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Ellison: Mille Lacs Band Still Has 61K-Acre Reservation

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota's attorney general contends the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation still exists.

In a legal filing this week, Attorney General Keith Ellison backed the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's assertion that the band has 61,000 acres across the south shore of Mille Lacs Lake.

A local media outlet reports that Gov. Tim Walz supports fellow Democrat Ellison's move.

Ellison's statement attempts to reverse more than a century of state policy.

Mille Lacs County officials believe the band has only a few thousand acres.

The contentious issue could have deep implications for people who live around one of Minnesota's destination fishing areas.

(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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