Native Nations in Minnesota

The Native Nations that Share Minnesota’s Geography

Prairie Island Indian Community is Carleton’s nearest Indigenous Community neighbor and the easternmost Dakota community in Minnesota. The members of the community descend from the Mdewakanton Band of Eastern Dakota and live where the Mdewakanton lived on Prairie Island for countless generations. Prairie Island was the first tribal nation to engage Carleton College with an official visit by their Presidential delegation in October 2021.

Ten other Native nations and reservations share geography with Minnesota:

• Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Lower Sioux Indian Community
• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe 
• Red Lake Nation
• Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
• Upper Sioux Community
• White Earth Nation