Laura Lee Erickson
As your District III Representative, Laura is voted in by and specifically serves the communities of White Earth, Pine Point, Elbow Lake, Callaway, and Ogema. Please stay tuned for further updates from your District III Representative!
June 2026 District 3 Report
As we close out the month of May and welcome June. June brings our White Earth Recovery Parade, blessing of pow wow grounds for the 158th White Earth Treaty Day Celebration and Pow wow in White Earth on June 12-14. We are looking forward to our
celebration to see all of our relatives and communities come together.
5-4 Pine Point School Pow Wow and the Pine Point Solar and Battery Resilience Hub Ribbon Cutting. The solar project a 500 Kilowatt solar array; 2 Megawatt hour battery system in Pine Point didn’t happen overnight. The team had vision and through collaboration and hard work they made it a reality. I want to recognize the teams, partners and community members who made this possible. Last summer we had storms, people were without power, this will fill that gap! It will help save the school money.
Miigwech to the 10Power, the developer, 8th Fire Solar, Ziegler Electric, Pine Point School, Pine Point Community Council, Sandia Labs, Pacific Northwest Labs, Itasca Mantrap Cooperative, Great River Energy Cooperative, State of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Commerce Solar for Schools program.
5-5 MMIP Awareness Day walk and activities at Shooting Star Casino. We walked to honor our relatives and create awareness.
5-7 It was a beautiful day on the Gaa-waabaabi-ganikaag Reservation. We gathered at Shooting Star Casino for the State of the Nation. Miigwech to everyone who came out. It’s always special to connect with community, leadership and friends in a good way.
5-13 I stopped by our fish hatchery at Ice Cracking to visit the staff. The White Earth Nation Fish Hatchery and Fisheries Program is part of the tribe’s Natural Resources Department and focuses on
protecting and restoring fish populations within the White Earth Reservation. Goals of the hatchery program include: raising and stocking important fish species such as walleye, lake sturgeon and whitefish, supporting sustainable fishing for tribal members and
surrounding communities, restoring native fish populations that have declined due to habitat loss, pollution, overfishing and climate change. White Earth works with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
5-14 Tribal leaders attended the White Earth Tribal and Community College and White Earth GED graduation ceremony. We are truly fortunate to have White Earth Tribal and Community College on our reservation. Our college is a beautiful place that
continues to grow stronger each year while honoring who we are as Anishinaabe people. WETCC incorporates our culture, our traditions and our Ojibwe language into education, creating a place where students can learn with pride in their identity and community. Our education is rooted in our future. Miigwech to
the Board, staff, faculty, students, families and community members who continue to support and strengthen this college.
5-15Tribal leaders joined staff at the Child Advocacy Center for a ribbon cutting name ceremony. Aakwade’ewin CAC is “Bravery CAC” which represents the bravery it takes to advocate for chil-dren's rights and safety, the bravery it takes for a child to speak up, the bravery it takes for a family to navigate the system.
We attended the Spring celebration Circle of Life Academy School Pow wow. It was a beautiful day of dancing, drumming and visiting.
5-21Congratulations to all of the Circle of Life Academy graduates! The graduation ceremony was beautiful. Wishing all of the graduates continued success as you begin this next chapter of your journey.
5-27Tribal leaders, staff and the City of Mahnomen met to discuss ongoing projects, permitting processes and future collaboration efforts. The meeting focused on strengthening communication, building working relationships.
Congratulations to all the 2026 high school and college graduates. We wish each of you success as you being the next chapter of your journey!
Miigwech
Contact information:
Laura Lee Erickson
laura.erickson@whiteearth-nsn.gov
Office: 218-935-6238
Cell: 218-401-1153
Facebook: VOTE LAURA LEE
Assistant for District 3
Tiffany Swiers
Office: 218-935-6235
Cell: 218-997-9124
tiffany.swiers@whiteearth-nsn.gov