation Tribal Regulatory Contact Tribal Operator Contact
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Sherry Lafave, chairperson
sherrylafave@fdlband.org		 echobos@fdlband.org
218-878-8080
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe David Jones Jr., Executive director
david.jones2@llojibwe.net		 218-547-2902
info@sweetestgrass.com
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Becky Houle
218-591-0435
becky.houle@millelacsband.com		 Scott Hanson
shanson@lakeleafcultivation.com
Prairie Island Indian Community Ed Buck, Cannabis regulatory commission chair
ed.buck@piic.org		 info@tokahedistribution.com
White Earth Nation https://www.wemccc.com/
218-935-6414
wemccc@whiteearth-nsn.gov		 218-902-2070

The 11 Tribal Nations sharing territory with Minnesota

For more information on the individual 11 Tribal Nations within the geographical boundaries of Minnesota, visit their websites listed below.

“Indian tribes have many rights, but the single most important—and most cherished—is the right of tribal sovereignty, the right to be self-governing.”

- Stephen Pevar

Tribal Nations Minnesota Map