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<item><title><![CDATA[LLTC Library Blog: Wednesday News Gathering0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://lltclibrary.blogspot.com/2010/03/wednesday-news-gathering_10.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Tomorrow, Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m., Lakeland Public Television's &amp;quot;Common Ground&amp;quot; series airs an episode featuring artist and elder Ruth White (Leech Lake) teaching a beaded jewelry class through Leech Lake Tribal College community education and talking about traditional Anishinaabe art.All are welcome to the Traditional Gathering, held this coming Saturday, March 13, from sunrise to sunset at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Bena, Minnesota. For more information about the Traditional Gathering, please contact the Leech Lake Tribal College Office of Community and Continuing Education at 218-335-4244. Hope to see you there!Today at LLTC:AARP Tax Services are on campus from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in A-Wing Conference Room 102.  For more information, please contact 218-547-2085.The LLTC AIHEC Speech Team practices at 11:00 a.m. in Room 110 Migizi.The Talking Circle open support group meets at 11:00 a.m. in the Benny Tonce Memorial Room 204.LLTC Student Senate weekly meeting happens at 12:00 p.m. in the Benny Tonce Memorial Room 204.The boys' drum group meets 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Room 110 Migizi.Everyone is invited to the Anishinaabemowin Language Table happening from 6-8 p.m. in the Benny Tonce Memorial Room 204. Includes a potluck supper!News from Indian Country shares the Native News Update for March 8, 2010: http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;amp;id=8639&amp;amp;amp;Itemid=131Migiziwag/bald eagles are increasing in number in Minnesota: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/87113532.htmlA Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder piece notes that Governor Pawlenty's elimination of General Assistance Medical Care disproportionately affects African Americans and Native Americans: http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/news/article/article.asp?NewsID=101759&amp;amp;amp;sID=4&amp;amp;amp;ItemSource=LMore on a Minnesota racino proposal, which would affect tribal gaming throughout the state:&amp;quot;Racinos in Minnesota? Don't Bet on It&amp;quot; (St. Paul Pioneer Press) http://www.twincities.com/ci_14643855&amp;quot;Randy Weidner: The Public Sees the Value in Racinos&amp;quot; (Minneapolis Star Tribune) http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/87171067.htmlAn employment case involving Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is summarized here: http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.htm?shortname=inmnco20100309276Bemidji State University professor Dr. Anton Treuer (Leech Lake) will launch his latest book, Ojibwe in Minnesota, at Birchbark Books on this Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m., in Minneapolis: http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=31&amp;amp;amp;a=442560Irene Folstrom (Leech Lake) shares her thoughts on Tiger Woods:&amp;quot;Folstrom Supportive of College Boyfriend Tiger Woods&amp;quot; (Bemidji Pioneer) http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100016714/&amp;quot;Tiger Woods's College Girlfriend: He Deserves Another Chance&amp;quot; (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/03/09/tiger.woods.ex.speaks.ppl/&amp;quot;Tiger's College Girlfriend Speaks Out&amp;quot; (Golf) http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1968826,00.htmlBill Lawrence (Red Lake) is remembered in this Native American Times item: http://www.nativetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;amp;view=article&amp;amp;amp;id=3205:minn-tribal-watchdog-dies-after-cancer-fight&amp;amp;amp;catid=49&amp;amp;amp;Itemid=25A Twin Cities radio personality who has made some very insensitive remarks about Anishinaabe, Hmong, and Somali people is profiled in this Minneapolis Star Tribune piece: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/style/86721302.htmlMore on the Little Bay de Noc illegal commercial fishing operation being investigated by the Sault Tribe and the U.S. Attorney General: http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/517947.htmlFormer Sault Tribe police chief Frederick Paquin and his daughter Mary Cullen are being prosecuted for fraud:&amp;quot;Onetime Sault Tribe Police Chief, Daughter Face Charges&amp;quot; (SooToday) http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=45176&amp;quot;Paquin, Cullen Case Goes to Trial&amp;quot; (Upper Michigan's Source) http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?list=~%5Cnews%5Clists%5Clocal&amp;amp;amp;id=427175Another rave review for Shadow Tag, the latest novel by acclaimed author Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain): http://thedartmouth.com/2010/03/09/arts/bookedDaily Kos contributor Ojibwa offers some thoughts on Turtle Island's Indigenous people and nibi/water: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/9/844356/-Dam-Indians:-Some-BackgroundZhiiwaagamizigan/maple syrup is celebrated in this lemon maple chicken recipe: http://www.journalstar.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/article_b6cc2f60-2bc7-11df-95ea-001cc4c002e0.htmlHealth Canada offers an eating well guide in Anishinaabemowin: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Health-Canada-Launches-Translated-Eating-Well-with-Canadas-Food-Guide-First-Nations-1129079.htmGrass dancer Wes King (Christian Island Ojibwa) represented his Anishinaabe nation at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics opening ceremony: http://www.midlandfreepress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2484172Another rave review for Motorcycles &amp;amp;amp; Sweetgrass, the latest novel from Drew Hayden Taylor (Curve Lake Ojibway): http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-motorcycles-sweetgrass-by-drew/Nishnawbe Aski Nation citizens are criticizing policies and actions of the McGuinty-led Ontario: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/09/dalton-mcguinty-in-wonderland.aspxPrograms or organizations serving the Chippewas of Rama First Nation area are encouraged to apply for Community Foundation of Orillia and Area grants: http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2484382John Snache (Chippewa of Rama First Nation) will share some Anishinaabe teachings as part of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream symposium: http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2484375Sault College -- in partnership with Algoma University, Anishinabek Information Technology Centre, Children's Rehibilitation Centre Algoma, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, and YMCA Employment and Community Services -- hosts the 5th annual ProtoLaunch video game workshop for high schoolers: http://www.wawa-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;amp;id=5445&amp;amp;amp;Itemid=99999999]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:00:06 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[LLTC Library Blog: Tuesday News Gathering0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://lltclibrary.blogspot.com/2010/03/tuesday-news-gathering_09.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The annual Traditional Gathering, sponsored by Leech Lake Tribal College, happens this Saturday from sunrise to sunset at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Bena.  There will be storytelling, crafts, special presentations, and dogsled rides!Today at LLTC:As part of the Lunch and Learn series, peer mentors Jen Meyer and Barb Raines present on Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding Poverty at 12:00 p.m. in the Nando-Gikenjige Wigamig / Learning Center (Room 202 Aandeg).Census employment testing happens at 12:00 p.m. in Room 212 Bakitebii'igan Abiwin.Volunteer Income Tax Assistance [VITA] is on campus from 5-9 p.m. to help individuals who meet certain earning guidelines to file their income taxes by appointment only. For more information and to schedule an appointment, please call 218-335-4200.News from Indian Country shares the Native News Update for March 4, 2010: http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;amp;id=8627&amp;amp;amp;Itemid=131A Minnesota Department of Education School Turnaround Team will visit schools including Cass Lake-Bena Secondary, Ponemah Elementary, Red Lake Senior High, and Waubun Secondary: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100016672/Grand Portage's Bayou Boogie has been cancelled due to economic conditions: http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/83906/Bayou-sunk-White Earth's State of the Nation address will be delivered by Chair Dr. Erma Vizenor tomorrow beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Shooting Star Casino Event Center: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/271519/Golfer Gene Webster, Jr. (Ojibwa/Oneida/Navajo) won Cal State University-San Bernadino's Coyote Golf Classic: http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/yourict/87103912.htmlAn Ann Arbor column on witch hazel refers to the Indigenous uses of the plant in the past tense: http://www.annarbor.com/home-garden/a-minor-native-plant-mystery/More on the University of Wisconsin-Superior's 2nd annual American Indian Storytelling Event: Sharing Our Gifts: http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/33647/Commentary on the Olympics, First Nations, and representations of nations: http://www.brooklynrail.org/2010/03/express/the-olympics-parade-of-nation-y-peoplesThe Anishinabek Nation Constitutional Convention has approved a draft of the Anishinabek Nation Chi-Naaknigewin: http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2010/3/8/Anishinabek-Nation-continues-Constitution-process_19368Manitoba's Southern Chiefs Organization calls for an environmental audit of the public utilities firm Manitoba Hydro: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/03/08/mb-environmental-audit-southern-chiefs-manitoba.htmlAn incident in which a Native man was shot by Winnipeg police is raising many questions:&amp;quot;Aboriginal Chief Wants Independent Investigation into Police Shooting&amp;quot; (Canadian Press) http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i98jmmAM1GxFRZpH6HBMKozZU_sg&amp;quot;If People Want to Rise, Leaders Must Help Lift&amp;quot; (Winnipeg Free Press) http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/if-people-want-to-rise-leaders-must-help-lift-87099332.htmlMining in Ontario has potential to bring money into the economy and to cause substantial harm to the environment and traditional Nishnawbe lands: http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/777028--dalton-mcguinty-bets-big-on-mining-critics-fear-eco-disaster]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:31:49 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Topix Cass Lake News: Cass Lake Man Accused Of Shooting At Man, Child0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.topix.com/city/cass-lake-mn/2010/03/cass-lake-man-accused-of-shooting-at-man-child?fromrss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[Share + Mar 8, 2010 7:37 pm US/Central CASS LAKE 1 of 1 William Earl Morris allegedly got out of a car at an intersection near the City of Cass Lake and began chasing and shooting at a man and the man's 5-year-old child.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:37:42 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[LLTC Library Blog: Traditional Gathering - This Saturday!0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://lltclibrary.blogspot.com/2010/03/traditional-gathering-this-saturday.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The annual Traditional Gathering happens this coming Saturday, March 13, 2010, at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, 15353 Silver Eagle Drive NW, Bena, MN.  The event is free and open to the public.Schedule of Events:Sunrise Ceremony8:00 a.m. -- Breakfast8:30 a.m. -- Anishinaabe Nibikwe Water Blessing Ceremony with Margaret Porter, Mary Ringhand, and Gloria Whitefeather -- Gymnasium9:45 a.m. -- Traditional Gardening with John Parmeter -- Library10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. -- Dogsled Rides11:00 a.m. -- Storytelling with Morris Blanchard and Joyce Fairbanks -- Gymnasium12:00 p.m. -- Lunch1:00 p.m. -- Suicide &amp;amp;amp; Depression Awareness with Devery Fairbanks, Ali Gale, and Chris Reopelle -- Classroom1:00 p.m. -- Sweat Lodge with Dennis Garbow1:00-4:00 p.m. -- Night Skies Starlab Presentation with Jay Leiman -- New Gymnasium2:00 p.m. -- Language Preservation with Leslie Harper -- Gymnasium2:00-5:00 p.m. -- Traditional Arts &amp;amp;amp; Crafts with Ruth White -- Culture Room3:00-5:00 p.m. -- Language Table -- Library5:00 p.m. -- Dinner6:00 p.m. -- Special Presenter: Gilbert Moose -- GymnasiumClosing music from the Leech Lake Tribal College Drum Group and Leech Lake Tribal College Boys' Drum GroupFor more information about the Traditional Gathering, please call the LLTC Office of Community and Continuing Education at 218-335-4244.  Hope to see you there!]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:43:07 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[LLTC Library Blog: LLTC MCIS Workshops0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://lltclibrary.blogspot.com/2010/03/lltc-mcis-workshops.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Leech Lake Tribal College's TRiO Student Support Services offers three upcoming Minnesota Career Information System [MCIS] workshops:Tuesday, March 16, from 12-1 p.m. in Room 111 MikinaakTuesday, March 23, from 12-1 p.m. in Room 111 MikinaakTuesday, March 30, from 12-1 p.m. in Room 111 MikinaakSeating is limited, so reserve your space today by calling LLTC TRiO Student Services at 218-335-4220!]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:31:32 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[LLTC Library Blog: LLTC FAFSA Workshops0]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[Leech Lake Tribal College's Student Services Financial Aid Office hosts two upcoming Free Application For Student Aid [FAFSA] walk-in help sessions:Tuesday, March 23, from 8-10 a.m. in Room 111 MikinaakFriday, March 26, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Room 111 MikinaakFinancial Aid Office staff will be available to answer questions and assist students in the online FAFSA process. Students seeking assistance are reminded to bring a copy of their 2009 income tax form.For questions or for more information, please contact LLTC Financial Aid Office at 218-335-4270.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:24:31 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Topix Cass Lake News: Cass County Shooting Sends One to Hospital, One in Custody0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.topix.com/city/cass-lake-mn/2010/03/cass-county-shooting-sends-one-to-hospital-one-in-custody?fromrss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[A 31-year-old man was airlifted Thursday afternoon after being shot near Tract 34 in the Cass Lake area.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:08:06 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Topix Cass Lake News: Suspect in custody for shooting in Cass County0]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[Authorities in Cass County arrested a suspect in for a shooting that sent one person to the hospital.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:56:37 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Froggy's Sports News: Fishing Report0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://froggysports.blogspot.com/2010/02/fishing-report_28.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[February 28, 2010Well, we're at another close of walleye, northern fishing.  Where has the time gone!  This winter fishing was mostly hit and miss on all area lakes.  You had to be mobile and pick through what you got.Now with some warmer and longer days,  the perch bite has picked up.  Hopefully we'll still have a couple weeks of good fishing still left for this season.  Weather was great this weekend and guys coming into the store have been picking up fish.Hope you will get a chance to get out and do some ice fishing yet before the winter season comes to a final end.  Take care.Hope to see you out on the ice.Froggy]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:11:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Froggy's Sports News: Fishing Report0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://froggysports.blogspot.com/2010/02/fishing-report_17.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[February 17, 2010Well the big Fishing Challenge tournament was a success out on Cass Lake. Mike Isaacson was the big winner of $2,000 cash for his 1 lb walleye.  There were about 600 people out for the tournament.  It was really a great day and lots of fun had by all.  The Chamber gave out over $10,000 in cash and prizes.  Next year should be even bigger and better.With the wind we had the last couple of days, I have been busy plowing the major roads out on Pike Bay, Allen's Bay and Big Wolf, where I have my fish house rentals.  Getting around is good and we have plenty of ice. They are picking up some nice walleye mornings and evenings, just before dark.  Perch are there too.  Pick through for those bigger ones.  Weather has been great.  I was out on Pike Bay today and there were guys sitting out on their buckets, enjoying the nice sunshine.Hope to see you out on the lake!Froggy]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:26:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Froggy's Sports News: Fishing Report0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://froggysports.blogspot.com/2010/02/fishing-report_09.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[February 9. 2010Fishing has continued to be about the same for the last couple of weeks.  They are still getting walleye just before dark and picking through on the perch.  I talked to Four Seasons Resort on Winnie yesterday and they said about the same thing.  They are getting some walleye at the mouth of the river.  Fishing is okay, but not as good as we would like to see it.  Hopefully that is yet to come!Don't forget the big Winter Challenge Fishing Contest out on Cass Lake this coming weekend, the 13th of February.  Tickets can be purchased at Froggy's for $30.00 and they will be $35.00 out on the ice the day of the contest.  They have $10,000 worth of cash prizes this year and at least 50 prizes worth at least $100.00 each;  lots of augers, vexlars, fish houses and much more.   This year again, they will be drawing to decide what place each prize goes in, at the Legion in Cass Lake on Friday night.    The fire department will also be having their fish fry that evening.  The Chamber will also have a couple of raffles going too.  It will be a good time for all.  Hope to see you there.We will be plowing off the area the next couple of days.  We will be going out from Sailstar Marina and also the Information Center.    There will be guys shuttling out people with their gear and portables.Prizes will be announced out on the lake, after the contest ends.  The Palace Casino will also be giving out some prizes after the end of the contest.  Contest goes from noon to 3PM.  You will be able to get out on the lake after 10AM to get set up.See you out on the lake!Froggy]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:59:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Froggy's Sports News: Fishing Report0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://froggysports.blogspot.com/2010/02/fishing-report.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[February 1, 2010Fishing has picked up the last few days.  I am hoping the trend will continue.  Northern seem to be moving more on Big Wolf.  There are some  perch being caught out on Pike Bay and some walleye, with a morning and evening bite in about 15 to 25 feet of water, on Cass and Pike Bay.   They are fishing perch in about 9 feet of water.The big Fishing Challenge tournament will be out on Cass Lake on February 13th.  Don't forget to get your tickets and mark your calendar for that day.  It is always a good time and lots of good prizes.My son, Ben went out Sunday afternoon and picked up his first walleye and some really nice perch out on Pike Bay.  Thumbs up to you, Ben! Weather has been decent, so I hope you will get a chance to get out on the ice and enjoy some time fishing.See you out on the lake!Froggy]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:12:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Topix Cass Lake News: Cass County To Hold Water Rescue Exercise0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.topix.com/city/cass-lake-mn/2010/01/cass-county-to-hold-water-rescue-exercise-2?fromrss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[Required fields are marked with an asterisk The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:01:38 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Topix Cass Lake News: Cass County to hold water rescue exercise0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.topix.com/city/cass-lake-mn/2010/01/cass-county-to-hold-water-rescue-exercise?fromrss=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[Police, fire fighters and other officials from Cass County are diving into the icy waters of Cass Lake to learn about water rescue.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:39:17 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Froggy's Sports News: Fishing Report0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://froggysports.blogspot.com/2010/01/fishing-report_21.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[January 21, 2010Well here we are again.  Not a whole lot more to report.  Some walleye and perch on Pike Bay, but you have to pick through the perch.  Fishing still seems to be spotty, a few here and there.  Better then working!We had a couple groups fishing on Winnie this weekend.  One bunch of guys said they did really well and the other guys didn't have much luck.  Sounds like they are picking up some perch out from McArdles and Denny's Resort.Fishing should start to pick up.  Hope to see you out on the lake.Good fishing!Froggy]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:50:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[WordPress.com News: A New P20]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[The New P2
For those of you who havent yet tried it, P2 is an awesome micro blogging theme with quick front end posting, live ajax updating, and inline threaded comments. It already packs a big punch.
So how can an already great theme be taken to the next level? That was the task of Team 34 at this years Automattic retreat.
One of the first areas we thought could be improved was the ease of customization. Most people like to add their own personal touch to a theme, currently P2 is hard to customize beyond the standard design. Weve added new options to allow you to hide the sidebar and even set a unique header image. All these options allow you to personalize your own P2 to match your tastes.
Weve also introduced post types into P2. Now you can post different types of content and have them formatted and displayed in a way that fits the content beautifully. There are settings for standard posts, single images and galleries, as well as links and quotes. Selecting which post type to use is as simple as clicking the correct tab above the post box.
We also decided to go a step further and rework P2 so that it could easily be used as a parent theme and extended with child themes. This will allow theme designers to create awesome new theme designs without having to duplicate all of the existing P2 features. Weve streamlined the HTML of the theme so that it is much more flexible for creating new designs using CSS. Weve also added a large number of template based hooks that will allow plugin developers to hook into the theme and output extended functionality.
The new P2 theme is now live on WordPress.com, and soon to be available for download from the WordPress.org theme repository.
       ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/a-new-p2/</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:43:04 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[WordPress.com News: A Blog Near You0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/a-blog-near-you/</link>
<description><![CDATA[During the Automattic company meetup, Team 21* holed up in a cottage outside Qu&Atilde;&copy;bec to create a new set of features for a blog near you (literally!). Have you ever wondered where in the world a blog post was written? Where a commenter was located? If there were other WordPress.com bloggers near you? If so, hold on to your hat, because youre going to love the geotagging and geolocation features were introducing.
Starting today, when you log in to write a post, you have the option of identifying your location. For browsers that support it, we can get this information automatically through the magic of 21st century technology and you just have to double-check to make sure the location is correct. You can also enter your location manually. This feature is opt-in, meaning that if you dont want anyone to know where you were when you wrote a post, thats okay.
Enter an address, click the map, or auto detect your location
In addition to geotagging posts, you can also geotag your profile. Interested in reading blogs by other people in your area? A quick search will find them, and in the future could even be used to organize local WordPress.com user meetups.
Right now, were only collecting and exposing geodata for posts and profiles.  Geotagged posts get marked up with the geo microformat, geo.position and ICBM meta tags, and GeoRSS and W3C geodata in feeds.
This is all machine readable data: hidden from display.  What good is it if its hidden?  It tells search engines where your posts are located, and with browser plugins like Operator and Geo, you can view geo information on any web page (not just WordPress.com geotagged posts).
The machine readable data is cool and geeky, but what about something for us humans?  Right now, we dont display geo data anywhere in a human readable way.  Dont worry, though.  Well be launching theme integration, various maps, widgets, and shortcodes soon.
This is just the beginning.  Building on this platform, well gradually roll out more geotagging features, such as showing the location of your commenters, the location of poll votes, a live map view of blog updates on WordPress.com, or an annual report showing you where your posts were written and where your comments came from &#8221; kind of a bloggers version of the Dopplr annual travel report.
For now, were pretty psyched about the geotagging and (the upcoming) search of posts and profiles and hope youll all give this new feature a try! If there are other geotagging features youd like to see built on this foundation, suggest them in the comments!
For more information, check out the Geotagging support page.
Note: Were holding off on launching the geo search feature until we start getting some data (from you!).  So start geotagging 
*Team 21 consisted of Jane, Jon, Mike and Stephane.
       ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/a-blog-near-you/</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:56:46 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[WordPress.com News: WordCamp NYC This Weekend!0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/wordcamp-nyc-this-weekend/</link>
<description><![CDATA[
This weekend, November 14-15, a whole bunch of the friendly faces from Automattic and WordPress.com will be in New York City to attend WordCamp NYC. If youre a NYC area local (and really, with Acela service being what it is, doesnt that almost mean anywhere from Boston to D.C.?), we hope youll join us at whats shaping up to be one of the most exciting WordCamps of all time.
(Okay, Im one of the organizers, so of course *I* think it will be awesome, but in this case, Im right!)
Whats so great about this WordCamp? Allow me to tell you:
8 tracks of content, to cover every WordPress-lovers area of interest/expertise*
Over 50 confirmed speakers for Saturdays sessions
Sunday morning unconference
Sunday afternoon Best of WordCamp NYC Ignite-style recap
Q&amp;amp;amp;A with Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress.com
Theme/Plugin Competition, Project Runway style
Fantastic shirts
Yummy lunch on Saturday
Door prize raffle
Genius Bar to help people with their WordPress woes (meet the Happiness Engineers in person!)
Hacker Room for hardcore developers who want to contribute to the open source project
Were being hosted by Baruch College, a great venue in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan. We will not be streaming WordCamp NYC online due to bandwidth limitations, but we hope to post videos from the event on WordPress.tv after its over.
Its like 2 days of WordPress Paradise for less than going out to dinner (thanks to generous sponsors like Microsoft, Media Temple and other great companies). Over 550 people have already signed up. What are you waiting for? Get your ticket now and come meet us there!
*Tracks are: Newbies, Bloggers, CMS, Beginning Developer, Advanced Developer, BuddyPress/MU, Academic, and Open Source Community.
       ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/wordcamp-nyc-this-weekend/</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:23 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[WordPress.com News: Happy Birthday Firefox0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/happy-birthday-firefox/</link>
<description><![CDATA[November 9th 2009 is Firefoxs fifth birthday. Firefox and WordPress have grown up next to each other so weve always felt a brethren spirit with their team as we work toward the same goal, making the web a better place, from opposite ends of the spectrum.
Just out of curiosity, I wondered how Firefox was doing in our browser stats compared to the posts I did in 2008 and 2007.
Firefox &#8221; 45.7%
Internet Explorer &#8221; 38.7%
Safari &#8221; 8.75%
Chrome &#8221; 5.2%
This is the first time Ive ever seen Firefox pass IE in market share for a mainstream audience like WordPress.com has.
As you can see, competition in the browser market is still alive and well. Of everything available, Firefox still continues to be my primary browser for every day usage. (And Thunderbird for my email.)
Take a few&Acirc;&nbsp;minutes and wish them a happy birthday.
(The statistics were tabulated from server access logs and include WordPress.com users as well as visitors, as we no longer run Google Analytics across WordPress.com.)
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<guid isPermaLink="false">http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/happy-birthday-firefox/</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:37:58 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[WordPress.com News: rssCloud Update0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/rsscloud-update/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Two months ago we turned on support for rssCloud on WordPress.com.  Today were announcing some improvements.
Initially rssCloud limited update pings to the IP address that made the notification request.  To get around this a domain parameter was suggested, that included a challenge mechanism to verify the notification request.  WordPress.com now supports the domain parameter ( and challenge ) for rssCloud notification requests.  The WordPress.org rssCloud plugin supports it as well.
An issue that was specific to WordPress.com also came up.  Under certain conditions it was possible to get a cached version of an RSS feed that didnt have the most recent post in it, even after receiving a rssCloud ping that the feed had been updated.  Now we make sure the feed cache is updated before sending out an update ping.
Enough of the technical bits, how about some stats!  More than 135,000 blogs hosted on WordPress.com have at least one rssCloud notification registration. During the first week of October WordPress.com sent an average of 83,000 update pings per day.  Today we average more than 105,000 update pings per day.
Were just at the beginning of the trend towards push notifications, keep an eye out for more announcements in this area.
       ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/rsscloud-update/</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:19:57 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Cass Lake Times: Search and rescue training ongoing0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.casslaketimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=1484:search-and-rescue-training-ongoing&amp;catid=41:rotator-news</link>
<description><![CDATA[Deb Plumley and her dog Scout got ready to go on his search and rescue training mission Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Plumley residence. &#8220; Photo by Jennie Anderson]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslaketimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=1484:search-and-rescue-training-ongoing&amp;catid=41:rotator-news</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Northern Community Internet Project News: Bemidji e-Democracy: B.R.E.C. AFFirmative action Staffing01]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1yyO2EBeFJd0ymz1UrbgZM</link>
<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgdev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1yyO2EBeFJd0ymz1UrbgZM</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:32:57 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Northern Community Internet Project News: Bemidji e-Democracy: Green spaces around the BREC01]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/36WhGz3NgzDw3U7Vgq2fFy</link>
<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgdev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/36WhGz3NgzDw3U7Vgq2fFy</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:26:15 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Northern Community Internet Project News: Iron Range ATV Trails: Great fall riding this weekend!01]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://larry.ironrange.org/blog/2009/10/16/great-fall-riding-this-weekend/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Fall colors have pretty much come to a peak here in northern Minnesota.&Atilde;&#8218;&Acirc;&nbsp; But this weekends weather forecast looks like it could be a great time to get out and ride the trails around the area and catch one last glimpse of the fall color on the Iron Range.
Heres a quick link to some of the trails in the Iron Range region: http://ironrange.org/recreation/atv-ohv/ironrangetrails/.
Several of the Iron Range lodging properties are offering some terrific fall lodging specials, as well.
And dont forget your camera! Take some photos of your ride and whats left of the fall color here on the Iron Range and upload it here.
ShareThis]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgdev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://larry.ironrange.org/blog/2009/10/16/great-fall-riding-this-weekend/</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:11:25 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Northern Community Internet Project News: Hibbing Public Library: Edgar Allen Poe Website01]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://hibbinglibrary.blogspot.com/2009/10/edgar-allen-poe-website.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[www.iknowpoe.com/The Library of Virginia and The Poe Museum are inviting visitors to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend here at this collaborative exhibition website. Four icons greet the visitor: a raven, a swinging blade, a hot-air balloon, and a sinister looking cat. Visitors shouldn't miss the &amp;amp;amp;quot;Learn &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Play&amp;amp;amp;quot; area (symbolized by the hot air balloon), containing the highly entertaining &amp;amp;amp;quot;I Know Poe Game Show&amp;amp;amp;quot;.From the Scout Report. www.scout.wisc.edu/The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgdev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://hibbinglibrary.blogspot.com/2009/10/edgar-allen-poe-website.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:38:00 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Northern Community Internet Project News: Northern Community Internet Project News: Bemidji e-Democracy: CassLeech] B.R.E.C. AFFirmative Action Staffing011]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/79ZpohiNbXHsWyoPIGnBXO</link>
<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgdev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://dev.minnesotacommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/79ZpohiNbXHsWyoPIGnBXO</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:53:21 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: NO RISK ARTS WORKSHOP  FUNDING AVAILABLE1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/no-risk-arts-workshop-funding-available.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Region 2 Arts Council invites individuals and organizations from our five-county area (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods and Mahnomen Counties) to propose workshop ideas to R2AC for direct funding.  The workshop is funded with no financial risk to you.The workshop must focus on learning experiences for adult artists and be open to the public.  Any group that wants to bring in an artist to do a workshop is eligible, as are regional artists who wish to present a workshop themselves.  Proposals are considered on an ongoing basis, but funds are limited, so the sooner you contact us,  the better.Please contact Terri Widman, Executive Director, at 218-751-5447 or 1-800-275-5447 or e-mail r2arts@paulbunyan.net if you have questions or wish to request a workshop application.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/no-risk-arts-workshop-funding-available.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:46:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Region 2 Arts Council Seeks Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Council Members1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/region-2-arts-council-seeks-anishinaabe.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Region 2 Arts Council is currently seeking AAI Council members to fill vacancies beginning November 1, 2009.  Members must  live in the Region 2 service area, which includes Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen counties and the nearby counties of Becker, Cass, Itasca and Roseau.The AAI Council is responsible for reviewing and awarding grants.  The council meets two times per year in Bemidji during the months of November and April.  Members are reimbursed for travel and paid a stipend for attending meetings.To receive an application form please write to:  Nominating Committee &cent; Region 2 Arts Council &cent; 426 Bemidji Avenue &cent; Bemidji, MN  56601; or call the R2AC Executive Director, Terri Widman, at 751-5447 or 1-800-275-5447.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/region-2-arts-council-seeks-anishinaabe.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:41:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Robbiebsr's Blog: welcome to my new blog site0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://robbiebsr.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/welcome-to-my-new-blog-site/</link>
<description><![CDATA[Boozhoo, (hello) My name is Robert (robbie) Budreau Sr., im from the Leech Lake Reservation in nothern Minnesota. I live in Cass Lake,Mn.. I would like to&Acirc;&nbsp;meet other bloggers.
     ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robbiebsr.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/welcome-to-my-new-blog-site/</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:20:31 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Edwardcbeaulieu's Blog: About Myself and my new blog0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://edwardcbeaulieu.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/about-myself-and-my-new-blog/</link>
<description><![CDATA[My name is Edward C. Beaulieu and my new blog is for those of us who have no forum for their rants and/or ravings. Please feel free to use this blog to vent, as it were, your unheard or unspoken feelings.
thank you, Ed
       ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://edwardcbeaulieu.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/about-myself-and-my-new-blog/</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:20:26 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Fine Wine meets Fine Art1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/fine-wine-meets-fine-art.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[by Sheila HelmbergerThe marriage of fine art and fine wine is a natural one.Paul and Sharon Shuster and John Wildmo are the owners of the Forestedge Winery near Laporte. Each August the trio closes their winery for a couple of days to daily tours and instead hosts what they call A Celebration of Art, Music, Food and Wine.The art festival will take place this year from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and noon - 5 p.m. August 16.There is no charge for either parking or admission to the fair.Wildmo said that he and the Shusters have operated Forestedge Winery for the past 10 years. This is the eighth year the trio will host the art fair. The Shusters were traveling artisans themselves, making and selling fine wooden cooking tools, before starting to operate the winery. Working there, however, soon took more of their time and the couple was no longer able to travel to shows with their wares, so they decided to bring the art fair to them. Many of the artisans that come to the festival are those the Shusters met at other fairs.This year the event will feature nearly 30 artisans. Many are returning from past fairs. &amp;quot;We could have 300 if we wanted,&amp;quot; said Wildmo, &amp;quot;But we like to keep it quaint.&amp;quot;There is great variety in the art that will be offered for show and sale at the fair.  &amp;quot;There will be potters, jewelers, wood workers, painters, leather workers and more,&amp;quot; said Wildmo. Food will be offered from locals restaurants. &amp;quot;We set it up on the lawn of the winery. It will be cordoned off for the food vendors that will be here and we'll have wine by both the glass and by the bottle available.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;There will be folk music in the morning and professional jazz in the afternoon,&amp;quot; said Wildmo, &amp;quot;It's a weekend that's about the art, wine, and music.&amp;quot;As for the winery, the Shusters and Wildmo produce almost 8 thousand gallons of wine per year at the Forestedge Winery. Forestedge features wines that are made from fruits native to Minnesota including rhubarb, chokecherry, raspberry, and plum. The Winery also produces popular blended wines that include such delicacies as Summer Blush (strawberry rhubarb), Headwaters Classic Red (chokecherry rhubarb), raspberry rhubarb, and blueberry rhubarb. Their products are carried throughout the state.The Forestedge Rhubarb wine has been the most popular with customers for the past 10 years according to Wildmo - but there may be a new number one soon. &amp;quot;We have a new white cranberry that may take over first place this year,&amp;quot; he said.Forestedge Winery is located on State Highway 64 near Laporte. It is open six days a week May through December, and closed on Mondays. Tours of the winery are available daily but will not be offered during the art fair.For more information on Forestedge Winery, its products or the art fair call (218) 224-3535. The Web site is http://www.forestedgewinery.com.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.orgncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/fine-wine-meets-fine-art.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:31:00 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Confessions of a Tree Hugger1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/08/confessions-of-tree-hugger.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[by Barry BabcockI am lucky &#8220; I own and live on eighty acres of forested land with a diverse plant community. Living amidst these trees, shrubs, and herbs and forbs has given me a different perspective.Living with and amongst trees makes me believe that they are undeniably the most important component in our lives; materially, economically, and spiritually. These same facets important to us are equally important to other life forms, from the micro-organisms that we cannot see in the soil to the birds in the trees.Besides providing jobs in the logging/wood/paper industry, building materials for our homes, furniture, canoes, pharmaceuticals, recreation, and much more, consider some important but less often considered aspects that trees have in our lives:The rugged pioneer specie, the Jack Pine which has a range extending from Maine to Alaska and is often viewed with second class status in the conifer world. Its resinous and serotinous cones germinate after fires, sprouting into thick dog hair stands of young trees. Examples of this are in the Huntersville/Badoura area in Hubbard and Wadena Counties, a result of the 1976 Huntersville Fire. Jack pines are arguably one the most under-rated tree species for wildlife habitat in the northwoods. In the Schoolcraft Game Refuge in Paul Bunyan State Forest, there are pure jack pine stands that provide wintering areas for deer.  In Michigan, one of the rarest birds in North America, the Kirtlands warbler, of which fewer than 300 breeding pairs remain, is found only in young jack pines in Michigans Huron National Forest.The Sugar Maple, which finds in northern Minnesota, the northern limit of its range, is our ultimate hardwood climax forest, surviving under the shade of other hardwoods till the opportunity arises for it to develop a dense canopy shading out most other species except its own seedlings. Often unrecognized is the prolific crop of winged seeds produced by all species of maple which are a high source of food and nutrition to rodents, deer, bear, birds, and more. But the true treasure to humans and wildlife is the start of the sap run early in the spring. It is the North Countrys only feasible natural source of sugar. The Ojibway signaled the start of the sugar bush season as their &#8213;new year &#8220; the end of the long winter of want and depravation and renewing the covenant of life.The abundant Hazel bush which so often is looked upon with no importance at all and has been referred to more than once as tangle brush is a specie of great importance. The abundant crop of hazelnuts are a very important food source, consisting of sixty percent fat and twenty-five percent protein and are very important to bears, deer, squirrels, jays, and more. This member of the Birch family has catkins like its bigger relatives which provide an abundant source of food for grouse, redpolls, goldfinches, and deer. The dense thickets are important as coverts for grouse, hares, and nesting sites for warblers, vireos, catbirds and many more. Without this important component of the northwoods, the effect on our wildlife would be as likely the same as if humans were to lose their daily bread.A book could be written and maybe has on the wide array of benefits of trees to the world in which we live &#8220; for instance, leaf litter, especially hardwoods like basswood and maple, have high calcium content in their leaves which enrich the nutrients in the soil. Jack pines, red pines, and spruce are acidic and over thousands of years, leach out nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil yet, ironically, rather than finding these sterile sights void of plant communities, we find rare and spectacular species growing here that cannot compete in richer sights, such as the Moccasin flower or the endangered Rams Head Orchid. Finding such species are worth a second look.But there are those intangible things that trees give us that are difficult to place value on; such as in a mature stand of red pine on a warm sunny day when the breeze soughs through the needles and whispers one into peaceful tranquility and the air is filled with the scent of sweet pine resin exuding from the ground and the wood. How does one put a dollar figure on this?There are so many psychological values of trees. While on many wilderness canoe trips, especially while on portages, with the wind fluttering the aspen leaves, the sound created by this action after an extended time in the bush, has transformed the sound into that of children laughing. I often have thought that maybe the laughter could be traced to the Maymaygwayshi &#8220; the little trickster people of Ojibway story telling.And did you know that the mysterious pictographs found throughout the Canadian Shield on rock cliffs were also found here in cliff less northcental Minnesota? Yes, Henry Schoolcraft wrote in his 1832 journal; Markings and hieroglyphic characters were pointed out to us on the pines, some of which were said to be before the Ojibwais&brvbar; These were noted on the portage between Pike Bay and Leech Lake.Trees have much more value in our lives than just commerce. Spiritual, psychological, sensual, a sense of memory and place &#8220; all of which are roles trees play. They are not just inanimate objects placed here in terms of board feet but can sweep us out of our sometimes hum-drum lives and allow us to escape into our primal past. John Muir when contemplating a storm in Douglas Firs in the Sierras climb one of these giants to experience the storm and wrote: We all travel the milky way together, trees and men; but it never occurred to me until this storm-day, while swinging in the wind, that trees are travelers, in the ordinary sense. They make journeys, not extensive ones, it is true; but our own little journeys, away and back again, are little more than tree wavings&#8221;many of them not so much.I am fortunate enough to have a significant stand of mature red pine on the land I live on. If I were to lose them in some natural catastrophe, Id be as devastated as the loss of a loved one. I am not alone in my emotions. Aldo Leopold expressed better than I when he stated: It is in midwinter that I sometimes glean from my pines something more important than woodlot politics, and the news of wind and weather. This is especially likely to happen on some gloomy evening when the snow has buried all irrelevant detail, and the hush of elemental sadness lies heavy upon every living thing. Nevertheless, my pines, each with his burden of snow, are standing ramrod straight, rank upon rank, and in the dusk beyond I sense the presence of hundreds more. At such times I feel a curious transfusion of courage.  A transfusion of courage, I know what he means. Trees can help one continue on.READER COMMENTS:I appreciate your comments Barry.... hazel shrubs can be frustrating if only for there tendency to slow one's pace in the forest...  -PaulEloquent, insightful, and true. Nothing beats a walk in the woods, especially through sugar maples in the fall. - David thorstadWonderful and eloquent!  Thank you! - Sally FinedayBarry,Bill Menke forwarded your article on Confessions of a Tree hugger.  Have to admit to being one too.  I get to enjoy the woods and fields everyday and the songbirds that seranade daily.  Your figures on Kirklands warbler can be updated.  I don't know the exact figures but think we are up over 1000 pairs now.  A great conservation success story.  - Jim BruceHazel shrubs really slow me down when their fruits are ripe.  Having a multi-tool on your belt never seems more valuable than when you are making a slow trek through the hazel, cracking a shell and munching a nut with every step. - Harvey Tjader]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:16:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Racial Justice:  Trickling Down From the Top1]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[by Daniel LeClaireIt only makes sense that big changes should start up here at the top of the world.Similar thinking must have been at work at the American Civil Liberties Union-MN (ACLU) five years ago when it decided to open a pilot program in Bemidji called the Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project (RJP) to address persistent complaints about law enforcement and the administration of justice in communities shared by Native American citizens residing in and around three reservations here and the majority culture.It is here in the heart of the Anishinaabe Nation that the continent divides. Water tables deliver their contents to Hudson Bay to the north as well as feeding into the headwaters of the largest freshwater artery of North America flowing south to the Gulf of Mexico.Map makers put the continents geographic center just to the west of this place. Geologists describe the area as the most stable on all of Turtle Island. Others note it as the storehouse of a wide array of essential natural foods and medicines, as well as being the repository of ancient, sacred texts of the indigenous people of this land.It is also the site of the last battle of Native people with uniformed soldiers of the U.S. government a little more than 100 years ago.What better place, then, than north central Minnesota to keep the battle for education and racial justice reform percolating.The RJP takes as its goal the elimination of disparities and injustices in Greater Minnesota. Located in the old warehouse district of Bemidji, county seat of Beltrami County, RJP officers and volunteers have used their energies over the past five years to launch a campaign of education, court monitoring, voter registration and advocacy services to reveal the substance and source of the ongoing racism imbedded within the systems and psyches of influence today.Now the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken notice.At the request of RJP director Audrey Thayer, the acting regional director of the DOJ, Ken Bergeron, and conciliation specialist Justin Lock, made their second trip last week to Bemidji to talk about solutions to the statistical data that supports claims of racial disparity in the justice system, not only in Beltrami, but significantly in Cass County and to varying degrees in the seven counties touched by the White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake reservations.In June, the two DOJ officials moderated a discussion among tribal and county court representatives, social workers from a variety of disciplines and regular citizens about the glaring discrepancies in policing and incarceration rates, as well as social, educational and economic factors that contribute to continued perceptions racism. Those perceptions and the denial of their validity is a part of the day to day reality and disconnect for many walking simultaneously in Indian Country and the institutions of our dominant culture.To be sure, progress is being made. Thats thanks in large part to the efforts of Thayer and the largely volunteer staff at RJP.There was a huge blip in the five county area, particularly in Beltrami, said director of ACLU-MN Chuck Samuelson last week, as he gave a history of the inception of the ACLUs pilot branch office. Its existence stems from a claim by an Edina couple and subsequent investigation just seven years ago that their handyman was run out of Park Rapids ultimately for being Native American. After satisfying the validity of those claims, it was decided to attack this long-standing issue by trying something that had never been done before, with the side benefit of perhaps setting a precedent that the rest of the nation could follow.Were halfway towards home, Samuelson said, noting a reduction in the Beltrami County jail population from 85% Native Americans to just under 50%. Native Americans comprise less than 20% of the countys total population.The projects aim, he said, is to reach a point where everyone is treated, at least statistically, equal.The extent of current discrepancies point to a systemic problem. The solution, according to many around the table at the recent DOJ discussions, indicate a need for education.Its not just a local problem either. In Minnesota, RJP numbers show 24 counties &#8220; a quarter of the states total &#8220; reflect arrest rates for Native Americans in excess of their representative populations.Nationally it seems the time is ripe for change, as well. According to Bergeron, the election of the Obama administration to the white house has led to an influx of affirmative action cases to address long-overdue issues of racial injustice.You wouldnt believe the amount of work were doing, he said, now that we have a president of color.Though many have been blind to the dual factors of privilege and prejudice as they reveal themselves in unchallenged opportunity and exclusionary practices, others have been acutely aware of that reality for generations. Facing those perceptions and realities squarely is a challenge that not only needs to play out on community, state and national levels, but perhaps most importantly on personal ones.At last months initial DOJ meeting, one of the more tell-tale revelations came in the restrained comments of a popular local elected leader. In his only contribution to the discussion as he exited halfway through the morning, he bemoaned the lack of personal responsibility noted during the litany of examples from participants citing racial profiling and targeting some of the citys retailers.Promoting a common pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality, he offered examples from his own life of overcoming a need for food stamps and understanding discrimination through his personal experience as a child attending a private religious elementary school and being made to wait with his classmates to be served lunch each day at the local public school.Yet, many in this area of enduring natural beauty and resources, in this bastion of cultural heritage and traditions, are working from both sides of the racial divide to educate and promote understanding of the unequal footing which affects members of all races so differently.Historical trauma has become a buzzword, here and nationally, as conferences concerning a condition most commonly attributed to survivors of the Jewish Holocaust are held increasingly across the U.S.  Speakers there describe the toll of hundreds of years of governmental policies to assimilate or alternatively destroy the varied indigenous cultures of this land &#8220; some 500 strong &#8220; during the establishment of the dominant cultures current status on the continent.Bemidji State University has hosted two sessions to describe the affects of the intergenerational trauma, the enthusiasm for such knowledge evidenced by the more than 600 participants who attended the first one last fall. Many of those there struggle daily in their families with the very real ramifications of those policies. All of us, inescapably, live in the wake of those traumas and struggles.A group called Shared Visions has recently put itself into the fray to engender greater understanding of our reality. An off-shoot of the Bemidji Area Race Relations Council, the grassroots organization recently completed a comprehensive study on perceptions of race relations with telephone, online, and personal surveys as well as four panel discussions facilitated by the Wilder Institute with Native and white citizens in Bemidji and those residing on the three area reservations.We hope to be a catalyst to get the whole community involved, said Shared Visions chair Carolyn Jacobs, noting an early success with getting a local coffee shop to include Anishinaabe Ojibwe signage on its doors as well as on the tables inside. Its symbolic, but its a first step to mak(ing) Bemidji a more welcoming place.Strong voices were heard at the meeting last week for keeping education, not just familiarity, at the forefront in the solution for racial equality. A professor at Leech Lake Tribal College and former mayor of nearby Cass Lake touted the need for grassroots efforts like the consortium that brought a federal Weed and Seed grant to her city to help quell a trend of increased violence born of years of poverty, racial tensions and inequity.More importantly, however, is an understanding of the history that fostered todays social ills.(Recognition of) culture and spirituality. . .thats wonderful, she said. (But) what needs to be taught in school is history. History is tied to poverty, mental health, substance abuse.Many around the table last week agreed. Members of Leech Lakes tribal attorneys office described the need to educate public defenders, prosecutors, judges and front line patrol officers on Native citizens unique citizenship status. With that knowledge could come the understanding of the inadequacies of the criminal justice system in addressing the needs of the original inhabitants of this land.Part of our problem is that no one takes the time to learn what our rights are, said tribal attorney Frank Bibeau. He cited a change of policy in Wisconsin that grew out of the ugly and violent fights over treaty rights some years ago. I think they saw it as a blemish on their entire state.Today the Native History Act put in place by that states legislature requires an annual meeting for all public school teachers to re-learn how to teach a balanced and accurate depiction of history. In Minnesota, it has been suggested that some of the ramifications of Minnesota Nice get in the way of a shared understanding of history and the realities of the current racial climate.In The Sun magazines July interview, author Tim Wise (Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections from an Angry White Male; White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son)  suggests that in celebrating diversity, issues of racism often get lost. Wise described a visit he made to speak on diversity at a Minnesota university on Diversity Day. The contingent of white students who picked me up insisted that there was no real racism on campus (because) they had a policy of &#8213;Minnesota Nice, which meant you treated people the way you wanted to be treated.However, the students of color he spoke to said the policy operated in reality to quiet complaints, so if they wanted to challenge discrimination or injustice, they were going to viewed as instigators who were creating an issue where there wasnt one. Wise, who lives and grew up in the South, goes on to say, that until society changes privilege will be there regardless of whether or not youre aware of it. . .One thing I can say about the South is that Southerners know race is an issue, and thats half the battle. . .it is a subject that were used to talking about.Perhaps one of the best actions we can take to combat the injustice of racism, Wise suggests, is resolve to look for it. That, it would seem, is exactly what the RJP is doing.The solutions offered at last weeks DOJ meeting were many and diverse. Some pushed for reform from the top with legislative help through discussion participants Sen. Mary Olson, and state representative John Persell, or a position paper from the U.S. Attorney to assist prosecutors and judges who wish to derail miscarriages of justice when they appear in the courtroom.Others insisted on a seat for victims of perceived discrimination or racial profiling at the policy table to insure that ground-level concerns are met. Still others demanded external investigations of complaints, along with a more open and fair complaint reporting process, and more aggressive prosecution of officers found to have abused their power, rather than simply internal reassignment or disciplining. Bergeron stopped short of committing his office to taking the lead on reforming local systems, but the influence of the DOJs participation in the process was promising. He was clear on his power to get representatives of law enforcement agencies to the table and had already scoped out a meeting of sheriffs throughout the seven county region for early in August. From there, participation from judges, prosecutors and patrol officers in both tribal and county arenas will be necessary.They have to school up into this whole initiative were trying to do, he said.Bergeron also commended the ACLU on its work. As to its reputation for antagonism in the eyes of law enforcement, he commented that if it hadnt been for the ACLU and the NAACP, countless people over the past decades would have had no redress for violations of their civil rights.And if it hadnt been for the efforts of Thayer and the dedicated crew at the RJP, we all might not have this opportunity to heal the racial divisions of the past &#8220; a move we increasingly must make to forge a viable future, informed with the collective wisdom of the human race.That much is clear, from where we stand at the top of our rapidly shrinking planet.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:16:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Northern Light Opera Company Presents &amp;quot;Fiddler on the Roof&amp;quot;1]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[The Northern Light Opera Companys production of Fiddler on the Roof will be July 31 and Aug. 1 at 7 p.m., Aug. 2 at 3 p.m., Aug. 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 8 at 3 p.m. at the Park Rapids Area High School auditorium.Tickets are available at Beagle Books in Park Rapids, Sister Wolf Books in Dorset, Walker Art Gallery in Walker and online at www.northernlightopera.org and at the door. Prices are the same as last year with a 10 percent discount when purchased in advance.As a bonus for audiences attending productions Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2, Sharon and Allen Friedman of Park Rapids will talk about Jewish traditions. Their presentations will start  one hour prior to the shows (at 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday) in the Area HIgh School commons. Those who attend will be able to hold a seat in the auditorium. The story of Fiddler on the Roof centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain family and religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope with both the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters and the Tzar's edict that evicts the Jews from their village.After the musical premiered on Broadway in 1964, it won nine Tony Awards, including best musical, score, book, direction and choreography. The musical spawned a successful 1971 film adaptation, and revivals have enjoyed enduring international popularity with Fiddler on the Roofs ageless story of tradition and change. The lyrics of &amp;quot;Matchmaker,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;If I Were a Rich Man,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Sunrise, Sunset&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Anatevka&amp;quot; are among those which are poignant and well remembered.Fiddler on the Roof will be NLOCs eighth annual summer presentation. Previous productions include Trial by Jury and The Telephone, Pirates of Penzance, Ruddigore, The Mikado, Oliver, Oklahoma and Into the Woods.This activity is made possible, in part, by a grant provided by the Region 2 Arts Council through funding from the Minnesota State Legislature.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:07:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe the Great Chief of the Chippewa1]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[by Barry BabcockSometimes it may happen that one interested in the history of human events stumbles upon a personality of such immense proportions and who for some unknown reason has slipped through the cracks of our national recognition.So it is that I stumbled onto William Whipple Warren and the life of Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe or Chief Flatmouth. If not for Warrens book History of the Ojibway People and the personal interviews he had with the aged Chief, we would know little, if any, of the history of this man, Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe also known as Chief Flatmouth, and the events that took place during this colorful period in Minnesota history.Warren, who was born in 1825 and lived only 28 years, was part Ojibway and part white blood. On his paternal side, his ancestry goes back to Richard Warren, one of the pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock on the Mayflower. On his maternal side, his lineage is traced back to an Ojibway woman of the &#8213;A-wause clan (catfish totem) in Sault Ste. Marie, said to be of great energy and tact, and force of character.Every account of the young Warren reputes him to be a brilliant young man with a promising future. In 1851 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Territory of Minnesota (Minnesota would not become a state until 1858.) In a eulogy on Warrens death, it was written, From his kindly and generous nature, he has ever been a favorite, especially with chiefs and old men&brvbar;.Often has the writer of this tribute found him seated at the foot of an old oak, with Flatmouth, the Pillager chief, noting down upon paper the incidents of the old mans eventful life, as he related themEsh-ke-bug-e-coshes (Flatmouths) life dates from around 1774 to 1860. As a leader of the Leech Lake Band of Chippewas he is recognized as the Washington or Lincoln of his people &#8220; one of the greatest of Chippewa chiefs. It was just prior to and during his reign as Chief, that the Ojibway waged war with the Dakota over who would occupy the regions north of Mille Lacs in Minnesota. It was the Leech Lake Band or Pillagers (as they were also called) that formed the leading edge of the Ojibways, pushing west and south into the regions formerly occupied by the Dakota. This part of north central Minnesota; rich in wild rice, maple sugar, whitefish, and wildlife was intensely fought over. Its rich and diverse waterways provided easy access to subsistence, communication, and warfare. Its natural bounty truly made it a land of milk and honey to anyone occupying this rich ground. It was also the time that whites were arriving on the scene and the fur trade was being set in full motion. It was a time of momentous change for the native peoples occupying the land. A strong, wise leader was crucial for strategically positioning themselves amid the  shifting winds of the times.William Warren described the Leech Lake region as related to him by Flatmouth: [&brvbar;.]the Dakotas having been thus severely checked and driven back by their invaders, became hopeless of future success and suddenly evacuated their important position at Leech Lake, and moved westward to the edge of the great western prairies&brvbar;.A few hardy hunters, mostly of the bear and catfish clans, gradually took possession of their rich hunting grounds, and planting their lodges on the islands of Cass, Winnipeg [Winnie], and Leech Lakes, they first formed a focus around which gathered families from Rainy Lake, Sandy Lake, and Lake Superior, which now form the important villages or bands of the Ojibway tribe, who occupy these important lakes at present day&brvbar;..It [Leech Lake] abounds in wild rice in large quantities, of which the Indian women gather sufficient for winter consumption of their families. The shores of the lake are covered with maple which yields to the industry of the hunters women, each spring, quantities of sap which they manufacture into sugar. The waters of the lake abound in fish of the finest quality, its whitefish equaling in size and flavor those of Lake Superior, and are easily caught at all seasons of the year when the lake is free of ice, in gill-nets made and managed also by the women. At the time when the Ojibways first took possession of Leech Lake and the surrounding country, which is covered with innumerable lakes and water courses, beaver, and the most valuable species of fur animals abounded in great plenty, which procured them the much coveted merchandise of the white traders. The lake itself is said in those early days to have been, at certain seasons of the year, literally covered with wild fowl and swan; pelican and geese raised early their brood of young on its numerous islands. From this circumstance Goose and Pelican Islands have derived their names. The incentives, therefore, which actuated the first Ojibway pioneers to fight so strenuously for its possession, there many and great, and soon caused the band who so fearlessly occupied it to become a numerous body, and to be the most noted western vanguard of the Ojibway tribe.Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe epitomized the bravery and warrior spirit of the Leech Lake Chippewa as acknowledged in his many battles throughout north central Minnesota with the Dakota. Twenty-five times he tactically out maneuvered the Dakota on the field of battle but his sagacity and intelligence is what really sets this great chief apart from others. When Zebulon Pike entered Leech Lake in the winter of 1805, following the Louisiana Purchase, on his exploration of the Mississippi and journey to take possession of the new American territory, including the British trading post on Ottertail Point, the young warrior chief, Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe exchanged his British flag and medals for an American flag and medals.It was ironic that Flatmouth who held complete and total control over all present, including Pike and his starving and weakened companions, should superficially defer to Pike. It was all part of the great chiefs personality as he would hood wink Pike and many more who thought themselves his equal but would find out they were not. Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe stated later in life that here he ceased to be an Englishman, and became a Long Knife. The great chief made a trip to Washington where he said to the President, Now, two great men have met.When Henry Schoolcraft entered Leech Lake in 1832 after his journey to the Headwaters of the Mississippi, his task was to vaccinate the Ojibways ravaged by small pox. Schoolcraft exhibited an arrogant and superior demeanor to the old chief and his people. With Schoolcraft was the Reverend William T. Boutwell who gives us this vivid account of Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe, It is a building perhaps twenty-five by twenty-five, which I am informed was presented to him by one of the traders. As we entered, the old chief, bare-legged and bare foot, sat with much dignity upon a cassette. A blanket, and a cloth about the loins, covered his otherwise naked body, which was painted black. His chief men occupied a bench by his side, while forty or more of his warriors sat on the floor around the walls of his smoking room. The old man arose and gave us his hand as we were introduced, bidding us to take a seat on his right, on his bed. As I cast my eye around on his savage group, for once I wished I possessed the painters skill. The old chief had again returned to his seat upon the large wooden trunk, and as if to sit a little more like a white man than an Indian, had thrown one leg across the other knee. His warriors were all painted, feathered, and equipped for service. Many of them wore the insignia of courage, a strip of polecat skin around the head or heels, the bushy tail of the latter so attached as to drag on the ground; the crown of the head was ornamented with feathers, indicating the number of enemies the individual had killed, one of which I counted no less than twelve [...]. The subject of vaccination was now presented to the chief, with which he was pleased, and ordered his people to assemble for that purpose [&brvbar;]. Preparations were now made for taking our leave when the chief arose, and giving his hand to each, spoke as follows, in reply to Mr. Schoolcraft, who had addressed them as My children. You call us children. We are not children, but men. When I think of the condition of my people I can hardly refrain from tears. It is so melancholy that even the trees weep over it&brvbar;. Flatmouth gave Schoolcraft an ear full of indignation to the latters pompous attitude.He was so highly thought of by other Ojibway bands that he was asked to be a major negotiator and signatory to the controversial 1837 Treaty involved in the Supreme Court decision affirming Indian hunting and fishing rights even though he did not dwell in the regions covered by the treaty. He said &brvbar; but they wish to reserve the privilege of making sugar from the trees and getting their living from the lakes and rivers as they have heretofore done, and of remaining in this country&brvbar;You know the Great Spirit above made the Earth, and causes it to produce that which enables us to live.No matter how the 1837 treaty is viewed in todays world, one must respect the veracity of Flatmouth. He represented his peoples best interests at the time. His presence at these negotiations is still being felt over 160 years later.His role in Washington in the Treaty of 1855 also was pivotal for representation of his people. It was here that he said, If we sell (land), we do not want to part with all&brvbar;We feel that as we have yet the control and possession of our lands, we should not part with them without reserving a home. We had better not be in existence than not to have a place we can call our own. And when pushed by the government to quickly sign the treaty, he shot back, You would not think well of us if we were to jump right at your proposition without taking time to consider it.During the war of 1812, the British sought the aid of Flatmouth in waging war on the Americans. Presents and wampum belts were presented to Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe in enlisting his warriors to fight the Long Knives. The chief sent back the gifts with the blunt reply, &#8213;When I go war against my enemies, I do not call on the whites to join my warriors. The white people have quarreled amongst themselves, and I do not wish to meddle in their quarrels, nor do I intend ever, even to be guilty of breaking the window glass of a white mans dwelling.In old age, the chief felt that he had failed to do his best and protect his people. Given the over whelming circumstances of the changing times, Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe did what probably no other man could have done. He is an example of the right man being in the right place at the right time in the history of a people. With the competition for living space with the Dakota, the unstoppable surge of white civilization, and the preservation of the Ojibway way of life and resource, I cannot believe that any man could have done better for his people. I am sure history will be much kinder in its interpretation of the greatest of Chippewa Chiefs, Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe.And thankfully his kindred spirit in the 'catfish clan,' William Whipple Warren, was there to record it in the annals of Minnesota history so that our lives can be enriched by story of Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe who truly deserves to be placed among the great people of Minnesota history.Wherever their spirits now reside, may Warren and Esh-ke-bug-e-coshe enjoy the Minnesota sunshine at the base of the great oak and reminisce in many of the great Chippewa legends and deeds.Today, the great chief is only one of four Indians and only a few Minnesotans to be honored with a statue in the United States Capital.READER COMMENTS:   &amp;quot;I really enjoyed this story, sad as it is.  Thank you! &amp;quot; -Janet Hill ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:08:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: ITASCA GREENHOUSE: Growing Trees for a Green World1]]></title>
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<description><![CDATA[by Margaret A. HaapojaA sea of green&#8221;thousands of tiny tree seedlings--stretches out in front of us as we walk with Bill Sayward through one of his greenhouses.  Soft tamarack needles recently pruned beg to be touched, and the sharp scent of balsam poplar perfumes the air.Bill and Cathy Sayward took over ownership of Itasca Greenhouse, located next to the Minnesota Power Clay Boswell plant in Cohasset, in 1988.  Today they are one of the states largest producers of containerized tree seedlings with a capacity of 6 million a year.  Moving to Minnesota from Maine where he worked as a research forester for Georgia Pacific, Bill has degrees in forestry, silviculture and forest genetics, but he says sometimes the school of hard knocks is the best teacher.With todays emphasis on climate change and environmentalism, more and more people are planting trees, a renewable resource that supplies food and fuel, wildlife habitat and windbreaks and adds beauty to the landscape.  Reports indicate at least 2 billion trees have been planted worldwide since 2006, and some of those trees come from an eco-friendly nursery right here in Itasca CountyItasca Greenhouse is unique, says Bill.  It has a co-generated heat source.  Were using the wastewater heat from Minnesota Powers Clay Boswell generating plant.  We get the heat from the top of the cooling tower and return to the bottom of the cooling tower so we do not use much fossil energy of our own to produce tree seedlings.  The company purchases power based on one acre under glass, and a backup system of propane furnaces kicks in automatically if needed.  I tell people greenhouses are like spaceships, says Bill.  You have to have redundancy.After 26 years in the tree trade, Bill has an encyclopedic knowledge of their culture.  Itasca Greenhouse grows two crops of 50-60 different species each year in two greenhouses.  The newest is a state-of-the-art structure manufactured in Castle Rock, Minnesota by POLY-TEX.   A computerized climate control system opens roof vents and side vents to cool the greenhouse in summer and turn on several levels of heating in the winter to keep the proper growing temperatures.  It turns on lights at night and during the winter to supplement the greenhouse air with carbon dioxide to help the trees grow.  The shape of the roof allows more light to transmit than the older greenhouse, and it has the capacity to grow 1.6 million seedlings.  We use a beam flicker lighting system to supply intermittent lighting at night to keep the trees from going dormant, says Bill, and a computer turns the lights on based on radiation measured by a photo cell.Two wells supply water, and Bill explains that the nursery doesnt use nearly as much as people would think.  A center pivot, used for agricultural irrigation on large farms, uses as much in a day as I use in a year, he says. A tempering tank raises the temperature of the well water from 39-40&Acirc;&ordm; to 50&Acirc;&ordm;.  Fertilizer is injected into the sprinkling lines feeding and controlling the tree seedling growth.  Bill formulates his own fertilizer, tailoring it to the growing cycle and each species needs.  River water is not used because it often contains seeds, algae and may contain unwanted chemicals.  Correct pH is critical for good tree growth, and Bill tries to maintain a pH of between 6.6 and 6.8 although his well waters pH varies from 8.15 to 8.3.A high precision seeder can plant seed as fine as aspen seed which is 3 to 6 million seeds per pound--or like seeding dust.  The containerized seedlings are grown almost exclusively in styroblocks that are washed and sterilized between crops and reused 3-5 times.  Because the seedlings remain protected in a soil plug, they offer flexibility for the landowner to plant over a longer season from spring frost out until early fall.  Survival rates are high because the seedlings handle rough sites, poor planting techniques and dry weather conditions better.Survival averages 90% or more as compared with bare root seedlings which is often in the 70s or 60s or even lower, Bill says. By using a containerized seedling system to grow seed from rare trees, we can get the maximum number of seedlings out of a certain number of seeds as compared to bare root where we lose seed to the birds, to the bugs and animals and also to thinning and natural causes.The company grows everything from Afghan pine and Korean fir to Scots pine from Russia and Meyers spruce from China, but Bill says their most popular species are native trees&#8221;red pine, white spruce and jack pine.  The nursery also custom grows trees from the customers own seed so they can have the exact genetics for their particular use whether it be for Christmas trees, for forestry or ornamentals.  Among the new species this year are Balm &#8213;o Gilead (balsam poplar,) grown from cuttings for mineland reclamation, and bald cypress and Himalayan cedar, grown specifically for customers in the South.Theres a trick to this, all right, says Bill.  People dont understand all the species are not the same in how you germinate the seed.  Red cedar is the most difficult to break dormancy.  He finally achieved 96% germination one year by stratifying the seed with citric acid, but when he used the same technique the next year, germination was very poor.   Black walnut is difficult to germinate because the seeds are so hard, but it grows very fast once the nuts break dormancy.   Easiest trees to grow, according to Bill, are white spruce and the faster growing Norway spruce native to Europe.Itasca Greenhouse currently employs thirteen people full-time plus temporary workers from Personal Dynamics and ODC.  The current slow economy has affected the business, and Bill says several customers cancelled orders this spring so some of his seedlings ended up in the compost pile.  Normally he sells out many species so customers are encouraged to order early to be sure of receiving the trees they want.In 1998, the Saywards purchased the assets of The GreenWorld Project, and the satellite company has grown into a nationally recognized leader in specially packaged tree seedlings for special events or promotions.Blandin Paper Company, the DNR and Itasca County are among Itasca Greenhouses largest customers, but the company also sells to individuals who buy trees for the landscape or for their tree farms.  I tell people the minimum order is one tree, says Bill.  I have a hard time growing less than that.Click here to view Itasca Greenhouse on an Eco Planet episode.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:33:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: MORE BUSINESSES IN BEMIDJI COMMIT TO ADDING OJIBWE/ENGLISH SIGNAGE1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-businesses-in-bemidji-commit-to.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Photos and Story by Michael MeuersIn a recent press release, the Shared Vision Group subcommittee for Ojibwe/English signage in Bemidji businesses had a story on the efforts of Noemi Aylesworth owner of the Cabin Coffeehouse in downtown Bemidji for adding a &amp;quot;welcome&amp;quot; in Ojibwe on her front door, as well as table tents with Ojibwe words. At that time, four additional businesses had committed to adding Ojibwe/English signage including Dunn Bros coffee, 4 West Office Building, SJ &amp;amp;amp; Co. Hair Salon, and the Bemidji Boys and Girls Club.The effort is spearheaded by Michael Meuers and Rachelle Houle, members of the Shared Vision Group. Meuers and Houle took Wednesday of this week to make presentations for the idea to other businesses and happily doubled that commitment.MedSave Family Pharmacy, The Wild Hare Bistro, Bi-County CAP, Country Kitchen, and Giovannis Pizza have now committed to adding Ojibwe/English Signage.The goal of the two-person sub-committee was to have twenty Bemidji businesses add the signage within one year. We are already up to ten, said Houle, I think the idea is catching on and we hope to have our twenty businesses by the end of July. We are going to try and visit businesses for a couple of hours once a week to promote the idea, said Houle.The Cabin Coffeehouse continues to add signage said Meuers, they have added four more Ojibwe word table tents, and added some Ojibwe to their new menu. This is wonderful news he said, hopefully the signage will be as well known for Bemidji as the Sculpture Walk and Bemidji in Bloom.If you would like to know more about Shared Vision please contact Carolyn Jacobs, Chair at 243-2191. If you like to know more about the Ojibwe/English signage effort please contact Michael Meuers at 766-6588 or Rachelle Houle at 444-8355.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:45:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Going Green on the Job: Easier than you think1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/07/going-green-on-job-easier-than-you.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[by Sheila Helmberger&amp;quot;You just need to think about it a little bit,&amp;quot; said Adrienne Cahoon, owner of the Whiteley Creek Bed and Breakfast in Brainerd. Cahoon spends a lot of time looking for different and healthier ways for almost every aspect of running her business.And she's not alone.  Jane Jewett owns Willow Sedge Farm near Grand Rapids and Jason Edens is the director of the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance in Pine River, a non-profit organization helping to provide solar power to residents of all income levels. All three look for ways in their chosen careers to make things around them just a little bit better for themselves and others.Cahoon was a teacher before getting into the bed and breakfast business 11 years ago. &amp;quot;I decided to do the bed and breakfast to concentrate more on the things I truly love to do which are gardening, decorating and cooking.&amp;quot; She said she has always been conscientious of the things she puts in her body. &amp;quot;My focus has always been food without preservatives and those with the peak nutrition.&amp;quot; She said she was inspired by the Barbara Kingsolver book &amp;quot;Animal Vegetable Miracle.&amp;quot; In it the author challenged herself to only use products grown in her own garden or county for a year. Cahoon thought the idea was a good one.At Whiteley Creek, Cahoon serves foods made from organic ingredients or those grown locally. She gets maple syrup for her guests from Garrison and chickens for roasting and breast meat from a farm in Motley. She picks raspberries at a farm south of Brainerd and strawberries from a farm east of Brainerd. &amp;quot;I have my own hens for eggs and my own bees,&amp;quot; she said, &amp;quot;We have 35 acres here and we planted buckwheat to feed our bees.&amp;quot;Cahoon buys her meat in bulk from local farmers and packages it in smaller quantities.Breakfast one recent morning consisted of Buckwheat Oat Bran Pancakes. &amp;quot;They are so light and good,&amp;quot; she said, &amp;quot;They are sweetened with orange juice and we drizzled chokecherry syrup over them from Brambleberry Farms out of Pequot Lakes.&amp;quot;Cahoon also makes healthy choices when it comes to cleaning products for her inn. &amp;quot;I clean so much I don't want to be exposed to the fumes or the absorption into my skin from products. That's so important to me and that my guests aren't exposed to that either. All of the products I use are eco friendly or biodegradable.&amp;quot; Recently she started using Eco Soft toilet tissues and towels made from 100% recycled paper.  She has stopped offering bottled water to her guests. &amp;quot;I used to have bottled water for my guests in a refrigerator on my porch, but I noticed we were generating so many plastic bottles. Even though we recycled I started saving glass juice bottles (quart size) and filling them with filtered water. I put glass beverage glasses out for guests and now I just throw those in the dish washer.&amp;quot;Cahoon goes green anywhere she can.  Rather than using store provided plastic bags when shopping,  brings her own fabric bags to carry her groceries home in.She has developed another resourceful way to recycle newspapers by making seed pots out of them for starting seedlings in the spring. The paper breaks down in the dirt once they're planted. It's another good way to put those old newspapers to use.Once a year she travels to the state fairgrounds for the Living Green Expo. She said she always comes away from the event with some new information or things to try. She shares many of her good ideas and information on the bed and breakfast's web site.Jane Grimsbo Jewett is not a certified organic famer. While she doesn't feed her animals all organic feed she raises them healthy, rarely uses antibiotics on them and is a firm practice of good animal husbandry, which helps them stay in the best of health. Organic feed costs more and is harder to come by than regular feed. Jewett said she'd have to raise the cost to her customers in order to cover it. She provides the best living conditions for all of her animals, though and helps other farmers by buying her feed from local farmers at the Farmer's Co-op.Jewett started farming at Willow Sedge Farms in 1995. &amp;quot;I was just finishing my graduate work in plant breeding and had been involved in studies in agriculture on the U of M campus,&amp;quot; she said when she and her husband, Joe, had a chance to come back up north. From the very beginning she made a conscious decision to pursue a sustainable way of farming.She raises Black Angus beef cattle, pigs, commercial hogs, laying hens and goats. Thebeef cattle and hogs are marketed for meat. She offers pork at the local farmers market. The goats are milked for her own family's use and for making cheese for her family, too.Jewett said probably the biggest way she keeps her animals healthy is by offering them plenty of space. They're not as confined, with plenty of room to run,&amp;quot; she said, &amp;quot;So they're not building up populations of parasites and bacteria. I don't swear off antibiotics entirely for a sick or injured animal. Organic farmers are instructed to do the same things. You are supposed to treat them and not let them suffer but then not market that animal.&amp;quot;Most people find comfort in purchasing meat locally, especially these days, from a farm whose processes and beliefs they are familiar with. Willow Sedge Farms is located near Palisade. For more information log on to the Willow Sedge Farm website.The Rural Renewable Energy Alliance is a nonprofit organization. As its director Jason Edens saw the importance of offering a sustainable source of heat for people on the state's energy assistance program. When the heating bills go up, the family's money available for food goes down. It seemed to be a cycle few could break out of.The Solar Assistance Program empowers families across the state to provide eventually for their own heating needs. &amp;quot;What we're advocating is renewable heat into the program.  &amp;quot;We can address fuel poverty with clean energy.  We can end program dependency,&amp;quot; he said.Edens said their program started in 2000. When they approached the state initially with the idea they were met with skepticism. But the plan is working.&amp;quot;We've definitely been swimming upstream,&amp;quot; he said, but last year RREAL helped 25 families that were dependent on fuel assistance by installing solar heating systems in their homes. This year they will help 50, most located in central Minnesota.Edens explained a sort of chain reaction where, by helping one family get off the program, another that needs the help may be able to utilize it. The state turns away a quarter of a million families who apply yearly - as many families that receive the help are turned away.Funding for the systems, of course, is the biggest roadblock. Edens said they write a lot of grants and do receive some money from the state. &amp;quot;It's table scraps, but it's a good start,&amp;quot; he said. They also install solar heating systems to other non-assistant customers for profit. &amp;quot;All that revenue is plowed back into the solar assistance program,&amp;quot; he said, &amp;quot;If someone is in the market for a solar heating system, by hiring RREAL for the job, profit from the sale will help fund installation for a  lower income family too.There are four requirements for recipient of the program: They must be energy assistance eligible, the home must be weatherized properly, the site has to be good for solar energy, and recipients must own their own homes. &amp;quot;We want to empower families, not landlords,&amp;quot; said Edens.The solar heaters will provide only about a quarter of a home's heating needs and Edens said a system will pay for itself in about 10-12 years.Cahoon, Jewett, and Edens work in drastically different worlds, yet all are doing their part to green up the their own lives and the lives of those around them.  It's easier than many think.Photo information:Barn and newspaper pot photos, courtesy of Whiteley Creek Bed &amp;amp;amp; BreakfastPig photo courtesy of Jane JewettSolar panel photo courtesy of Barry BabcockIN WHAT WAYS, BIG OR SMALL, HAVE YOU GONE GREEN?  CLICK ON &amp;quot;SUBMIT COMMENTS&amp;quot; AND SHARE YOUR STORY.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:11:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Bemidji Art in the Park1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/07/bemidji-art-in-park.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Bemidji Community Art Center invites you to their 42nd Annual Art in the Park Fine Art and Craft Festival July 18 - 10am to 5pm and July 19 - 10am to 4pm.Bemidji's premiere art event held annually on beautiful Lake Bemidji in Library Park featuring our Centennial Celebration of the Carnegie Building in 2009 with two performances by the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre at 2pm on Sat. and Sunday.Fun for all ages with two exciting days of art, food and entertainment.  Over one hundred artists showcasing ceramics, wood furniture and accessories, jewelry, glass, paintings, sculpture, fabrics, weaving and much more.Join us on the shores of the lake in Downtown Bemidji just 1 Block North of Paul and Babe!This years Centennial Celebrations is sponsored by the Bemidji Community Art Center, the Headwaters School of Music and the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Bemidji Area Arts Endowment.  For more information go to www.bcac.wordpress.com or call the BCAC at 218-444-7570.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:38:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Cass Lake Times: Promoting healthy eating0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.casslaketimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=1485:cl-b-catches-olympic-fever&amp;catid=41:rotator-news</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Leech Lake Food Distribution Program, in conjuction with the Health Division, handed out recipes using healthy and nutritional foods on March 1. Attendees also enjoyed a free bowl of chili made from fresh vegetables. &#8220; Photo by Allan Olson]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Star Island:  Cass Lake's Treasure Island1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/07/star-island-cass-lakes-treasure-island.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[By Barry W. BabcockIn the United States there is more space where nobody is than where anybody is. That is what makes America what it is.  Gertrude SteinThere is arguably no island in Minnesota as famous for its human history and natural history as Star Island of Cass Lake. The numerous unique features of this island, both to Native Americans and white history, are unrivaled in North Central Minnesota.Star Island is located on the western half of Cass Lake. Cass Lake is approximately 25 square miles, about ten miles long and seven miles wide or roughly 16,000 acres and has a maximum depth of 100 feet. The water clarity allows seeing the bottom at depths up to ten feet. The original Ojibwe name of this great lake is &amp;quot;Gaa-miskwaawaakokaag&amp;quot; meaning &amp;quot;place of many red cedars.&amp;quot; The lake lies within both Cass and Beltrami Counties, Chippewa National Forest, and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.Three other islands call Cass Lake home.  Cedar Island and the two Potato islands are also accessible, but Star Island is the largest of the four with 980 acres and over eight miles of shoreline. The crown jewel of Star Island is Windigo Lake, which is itself 199 acres in size with a maximum depth of 25 feet and provides excellent panfishing. This unique feature brought it mention in Ripleys Believe It or Not as a place where you can fish on a lake, on an island, on a lake.Star Island abounds in diversity and other unique features. The high banks of Inspiration Point, the old growth pines, hardwood forests of oak, sugar maple, and basswood, eagle nests, ONeils Point, great campsites, over six miles of pristine hiking trails, and great opportunities to canoe or kayak. A little over three-fourths of Star Island is Chippewa National Forest land, the remainder is private. Maps of Star Island are available at the USFS Headquarters in Cass Lake.There are three portages into Star Island, on the north, south, and east sides of the island. The shortest is on the north side and is hardly thirty yards. The longest, most scenic portage is on the south side. This portage is about a half mile in length but worth it as it is in a beautiful stand of mature red and white pine.Star Island has been well documented and savored over the ages.  Charles Duncan Gilfillan wrote The large island in the lake was anciently called Gamisquawako miniss, or island of red cedars. It is now called Kitchi miniss, or Great Island. Early white fur traders called it Grand Island. When Henry Rowe Schoolcraft arrived at Cass Lake in 1832 on his expedition to the Headwaters of the Mississippi, he named the island, Colcaspi. He concocted that name by combining syllables from the names of himself, Lewis Cass, and Zebulon Pike, (the three assumed discoverers of Cass Lake) in order of last to first.Unfortunately, Schoolcraft, like so many other presumptive explorers, failed to mention that Native Americans had been residing here for thousands of years.Just recently, a friend and I paddled to Star Island. We took out on ONeils Point and examined the area surrounding the two designated canoe stops. A friend and former USFS employee told  me Oziwindibs rice pits were still evident in this area. We found old depressions that may have been the ancient pits. It was a windy day which had dampened the boat traffic and the only sound aside from the birds was the waves crashing on the shore.We lingered at one of the camps where someone had recently erected an Indian frame for a wigwam.  For a few minutes, while eating our lunch, time seemed to have taken us back to 1832 when Schoolcraft and his entourage were guided by Oziwindib to his home on Star Island.Schoolcraft noted in his journal Narrative of an Expedition Through the Upper Mississippi to Itasca Lake, the Actual Source of This River; We halted a few minutes, to allow the hindmost canoes to come up, so as to enter the Lake together [Cass Lake]. Oza Windib, or Yellow head, our Chippewa guide, has preceded the party a little, as he often did, to get the first glance of little bays and inlets, where waterfowl are usually found. He had put his canoe ashore behind a small point, where he met a party of the Cass Lake band. Of this he kept us ignorant till turning the same point, that he might surprise us with an unexpected salute. The Indians then approached in their canoes in a body, with a welcome, which could hardly have been more cordial, had we been old friends. They represented their residence to be on a large island, bearing southwest from the entrance&brvbar;We were upwards of an hour in reaching the island, which is called Grand Island, or Colcaspi [Star Island.] On approaching it, a number of Indians were observed, running across an elevation [ONeils Point], and pointing, with wild gestures, to a bay beyond. It was the best place of landing&brvbar;the town of Oza Windib, situated nearly a mile from the spot of our landing, to which he was welcomed, on his return, by groups of men, women, and children. The total population, as counted during our stay, was 157, and it does not, probably, at any time, exceed 200 or 250&brvbar;The hunting grounds of Yellow Heads band, embrace the extreme sources of the Mississippi, and his village is the last fixed location in the ascent [to the headwaters of the Mississippi.]Experiencing Star Island is more than making contact with the beauty of Headwaters Country, it is also spanning the great frontier of time and linking our lives to those of the many that preceded us.READER COMMENTS:&amp;quot;My father and his family traveled from Emerado, ND to Star Island in the early 30's for a vacation. He still talked about this special place when he was in his eighties and we were never able to get him back there. Thanks for posting this. It's the first time I had seen a photo.&amp;quot; - Carolyn King]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Najeh33's Blog: Boozhoo (hello) world0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://najeh33.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/boozhoo-hello-world/</link>
<description><![CDATA[I am family man, and currently work at Leech Lake Solid Waste as the office manager. I am educated in the area of Business (A.A.S. Degree) and I am Native American.
Posted in Uncategorized       ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:33:37 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Bemidji's First Science Caf&Atilde;&copy;: Biological Controls for Animal and Plant Pests1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/06/bemidjis-first-science-cafe-biological.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Headwaters Science Center will host the public at its first Science Caf&Atilde;&copy; at The Cabin Coffee House &amp;amp;amp; Cafe on 4th Street at 7PM on Tuesday, June 30.  Everyone is invited to attend. Several persons who are knowledgeable about insect, plant and aquatic organisms will be on hand to answer questions on such topics as the possibilities of using biological methods to control  the Emerald Green Ash Beetle, Spotted Knapweed, Zebra mussels, and many other pests.Three people who are engaged in methods of biological controls will be present to help guide discussion: Maryland resident Dale Meyerdirk, who has 30 years of experience as a research and economic entomologist with the U. S. Department of Agriculture; Paul Conklin, who teaches at BSU and raises organic fruits and vegetables; and Dann Siems; who has taught at BSU and is an aquatic biologist with Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District.What is a Science Caf&Atilde;&copy;?Science Caf&Atilde;&copy;s are being held in many places across the United States. A science caf&Atilde;&copy; takes place in a casual meeting place and uses plain language to invite inclusive conversation. People with no science background should feel welcome and comfortable.Science Caf&Atilde;&copy; meetings are organized around an interesting topic of conversation. A scientist gives a brief presentation to kick off the discussion. You can leave a caf&Atilde;&copy; meeting when you want, but you'll miss out if you show up late.Science caf&Atilde;&copy;s are spreading as a grassroots movement. The casual, open format readily engages the public in conversations about science. Many science caf&Atilde;&copy;s in the United States draw inspiration from caf&Atilde;&copy; Scientifique, based in the UK. There are Science Caf&Atilde;&copy;s in Moorhead, the Twin Cities, and other Minnesota communities.No central organization controls all science caf&Atilde;&copy;s. As a result, each caf&Atilde;&copy; has adapted to its own local culture and audience while focusing on open, public conversation.Who runs sciencecafes.org?Sciencecafes.org is produced by NOVA scienceNOW, in association with Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. It was created with the help and input of many science caf&Atilde;&copy; organizers, and is intended as a community resource that will support and encourage the growth of science caf&Atilde;&copy;s.In 2006, NOVA scienceNOW and Sigma Xi brought together 40 science caf&Atilde;&copy; organizers from all over the United States. For many, this meeting was the first opportunity to discuss experiences with other science caf&Atilde;&copy; organizers. At that meeting it was agreed that one of the most needed science caf&Atilde;&copy; resources was a single U.S. website, and the idea for sciencecafes.org was born.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:41:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Start Your Own Blog or Web Site!  A Free Workshop For Beginners1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/06/start-your-own-blog-or-web-site-free.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Do you want to set up a blog or a web site, but just arent sure where to start?On Thursday, June 25, 2009 from  3:00 to 5:00 PM, the public is invited to a free web site and blogging workshop in Room 111-Computer Lab B at the Leech Lake Tribal College in Cass Lake. Create your own blog or web site for FREE in this hands-on workshop.In this workshop, youll create your own space on the internet for blogging, or as a web site, using a free web application. Well show you everything you need to know to set up a web presence easily and quickly using WordPress, one of the most popular blogging sites on the web. Bring your own computer, or use one in the computer lab.   Youll learn step by step how to set up &amp;amp;amp; customize your very own Internet site.  Youll leave the workshop with your own fully functioning blog!Topics will include:  *What is a Blog?*How to Use a Blog As a Web Site*Sign up and Set up: Getting Your Blog Started*Customizing Your Blog*Wow! Ive Got a Blog/Web site. Now What?This workshop is designed for artists, musicians, small businesses, entrepreneurs, or anyone who wants to market themselves or have a voiceNorthern Community Radio onlineThe workshop will be presented by Debbie Warne-Jacobsen, a Web Site Designer &amp;amp;amp; Content Creator.Debbie is the site designer of the Northern Community Internet.  She has developed many sites for Bemidji State University as well as local musicians, artists, and businesses.Sponsored by: Cass Lake/Leech Lake Community Internet , a community-building project of Northern Community Radio.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:26:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Community Supported Journalism: Wetlands: Nature's Pumps and Kidneys1]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/story_detail.php?permalink=http://ncicsj.blogspot.com/2009/06/wetlands-natures-pumps-and-kidneys.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[by Barry BabcockAbout ten years ago I was asked to guide a Massachusetts film crew on the Mississippi. They were working on a project for the Mississippi River Museum. None on the crew had been in northern Minnesota before. Near the end of my time with them, I asked what in our state impressed them the most, thinking it would be our lakes or forests. All stated it was the prolific wetlands we have.This somewhat surprised me as I believe most Minnesotans overlook these unique features to our landscape. Some even view them with a degree of contempt, seeing them as an obstacle to development or just simply as morasses or sloughs.Most people do not realize the biologic treasures they are.   Wetlands are protective places for plant and animal communities.  They also act as buffers and filtration systems protecting our watersheds.Northern Minnesota is a bonanza of wetlands. For instance, Beltrami Island State Forest, a state forest of over 700,000 acres is 93% wetlands according to the National Wetlands Inventory. Unfortunately, we have eliminated over half of our wetlands on a national scale. Most of northwestern Minnesota was wetlands but was ditched and drained for agriculture.Wetlands have been referred to as natures kidneys &#8220; absorbing nutrients and pollutants like phosphorus and nitrogen. Much of these nutrients and pollutants are stored in the vegetation and some are trapped in the wetland itself. These are held in the wetland through the summer and generally flushed out the following spring in high water.Wetlands, besides being natures kidneys, are also natures pumps, taking in water rain, snow, runoff, streams, and groundwater and pump this moisture back into the ecosystem through evaporation, transpiration, streams, and seepage into our groundwater. While the wetland is doing its thing, it is also purifying the water by absorbing pollutants, acting as holding basins by slowing down the flow of water through ecosystems, buffering rivers and lakes from eroding wave action, and reducing flooding in the spring.There is no other substitute for these beneficial actions done by our wetlands. And the frosting on the cake is that wetlands are home to a tremendous variety of habitats and life ranging from micro organisms, rare orchids like arethusa, and carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant, breeding places for frogs and other amphibians and reptiles, bog lemmings, water fowl, furbearers, game animals, and much more. They can be something as familiar as a cattail marsh to the foreboding and unfrequented muskeg.Minnesotas wetlands are young according to the geologic clock. Their development dates back 10,000 years to the retreat of the last glacier. Most owe their origin to massive blocks of ice that became debris covered through various methods such as a block that dropped from the top of a glacial ice river within the ice &#8220; a tunnel valley. Some are as recently formed as the pond created by a beaver dam.There are eight types or classifications of wetlands in Minnesota:Seasonally floodedWet meadowShallow marshDeep marshShallow open waterShrub swampWooded swampsBogsWetlands vary in size and scope.  They can range from vernal pools in upland forests that may be wet for no more than several weeks to shallow ponds with up to as much as ten feet of water.  Whatever their size, they provide habitat for many creatures and plants.In 1991, the people of Minnesota deemed that our wetlands are important enough to protect and passed the Wetland Conservation Act. It was seen then as one of the most sweeping wetland protective measures in the country. Representative Willard Munger was a driving force in this legislation as he was in other environmental measures in our state. The basic premise of this law was no net loss of wetlands.According to the Wetland Conservation Act Fact Sheet, the Act works &amp;quot;to retain the benefits of wetlands and reach the legislations goal of no-net-loss of wetlands, the Wetland Conservation Act requires anyone proposing to drain, fill, or excavate a wetland first to try to avoid disturbing the wetland; second, to try to minimize any impact on the wetland; and, finally, to replace any lost wetland acres, functions, and values. Certain wetland activities are exempt from the act, allowing projects with minimal impact or projects located on land where certain pre-established land uses are present to proceed without regulation.I recently read an email that defended ATV riding in wetlands.  The sender claimed  that the ruts would open this stagnant monoculture to diversity.  The message compared a wetland to a sterile red pine tree farm. Not even close.Minnesota Wetlands: A primer on their nature and function is a study put together by a group of hydrologists and biologists for the Audubon Society.  According to their findings,  wetlands produce as much plant and animal life as do similarly sized areas of rain forest.When you next hear someone say, What good is a wetland? Tell them that is a veritable fountain of life and well being.Nothing is more troubling than a morass. It is the vague rumor of the reeds, the strange jack-o-lanterns, the profound silence that causes the morass to resemble some dream country hiding a secret, impenetrable and dangerous? No: Another mystery floats in the thick fog, the very mystery of creation, perhaps! For was it not in the stagnant muddy waters, in the heavy humidity of saturated lands, under the heat of the sun, that the first germ of life moved, vibrated and opened itself to the light? Guy de MaupassantIts not surprising that the wetlands of Minnesota had made such an impact on that film crew.READER COMMENTS: &amp;quot;Barry's article is one of the finest I've read that describes the functions of wetlands.  It is readable and easily understood.  I hope it is widely distributed for the general population to read.  We need this type of clear information to educate those who misunderstand the importance of these gems we have in Minnesota!&amp;quot; -Jerry Bahs&amp;quot;Excellent article on our wetlands.  I often write about bog gardens and I usually mention the fact that our state has an abundance of wetlands--something many would envy in these days of water shortages in the Southwest and other parts of the country.  Great job, Barry!&amp;quot; - Margaret Haapoja]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:53:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[Cass Lake, MN: ODENAH Market  year 20]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://casslake.communityblogs.us/2009/05/19/odenah-market-year-2/</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Odenah Market, the Indian Village officially opens on Thursday May 21, at 11 am with a grounds renewal ceremony and a small feast. &Acirc;&nbsp;On Friday Saturday, Sunday and&Acirc;&nbsp; Monday&Acirc;&nbsp; the market will be open and the Indian Artisans and craft people will be there to show their wares and visit with the Public.
All native artists and crafters are invited to set up at the village ,free of charge.&Acirc;&nbsp; Also people who have fresh produce are also welcome to set up when ever they want. The Market place is there and can be used 7 dys a week but we would like to target the weekends and holidays .&Acirc;&nbsp; Its first come first served&Acirc;&nbsp; for the arbors that are up. bring your own tables and chairs. Canopys are also welcome.
Plans are in the works for new signs and more work on the grounds.
We have started Indian School and some of the classes will be held at the market place and we will post the&Acirc;&nbsp;syllabus on the e-democracy group , this blog and in the&Acirc;&nbsp;Cass lake Times&Acirc;&nbsp;&Acirc;&nbsp; So come on out and visit the Odenah Market place.
Wild rice, maple sugar cakes, hand made&Acirc;&nbsp;90 pound bows with arrows and a quiver, canoes, birch-bark work . bead work. quilts, Native artists with prints and originals. You name it and the native market will either have it or know where to get it.Located on Hi-way 2 west of Cass lake right next to Chuckys Chicken so if you get hungry shopping you can stop in and see Larry and Marilyn&Acirc;&nbsp; and try the chicken or an Indian Taco.
They have graciously donated the space for the Odenah Market. Some day I will blog about the the birth of the village and trying to find a home for it. I havent done that yet because I wanted sometime to pass &Acirc;&nbsp;,so i could try to be a little diplomatic when I write about it but&Acirc;&nbsp; its pretty hard to be objective and diplomatic when people arent honest with you. But never mind all that for now, the important thing is that the Odenah Market has a home and we are grateful to Larry and Marilyn for that.
SEE you at the Market]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 20:59:30 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[mnStringer News Network: Six wrestlers compete for Indus in 2008-090]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.northerncommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.ifallsdailyjournal.com/news/sports-local-schools/six-wrestlers-compete-indus-2008-09-104</link>
<description><![CDATA[&amp;amp;amp;quot;I can't say enough about the coaches, wrestlers and parents of the Blackduck, Cass Lake and Bena schools,&amp;amp;amp;quot; Indus coach Mike Feininger said.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[mnStringer News Network: Cass Lake Bena Schools Received Tainted Peanut Products0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.northerncommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://keyc.tv/node/16913</link>
<description><![CDATA[Cass Lake Bena ISD #115 was among Minnesota school districts that may have received the salmonella tainted peanut products that are part of a nationwide recall.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[mnStringer News Network: Draft:  Environmental Impact Statement for the Enbridge Alberta Clipper Project0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.northerncommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-28866.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[SUMMARY: The staff of the Department of State has prepared a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Enbridge Energy, 
Limited Partnership (``Enbridge'') Alberta Clipper Pipeline Project. 
Enbridge has applied to the Department of State for a Presidential 
Permit, pursuant to Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, to 
construct, connect, operate, and maintain a 36-inch diameter crude oil 
and liquid hydrocarbon pipeline at the U.S.-Canadian border near Neche, 
Pembina County, North Dakota, for the purpose of transporting liquid 
hydrocarbons and other petroleum products between the United States and 
Canada.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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<item><title><![CDATA[mnStringer News Network: Indian ministry prepares to open Cass Lake center0]]></title>
<link>http://www.casslakeleechlakecommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.northerncommunityinternet.org/open_feed_rss.php?permalink=http://www.am1500.com/categoryfolders/Stories/S605669.shtml</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gazing across the former campus of Mokahum Indian Bible School, James Moses recalled with sentiment many memories of his time as a student there.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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