Mike Loud Appointed as New Red Lake Hereditary Chief

New Red Lake Hereditary Chief Mike Loud (on left) with Hereditary Chief Dan King. (Facebook: Red Lake Nation College)

Red Lake Nation is one of the only tribes in the U.S. that maintains hereditary chiefs on its tribal council. Last week, the Red Lake Tribal Council approved a new hereditary chief.

Chief Mike Loud was next in line for this chief seat after the tribe lost Chief Jim Loud, who died in late 2024. He becomes the new chief of the descendant of Chief Crooked Arm.

According to a Facebook post from Red Lake Nation College, Chief Mike Loud spent his first 20-plus years living in Red Lake and then moved to Minneapolis and worked as a counselor, community leader, and activist for over 40 years. The Facebook post describes him as a positive, family-oriented person with strong pride, knowledge, and awareness of his tribal culture and history.