Red Lake Nation chair calls for lake and land return, takes aim at ICE and DNR
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The Red Lake Nation held its 2026 state of the band address Friday to provide updates on tribal issues and programs.
Red Lake Nation Chairman Darrell Seki Sr., said work will resume on who legally owns portions of Upper Red Lake. The Red Lake Nation continues to push for the transfer of Upper Red Lake and some state forest lands back to it.
Seki said the tribe also wants a mile-wide buffer around its shores.
"We continue to conduct historical research to supplement our current historical record on the east boundary,” he said. “We have a robust record to support negotiations with federal and state officials, as well as possible litigation against the federal and the state governments.”
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Proposed legislation to transfer the areas in dispute to the Red Lake Nation in 2024 failed due to intense opposition from non-Natives and some officials.
Tribal members encounters with ICE
In his 30-minute-long address, which covered multiple topics, Seki said the Trump administration is in violation of the U.S. Constitution because of funding cuts which affect tribal programs and the livelihood of Native people.
“We all have to stand up against this administration. Do not be afraid to speak up, stand up,” Seki said. “Tell them you are violating the Constitution that you swore to follow.”
Seki was also critical of immigration enforcement operations in the state which he said have had a profound effect on Red Lake citizens.
“Some of the tribal members have been detained, have been reported, although they have tribal IDs, birth certificates, ICE agents said they are fake, also the [[tribal]] license plates” he said.
“These are the things that are going on in the Twin Cities with our people,” he added. “So I hope we pass a resolution banning ICE to come into our reservation.”
Other tribal matters
Seki also said tribal leaders oppose the harvest of elk from any of its treaty territories. He critiqued an agreement between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to remove elk from those areas to restore a herd in the northeast.
And during the address Secretary Sam Strong said he will not seek reelection.
Over his eight years in the position, Strong was instrumental in the tribe's cannabis rollout. In 2023, the Red Lake Nation opened the state’s first recreational cannabis dispensary, NativeCare. And Strong was vocal about raising awareness over enrollment challenges.
Strong said he will now focus on being a father and a grassroots leader.
"This was a hard decision,” he said. “Many of you have supported me, and for that, I say miigwetch, we've done many great things, and we will continue to do many great things."
Red Lake will elect a new tribal secretary during its general election on May 20. There are currently three candidates vying for the position.
