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2025 Bush Foundation Fellowship recognizes Leech Lake Nation's Megan Treuer

Daltyn Lofstrom — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMT

ESKO — Leech Lake Band member Megan Treuer is in good company given the recent announcement that she would join 28 other community leaders as part of the 2025 Bush Foundation Fellowship.

Awarded to those with a track record of leading change and seeking to expand their community impact, the Fellowship will allow Treuer to pursue her professional goals as the daughter of the country’s first known female Native American judge and one of Minnesota’s first Native attorneys.

“I was thrilled and excited, but also humbled,” Treuer recalled upon hearing the news of her award. “I had been looking for a way to scale back my caseload and really focus on immersing myself in the Ojibwe language. I know less than I did when I was a kid, so the Bush Fellowship came to my attention that way.”

Treuer noted personal connections to other recipients in prior years, allowing her to garner some background information on the award.

With the Bush Foundation receiving around 1,000 applications for the 2025 cohort, each fellow receives up to $150,000 over a two-year period to support a self-designed leadership plan. Treuer plans to leverage her award with distinct goals in mind.

“My No. 1 priority is becoming more proficient in the language, taking Ojibwe language courses and attending ceremonies connected to the language,” Treuer said.

Her second priority includes taking a step back from contract work with tribal courts as a tribal court judge but continuing her role as chief judge for Bois Forte Tribal Court. She also plans to connect with Indigenous legal mentors, scholars and spiritual leaders.

“I really want to focus on what Anishinaabe justice used to be and really incorporate that into our modern-day Anishinaabe tribal justice systems,” she added.

Treuer also hopes to “recharge” during the two-year stint, aiming to spend quality time with her spouse and children.

‘A strong passion’

Attending school in Bemidji, Treuer continued her studies as a history major at the University of California Berkeley before attending law school at Hamline University. She soon secured a job at Anishinaabe Legal Services where she represented Red Lake members.

“I had always wanted to come back and advocate for my community in some capacity,” Treuer said. “I didn’t necessarily know that I would become a lawyer, but that’s how it worked out.”

The next step in her career journey involved criminal defense at Regional Native Defense where she represented Leech Lake and White Earth members in criminal cases throughout the region. Come 2013, she took the bench as a tribal court judge with Leech Lake, allowing her to live out a childhood desire.

“I remember having a strong passion, feeling that things were not as they should be and wanting to advocate for my people and my community,” Treuer mentioned. “That’s fueled me.”

Treuer noted how skin color played a role in shaping her and her family members’ experiences growing up.

“Having a lighter complexion, I saw how even my siblings and close family members who are darker-complected were treated and seeing those differences. I remember being keenly aware of that even as a really young child,” she said. “I found my calling for justice and equality that way.”

Through her work, Treuer aims to be a good ancestor for younger generations as well as the generations yet to come.

“My predecessors, first, were surviving colonization and now we’ve maintained our teachings, our language, our ceremonies, our way of life,” Treuer left off. “Not only did my predecessors survive, but they preserved all of that for us in the generations to come.

“That’s what I’m all about, making our way of life and teachings a part of our government infrastructure so those who are struggling the most don’t have to look for who they are anymore because it’ll all be right here.”

Information for the 2026 Bush Fellowship will become available at bushfoundation.org/bush-fellowship. The Fellowship is open to anyone 24 years and older who live in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 tribal nations that share the same geography.

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From the Archives: July 5 in the Pioneer

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:40:00 GMT

July 5, 2015 – Seneca Keezer, a 2015 graduate of Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High ��, has been selected to attend the “Two World, One Future: Defining Our Own Success” Indigenous youth gathering in Washington, D.C. Keezer was selected out of a nationwide pool of youth to participate in President Obama’s summit.

25 years ago

July 5, 2000 – Bill Lawrence, publisher of the Bemidji weekly newspaper The Native American Press/Ojibwe News, will oppose DFL candidate Sen. Tony Kinkel in the Senate 4 race. He decided last weekend to run as a Republican. In Bemidji, Mayor Doug Peterson will run for re-election after 26 years in office.

50 years ago

July 5, 1975 – There are about 15 clubs in Minnesota dedicated to the sport of muzzle-loading rifles, and one of these groups is the Bemidji Rifle Shooters Association’s Black Powder division. Club members meet at the shooting range each week equipped with powder horns, ram rods, ball starters and targets.

100 years ago

July 5, 1925 – Jaak J. Umarik, Estonia’s Minister of Agriculture, and Paul Calrow of the United States Department of Agriculture are among the visitors in Bemidji today to discuss agricultural problems. They will visit the local high school as well as several of the boys’ and girls’ projects in agricultural extension work.

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Beltrami County Board hears updates on storm recovery process

Daltyn Lofstrom — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:17:14 GMT

BEMIDJI – Nearly all facets of the June 21 storm recovery process were addressed during a Beltrami County Board of Commissioners work session on Tuesday.

While a continual and laborious process, Tuesday’s work session aimed to provide an update on recovery efforts as well as inform the public of preparation ahead of the storm that allowed for an appropriate response.

This marked the commission’s first meeting since it extended a State of Emergency for the county at a June 23 special meeting.

“It became very evident that early that week (leading up to the storm), we were in for something that was going to be big that weekend, and it happened,” Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Chris Muller said. “We didn’t want it, but we were prepared and that is a good thing. As tragic as it is for our community, what’s celebrated is that we were prepared and nobody got hurt.”

Muller detailed communications sent out to the public prior to the storm, noting a peculiarity with the timing of the area’s risk issuance for bad weather by the National Weather Service.

“Being at an enhanced risk two days out is relatively rare,” Muller said. “That’s something that you normally see hours or a day before, not two days before.”

Vastly altering its landscape, the storm swept through the Bemidji area in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 21, producing wind speeds up to 120 miles per hour – equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane or EF2 tornado.

The recovery process would soon begin, but having exhausted the immediate area’s emergency response crews, it was clear that additional help would be needed.

“The devastation was something like we haven’t seen in very recent history,” Beltrami County Administrator Tom Barry said. “As the sun rose, it was clear that this catastrophic event would require additional resources. The county was just not resourced to take on this event on its own.”

Barry noted that representatives from the Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency were quick to respond as well as other agencies at the state and local levels.

“The city, county and state resources immediately began clearing debris,” Barry said. “It was very important for us to at least get most of the roads passable for additional emergency services that might be needed and that happened pretty quickly.”

A shelter’s serendipity

Structural damage to hundreds of homes necessitated the opening of a post-storm resource center at the old First National Bank building as well as an emergency shelter, setting up shop inside the Sanford Center in partnership with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Such a development proved serendipitous.

“It’s ironic that the opening of the shelter in a catastrophic storm event was something that we had trained on simply two months ago,” Barry said, “so that was a very smooth operation for us and the team.”

Providing a safe haven for those displaced by the storm, Public Health Director Amy Bowles commended Sanford Center General Manager Bobby Anderson for his willingness to open the space for the most vulnerable.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the support from Bobby,” Bowles said. “As soon as I called him and said I needed him at the Sanford Center, he said ‘I’ll meet you there.’”

The Sanford Center provided basic necessities including meals, water and overnight shelter for those requiring it.

“One of our biggest concerns on that first and going into the second day was the access to food,” Bowles added, “and being able to get enough food to the people in the building and our first responders needing a place for a hot meal.”

Bowles and Anderson teamed up once securing breakfast items to serve roughly 500 people. Due to the cancellation of the 2025 Loop the Lake Festival, the Sanford Center received donations of hot dogs, cookies and water to serve as its second meal.

Preliminary numbers show that the Sanford Center served a total of 4,838 residents from 3,253 households, giving out 1,050 meals, 164 people spending the night and 400 volunteer hours being put in.

‘A drawn-out process’

The clean-up process has been quite the task and continues to be. Public Works Director Bruce Hasbargen noted considerable workload in terms of solid waste management at the Beltrami County Demolition Landfill and a second site at Pine Products.

“We directed the commercial haulers there to begin with, but once we got our feet under us at the demolition landfill, we closed that down,” he said. “There’s a cost to having these sites open.”

According to Hasbargen, an estimated 2,500 vehicles came through the demolition landfill the Monday after the storm alone. While considerable progress has been made in terms of clean-up, Hasbargen reminded the board of the long road ahead.

“Overall, I’d like to say we’re past the peak rush of people bringing material in,” he said, “but it’s going to be a drawn-out process.”

Following other updates, commissioners thanked all staff for their work in the face of adversity as recovery continues.

“I always brag that Beltrami County has staff that are second to none,” District 4 Commissioner Tim Sumner said. “This past week has proven that you really stepped up when we needed you guys the most, and I appreciate everything that you’ve done.”

The full work session can be viewed on the county’s YouTube channel.

The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15.

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Red, White and Boom fireworks offer dazzling display over Lake Bemidji

Madelyn Haasken — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:27:28 GMT

BEMIDJI — The night sky over Lake Bemidji lit up in an explosion of color during the Red, White and Boom fireworks show on Wednesday, officially kicking off the Bemidji Jaycees 81st Annual Water Carnival.

As the sun set over the lake on Wednesday, Bemidjians gathered at the more popular firework-viewing locations along the south end of the shore, including Diamond Point Park, Library Park, Paul Bunyan Park and South Shore Park.

Earlier in the evening, Merriam’s Midway opened its gates for the weekend, with hundreds taking advantage of the warm, sunny weather by enjoying rides, games and traditional carnival food.

The Water Carnival continues through Sunday — here's a look at the lineup of events you don't want to miss.

Sanford Center parking lot

Merriam’s Midway will be open from 1 to 11 p.m. each day through Saturday. On Sunday, the Midway will have an earlier close at 7 p.m. Through Saturday, armbands will cost $20 from 1 to 5 p.m. and $25 from 6 to 11 p.m. On Sunday, armbands will cost $20 from 1 to 7 p.m.

Food vendors will be open daily from 1 to 10 p.m. through Sunday. Vendors will include Texas Best BBQ, Hawg Heaven, and Dirty Dough.

The Bemidji Chorale will host Bingo daily from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday.

Veterans picnic

A Veterans Picnic will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Bemidji Eagles Club. VFW Post 1260 will hold a flag ceremony at 1:30 p.m. with musical entertainment provided by Mike Naylor.

A free-will donation will be accepted with proceeds going to the Bemidji Veterans Home. Also at the Eagles Club, Elvis tribute artist Sean Wallin will perform from 3 to 5 p.m.

Kid events

The Kiddie Parade will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday with registration starting at 10 a.m. The parade will start at the Rotary Pavilion and will travel around the Tourist Information Center and down to the south end of Paul Bunyan Park.

Attendees also have the opportunity to visit the Carnoch Farmstead Petting Zoo and participate in a bike giveaway at the Rotary Pavilion.

Double Your Fun Color Run

The Double Your Fun Color Run is set for Saturday with the Bemidji Junior Jaycees organizing the event. The run starts at 10 a.m. at the Paul Bunyan Park parking lot and goes along the south shore of Lake Bemidji, loops back at the Nymore Boat Access and ends at the starting point.

Interested participants can register online at bemidjijaycees.com as there will be no on-site registration. Online registration will close at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

There will be several color stations along the way to blast attendees with tons of colorful fun. Check-in for the event starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Rotary Pavilion at Paul Bunyan Park.

Movie matinee

The Jaycees are partnering with the city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department to host a family movie matinee featuring the movie "Matilda" at the Chief Theater 3 p.m. on Saturday. The movie is free to watch.

Loft Event Center

Due to storm damage, all live music events typically held at the Entertainment Tent have been moved to different locations. Here’s a look at the schedule of live music happening at the Loft Event Center in downtown Bemidji:

7 to 10 p.m., Thursday: Corey Medina & Brothers 6 to 10 p.m., Friday: Prairie Smoke 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday: Indecent Proposal

These events are for attendees ages 18 and older, and the admission cost is $10 per person.

Cornhole tournament

A Beer-N-Bags cornhole tournament will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Garden Grill & Pub. The cost to participate is $20 per novice team, $30 per social team and $40 per competitive team.

Each team is guaranteed three matches and cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers at each level. To register, contact Travis at (218) 759-8810 or email bcsupplies2035@gmail.com.

Grand Parade

The Grand Parade will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday. According to an updated release from the Jaycees, the traditional parade route has sustained significant damage from the storm, leading organizers to change the route.

"The City of Bemidji worked with us on a solution for a new route," the release said. "They have graciously offered to remove the debris in the Beltrami County Administration Building parking lot, as well as along a new parade route, to ensure we could still have a Grand Parade."

The new route starts at the intersection of Eighth Street and Beltrami Avenue, travels south on Beltrami Avenue, turns west on Fourth Street for one block, and then heads north along Minnesota Avenue to end on Eighth Street.

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From the Archives: July 2 in the Pioneer

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:40:00 GMT

July 2, 2015 – According to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s 2014 Uniform Crime Report, Beltrami County saw a decrease in most violent crime categories, but aggravated assault increased by 61%, accounting for 1% of the state’s recorded incidents. Statewide, there were 6,607 aggravated assaults.

25 years ago

July 2, 2000 – During the next ten days, hundreds of Minnesota volunteers will be watching loons as part of the Department of Natural Resources’ Loon Monitoring program. The project looks for changes in the population and possible health risks in area lakes. Loon areas are recorded on maps and sent to the DNR.

50 years ago

July 2, 1975 – Robert Herbst, head of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said during a meeting in Bemidji that there will be no mining of copper or nickel deposits in northern Minnesota until a three-year environmental study is complete. The study is funded by a $3 million state and federal grant.

100 years ago

July 2, 1925 – A Bemidji couple who obtained a license from and were married by County Judge L.K. Hassell were the first people to be married in Grand Forks county under the new state law which went into effect. The law provides that when a license to marry is granted in North Dakota an extra dollar must be charged.

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Bemidji Public Library book sale rescheduled to July 14-17

Sarah Suchoski — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 23:54:04 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Bemidji Public Library’s annual book sale, originally set for June 23-26, has been rescheduled to July 14-17, at the Evangelical Free Church, 115 Carr Lake Rd. SW.

After a successful fundraiser last year, the library, in partnership with Friends of the Library, has estimated that about another 15,000 books will be available for purchase at the sale this year.

“It’s really a book sale for all,” said Sandi Marshall, secretary of the library board. “We get a lot of people who come in for a variety of reasons. There are a lot of children’s books, homeschoolers come in, teachers, parents, and kids pick out their own books.”

Here’s a look at the schedule for the week:

On Monday, July 14, the book sale will be open to Friends of Bemidji Public Library from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a member, there will be sign-ups at the event and it will cost $5 per person. On June 15 and 16, the book sale will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On July 17, the book sale will have Bag Day, which is $2 per bag of books. Bags will be provided at the event.

After the event, if there are any books left, nonprofit organizations and the jail will have the opportunity to take leftover books before they are brought to the landfill or destroyed.

All the money raised at the event will be put back into the library, whether that is improvements within the library or programs held there. In the past, the library has used the funds for a puppet station and book browsing stations for the children’s area, book repair machine, and bringing authors in to talk about their books.

Credit cards will not be accepted at the sale, cash or checks only.

For more information about future library events, contact the Bemidji Public Library at (218) 751-3963.

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Beltrami County sets Independence Day solid waste facilities, office closures

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:26:24 GMT

BEMIDJI — In observance of Independence Day, Beltrami County offices and services will be closed on Friday, July 4. The Sheriff’s Office Records and Court Divisions will also be closed.

All Beltrami County Solid Waste facilities will be closed on Friday, July 4. The Demolition Landfill and the Target debris site will have extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6.

Essential 24/7 and emergency services will remain operational through the holiday.

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City garbage pick-up date change for Independence Day

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:18:35 GMT

BEMIDJI — City of Bemidji residential refuse customers who are normally picked up on Friday, July 4, will be picked up on Monday, July 7, because of the Independence Day holiday.

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Boys and Girls Club offering Summer Food Service Program

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area is again participating in the Summer Food Service Program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with food distribution at various locations.

At the Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area, 1600 Minnesota Ave. NW., free lunches and afternoon snacks will be provided to all enrolled children Monday-Friday through Aug. 29, except June 30 to July 4. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and snacks will be served from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

At the Conifer Site, 2512 Phoenix Loop NW., free lunches and afternoon snacks will be provided to all enrolled children Monday-Thursday through Aug. 14, except July 3. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and snacks will be served from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

At the Blackduck Branch, 156 First St. NE., free lunches and afternoon snacks will be provided to all enrolled children Tuesday-Thursday through Aug. 14. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and snacks will be served from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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Northwest Minnesota Foundation offering Training and Education Fund grants

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 22:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is seeking funding proposals from nonprofits serving Northwest Minnesota to support building organizational capacity through training and education activities.

The NWMF Training and Education Fund was established in 2004 to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations and leaders, with preference given to efforts that build leadership knowledge, skills and capacity, a release said.

Eligible expenses may include staff and board training; travel and conferences; consultant hiring; strategic planning; leadership training; organizational or systems audits; or other efforts that help make nonprofits more efficient and viable for the long term.

"Grants cannot fund political activities, religious propagation, discriminatory practices, past operating debts or similar activities," the release said. "This fund will not consider membership or subscription dues, computer license fees, financial audits, building construction or capital campaigns."

The typical grant award is $2,500. However, grants up to $5,000 will be reviewed and considered.

The grant is available to 501(c)3 nonprofits that serve NWMF's region, including Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation and the 12 counties of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake Falls and Roseau. Priority points will be given to organizations located within the NWMF region.

The deadline to apply for these grants is Tuesday, July 15.

To learn more about this round of funding and apply, visit the Grants page on the NWMF website, nwmf.org.

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