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- By Chez Oxendine
- Real Estate
The Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe has regained ownership of about 87 acres across three parcels, marking what leaders described as the largest land return to the federally recognized tribe in recent history.
The acquisition was completed through a partnership with Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation and the Minnesota Land Trust. In a statement, Grand Portage Band Chairman Robert Deschampe said the return carries “deep meaning” for Band citizens.
“These three parcels were lost three different ways over 200 years — federal policy, taxation, and outside speculation. Getting them back in a single transfer is something our Grand Portage Members have not seen in our lifetimes,” Deschampe said. “In an era when land acknowledgement statements have become common, this is what reconciliation actually looks like.”
The land was purchased from the B. Van Johnson Trust and other private owners using a Johnson Foundation grant. The transfer closed Feb. 16. The amount of the grant was not disclosed.
The three parcels reflect different eras and mechanisms of land loss.
Paradise Beach, a 5.19‑acre stretch of Lake Superior shoreline, was ceded under an 1854 treaty and fell outside the subsequently-established reservation boundary. Francis Island, part of the Susie Islands archipelago, was transferred to the State of Minnesota as trust lands for educational use. The roughly 80‑acre Mineral Center Road forest parcel was lost through federal allotment policies that fragmented tribal landholdings across the region.
Erik Torch, executive director of the foundation, said the organization sought to understand the historical impacts of the Johnson family’s land dealings and to support the Band’s restoration goals.
“We have worked to build a relationship with the Grand Portage Band and to support their goals for their people and nation,” Torch said. “This land return is an important chapter in what we hope will be a long and positive partnership.”
Deschampe said the return honors past generations while supporting future stewardship.
“Nothing can undo what happened to our Grand Portage families over the past 200 years,” Deschampe said. “But returning these lands to the Band is very meaningful for our ancestors, for our people today, and for the generations who will care for and keep these lands pristine after us.”
