BackgroundThe Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s (LLBO) Green Team is an advisory council to the Tribal Council tasked with making recommendations and implementing activities, projects, and policy change for more sustainable practices within the Leech Lake Government.

The LL Green Team has been instrumental in adopting new tribal policies such as eliminating the purchase of styrofoam for Tribal Government use, as well as a reservation-wide composting policy. Their newest initiative centers around waste reduction and localizing the food system on the Leech Lake reservation. This includes a renewed partnership with the Bemidji Area IHS Division of Environmental Health Services (BAIHS DEHS).

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Local Food Initiative

LLBO Green Team and LT Megan Arndt

Public Health BenefitsA systems approach will be needed to tackle the chronic disease problems in Indian country today. Localizing food systems offers a means of re-connecting people to traditional and healthy foods, improves food security, promotes physical activity, keeps money local, and fosters social cohesion. Cycling nutrients and reducing waste through the composting initiative has resulted in the following benefits that go beyond saving money from reduced tipping fees: impact on climate change through reduced greenhouse gas production, local alternative to chemical fertilizers used in landscaping and gardens, improved water quality from reduced chemical runoff. This initiative has also helped raise awareness regarding food production and organic production methods. The budding community and program enthusiasm resulting from these initiatives has been a launching point for the second phase of this project: developing infrastructure for a localized food shed.

Repeatability The model composting and infrastructure development of a localized food shed can be duplicated with any reservation. It is an example of how DEHS can partner with tribes in a collaborative manner to promote a more holistic practice of environmental public health.

Accomplishments Partnerships with Palace Casino and Bingo Hall, Bug O Nay Ge Shig

school, Leech Lake Trial College, and LLBO Solid Waste Division. Completion of the “Green Rez Steps” assessment tool developed by LT

Arndt led to prioritization of sustainability initiatives. Awarded $16,000 in funding through the Minnesota Pollution Control

Agency and $12,000 from BAIHS. Two Community Ed classes that educated 30 community members on

proper composting techniques. Over 180 children K-12 educated on construction, design, composting,

and food production through the work at the Bug O Nay Ge Shig school; implementation of school food production and composting

Estimated 153,088* pounds will be diverted out of the waste stream, translating into a savings of $14,750* per year; green house gas reduction of 28.3* metric tons of carbon equivalent.

Additional $11,700 in funding from BAIHS for Phase 2.

*These numbers will increase when our new composting partners are factored in!

Phase 2 Goals:1. Improved understanding of local food systems by

LLBO Members and staff.2. Mapping the food shed to identify current and

future agriculture areas. 3. Strengthen local food resources available to band

members to improve food security.4. Improve Anishinaabe sustainable, traditional

agricultural practices while educating the reservation population about Leech Lake’s traditional food systems.

5. Increasing access and consumption of traditional foods.

6. Expand the Band’s current composting initiative to include fish waste which will improve water quality and provide an additional resource for local food production.

7. Add Cass Lake Bena Middle and High schools to the composting project and start them on their initiative to eating traditional and local foods.

8. Expand/strengthen partnerships to make this possible: U of M Extension, Leech Lake Health Division, Leech Lake Division of Resource Management, IHS DEHS and Cass Lake Hospital, Leech Lake Food Coalition, LLTC Community Education, and the new Leech Lake Master Gardener program.