August 2026 District 3 Report

As we wrap up the busy month of July, it has been great to see so many community members at events. We have experienced some high temperatures
that we wait for all winter long. Please remember to check in on your elders, neighbors, family and friends. A simple visit, telephone call can go a long
way.

As of July 1, it has been two years of serving as your District 3 Representative. It has been an honor and privilege to represent our communities and the
members of the White Earth Nation.

Over the past two years, we have worked together to address community needs, advocate for our elders and youth. Every day brings new opportunities
to listen and work alongside our members and find solutions to improve. Projects take time but we have projects in almost each village at this time. I want to say thank you to my assistant for the hard work and support provided over the past two years. I truly appreciate everything you do for District 3 and our tribal members. Miigwech for the honor of serving you. I look forward to continuing this work together.

7-1 A ribbon cutting was held at the new Waabigwan dispensary in Chanhassen, Minn. Tribal leaders and staff attended along with several
Chanhassen officials. The dispensary officially opened on July 3.

We traveled back to attend the Mahnomen Community picnic that was filled with community members, program booths, food and prizes. A guest visitor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar attended. Following the picnic, tribal leaders had an opportunity to meet with Klobuchar to discuss tribal priorities and goals.

7-7 Tribal leaders met with Canadian Pacific to get an update about the May trail derailment. The cleanup work continues each day.

7-8 We joined the Indigenous Parent Leadership initiative to welcome Family Well Being Strategy Group and other partners including Annie Casey
Foundation. The program has made a positive impact on families and continues to grow.

7-10 The annual Elders Picnic was held at White Earth Rediscovery! It was great to see so many of our Elders enjoying the day together visiting, sharing stories, laughing- this is what makes our gatherings so special. This year, tribal elders in attendance received a $50 gift card also. A huge miigwech to everyone who attended and helped make the day memorable. A special thank you to all of the staff who worked behind the scenes to plan, organize and
make sure everything ran smoothly. Your hard work and dedication are truly appreciated. Also a shout out to IHS staff for attending and jumping in to help
serve food to elders! The weather was hot out, discussion about the location for next year's picnic is in the works.

We took a day to recognize our employees at the RBC Employee Picnic for the dedication and hard work they bring every single day to serve our communities. The entertainment was great and the volleyball and bean bag tournaments brought some competition, and lots of smiles!

We heard a lot of anty laughs. A big miigwech to the staff who worked hard to plan and coordinate this event. Due to the smoky conditions, staff quickly
adjusted the plans to make sure everyone had a safe and enjoyable day including those who could not tolerate the smoke.

Thank you to all of our employees for everything you do—you are truly appreciated! And Miigwech to all the Shooting Star Casino staff for the great food and setting up for the event!

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7-22 The White Earth Community Picnic was a beautiful evening spent with our community members! It was fun visiting with everyone. The cotton
candy line stayed busy all night. One of my favorite parts was hearing from our youth and listening to their ideas about what they’d like to see in our com-
munities. Miigwech to everyone who stopped by to say hello and completed a District 3 community survey. Your input is valued and helps guide the work
we do together. A big thank you to the staff for preparing the meal, Frank Stech our MC and all of the programs that had booths and donated prizes to
make the event successful. Together, we’re continuing to make positive improvements for our families and community!

7-25/26The White Earth Sturgeon Moon Powwow was held Saturday with grand entries at 1 and 7 p.m., followed by a fireworks show in the evening. There was also a grand entry at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The weather was a little warm but our dancers, singers and visitors showed up all weekend. Miigwech to the White Earth Community Council for hosting another wonderful powwow and thank you to our Honor Guard, MCs, arena directors, drum groups, dancers, vendors, volunteers and everyone who attended.

7-31 Tribal leaders held an RBC quarterly meeting. We welcomed our new tribal leaders. The agenda included updates from White Earth Earth Housing, White Earth Tribal College, Indian Health Service, Community Councils, elder board updates, MCT delegates, presentation from Natural Resources
proposing land be designated specifically for youth teaching hunting, cultural activities, White Earth animal shelter proposal, consent agenda, Waabwigwan
issues, and public comment. Miigwech to everyone
that attended.

Waubun
The new White Earth Transit building in Waubun is nearly complete. The program is aiming to move in by the end of August/September.

Elbow Lake Community
The new Elbow Lake Community Building has officially been delivered! The building will include space for the Boys & Girls Club, providing our youth
with a safe, positive place along with providing community space. This is an exciting milestone for our community and a big step forward in creating a wel-
coming space for everyone. Miigwech to everyone who has worked hard to help make this project a reality. We can’t wait to see this space come to life for
our children, families and community.

The contractor started the work on the Elbow Lake Beach. This will be a space for the community to gather and swim.

The new pier is being constructed and will be completed this fall. It will hopefully be delivered in October. It will be put out next summer. The Natural
Resource staff pull out the piers in October/early November.

White Earth
A fence was installed all the way around the playground and basketball court to improve safety and prevent vehicles from driving onto the future splash pad. The site survey was being done this week. Splash pad equipment has been ordered. New lighting is also on the way.

We will be replacing the playground equipment in the south projects. The playground equipment was ordered and will be delivered soon. The plan is to
install in August. We will also be installing a 20x40 basketball court basketball court.

We are moving forward with Phase 2 of the Tiny Homes project. Two additional tiny homes will soon be placed in White Earth. When the site for the first
phase was originally prepared, we planned ahead by installing two additional septic systems. Taking this proactive approach saved money and helped us move forward with the next phase more quickly.

Pine Point
The softball field renovation project is moving forward! While we experienced a slight delay, we worked through the challenges and continue making progress.

The basketball court near the old school will be removed and replaced with a brand new, full-size basketball court providing an upgraded space for
youth and community members to enjoy for years to come. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we continue investing in recreational opportunities for our communities.

Callaway
Ground breaking for the new Callaway Boys and Girls Club was held Aug. 3.

The Tribe was gifted a church in Callaway. A community giveaway of the items in the church is tentatively set for Aug. 11 and 12 or until gone.

White Earth applied for a grant to provide housing for medical providers, but we were not selected for this grant.

Miigwech for your support and I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer!

Contact information:
Laura Lee Erickson
laura.erickson@whiteearth-nsn.gov
Office: 218-935-6238
Cell: 218-401-1153
Facebook: VOTE LAURA LEE

Assistant for District 3
Tiffany Swiers
Office: 218-935-6235
Cell: 218-997-9124
tiffany.swiers@whiteearth-nsn.gov