MN Dept. of Human Services Presents Leech Lake with Circle of Excellence Award

For a decade now, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has been recognizing counties, programs, and now tribal nations throughout Minnesota for their invaluable human service contributions. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has been working with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to make obtaining grants for projects easier, allowing Leech Lake Band staff to focus more on the people they are serving. Because of this, the Leech Lake Band was presented with a Commissioner’s Circle of Excellence Award.

“It helps all of us keep government more efficient and simplified, still accounting for all the dollars and making sure that everything gets done well, but in a simpler way,” explained Jodi Harpstead, Commissioner for MN Department of Human Services.

The DHS has been presenting these awards for a decade now, but Tuesday’s ceremony in Cass Lake brings a new first for the department.

“Not only did they write this agreement with us that we have a better way of working with them now, but they’re the first tribe in Minnesota to do it, and now we’d like to talk to the ten other Tribes to see if they want to do the same thing, but we’re really proud of Leech Lake for standing up to be the first,” added Harpstead.

This isn’t just any award being presented to the band. It opens up even more opportunities for the services Leech Lake provides.

“To actually receive the Commissioner’s Circle of Excellence Award is huge for us, to being able to provide these umbrella services with some additional funding opportunities that come our way,” said Faron Jackson Sr., Leech Lake Tribal Chairman “We’re dealing with a lot of unmet needs. You know, times are tough for a lot of tribes, and just to have an opportunity to bring in some extra dollars and to receive this Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, we’re excited to see what it could lead to.”

Leech Lake staff members emphasized that the work that is being done has to continue, and Chairman Jackson believes the future looks very bright thanks to receiving this award.

“In our Ojibwe ways, we always say … ‘it’s a good thing what’s happening here today,’ and I think it applies to this award we’re receiving, and that’s coming to LLBO,” said Jackson at the ceremony. “A lot of the umbrella services that are going to be able to hopefully have more funding coming our way to provide more services to our membership.”

The DHS and the Leech Lake Band have created a fvie-year umbrella contract for program-specific funding agreements. Jade Fisherman from the Office of Indian Policy was the person who nominated the Leech Lake Band for the Commissioner’s Circle of Excellence Award.