Lac Courte Oreilles Holds Membership Event at New Minneapolis Office

Minneapolis, MN – Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal members from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area attended a membership event held at the new Twin Cities Lac Courte Oreilles office in January 2012. An estimated 100 tribal members and their families living in the Twin Cities attended and over 40 membership cards were updated.

LCO Tribal Chairman Gordon Thayer and LCO Business Development Corporation CEO Kim Strand attended the event, met with members and answered questions. They also provided information and updates on tribal issues and shared materials with attendees interested in Treaty rights and the Great Lakes native communities. Chairman Thayer and Strand also spoke about LCO business development initiatives and upcoming small business educational opportunities LCO will be providing to members from the new Minneapolis/St. Paul tribal office. Cindy Taylor of the LCO Tribal Enrollment Office and Iva Bunker, LCO Twin Cities Office Coordinator, helped with membership card updating and issuing during the event.

“It was important that Lac Courte Oreilles establish an office in the Twin Cities to make sure we are serving the large population of tribal members living in that area and provide access for them on a local level,” said Chairman Thayer. “An event like this shows there is a lot of interest in staying connected in our community and that our members regardless of geographic location be informed and connected to our tribal community.”

The event attracted many members who shared information about the Ojibwe language and re-connected with each other and many others who knew little about their ancestry and were eager to know more. A language survey was also provided and completed by those who attended.

“Tribal members in the Twin Cities are encouraged by the new office and we received feedback from them that this urban office is just what we needed to be part of our Tribe,” said Bunker, who recently joined a committee of other Minnesota and Wisconsin tribes that maintain urban offices.

An LCO Twin Cities membership meeting is scheduled for March 31, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the LCO offices in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The new LCO urban office is located at 2020 Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, [Map It] and is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Previously Lac Courte Oreilles had a Twin Cities office for several years which used to issue tribal hunting and fishing licenses and to serve tribal members in need. LCO Members living in the Twin Cities can have their identification cards updated Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.