White Earth Indian Reservation

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"One Called From A Distance" (Midwewinind) of the White Earth Band, wearing beaded sash and vest, 1894

The White Earth Indian Reservation (or Gaa-waabaabiganikaag (lit. "Where there is white clay") in the Ojibwe language) is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest and historically poorest^{[citation needed]} Indian reservation in that state. The reservation stretches across all of Mahnomen County, plus parts of Becker and Clearwater counties in the northwest part of the state, along the Wild Rice and White Earth Rivers. It is about 225 miles (362km) from Minneapolis-St. Paul and roughly 65 miles (105km) from Fargo-Moorhead. Community members often prefer to self-identify themselves as Anishinaabe instead of Ojibwe or Chippewa. The reservation's land area is 2,831.436 km² (1,093.224 sq mi), which held a population of 9,192 residents as of the 2000 census. The White Earth Indian Reservation is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Reservation flag

The reservation originally covered 1,300 square miles (3,400 km²), but much of the community's land was improperly sold or seized to outside interests, including the U.S. federal government, in the late 19th century and early 20th century. This was largely due to the Dawes Act of 1887 and Nelson Act of 1889, which allowed land to be divided up. In the latter half of the 20th century, state and county land was transferred to the reservation in compensation. Also, in 1989, Winona LaDuke formed the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which has slowly been pushing for the recovery of more land. The project claims that only 10% of the reservation's land is owned by tribal members.

A casino is operated by the community, the Shooting Star Casino and Hotel in Mahnomen, Minnesota. It is said to be the largest employer in the region.