Petition Opposes Red Lake Settlement

A petition is moving between Red Lake Band members that could have an impact on the tribe’s decision to accept a settlement with Enbridge Energy over use of reservation land.

Lakehead Pipeline Co. originally used the land with the idea that they had the right authorization. Enbridge Energy has since taken ownership of the company.

Red Lake found out that the land in question belonged to them in the 1980s. The two sides began working to figure out what should happen to it in 2007, and came to an agreement in the last several weeks. Enbridge is paying Red Lake $18.5 million for the land; they’ll swap it with a different parcel of the same size, one that Red Lake chairman Darrell Seki says will serve the band well.

The petitioners say this agreement doesn’t account for protection of the over 20 acre area, which they say is an important thing to address.

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