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On the first day of Biden’s presidency, the headlines from Indian Country told an extraordinary story about Indigenous land defense. In an unprecedented transfer of power, Biden signed 15 executive actions within hours after being sworn-in, in a flurry of steps to undo many of former President Donald Trump’s policies, including: These acts reinvigorated calls among Indigenous activists and tribal leaders, alike, to stop two other pipelines in their path: the Dakota Access pipeline that sparked the historic uprising at Standing Rock in 2016 and a similar battle over Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 on Ojibwe lands in Minnesota. These lingering energy fights post-Donald Trump have meant early opposition challenging Deb Haaland’s nomination to the Department of the Interior. Leading that charge is Minnesota Republican Rep. Pat Stauber, a fan of fossil-fuels and also of Line 3. But Stauber is not entirely out to get tribes. He advocated on behalf of his constituents, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, for the return of nearly 12-thousand acres of their Indigenous homelands, last year. I’ve selected a photo of their treaty territory as this week’s cover art—what is, to most Minnesotans, regarded as the Chippewa National Forest. Trump signed the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act into law in his final days before leaving office, a capstone “land back” story that largely and remarkably went unreported. There’s a lot of news happening. I’m still processing. But in final thoughts about the land, the next inauguration should really rethink including “This Land is Your Land” in the line-up. This time around, it fell incredibly flat. Also, someone should arrange for a land acknowledgment. In case you were wondering, Biden’s inauguration took place on the Indigenous homelands of the Piscataway. See you! Jenni
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