Money, race, politics tangle northern Minnesota land deal

The White Earth Band of Ojibwe had a deal lined up last year to buy 2,000 acres of forest, grassland and water west of Itasca State Park using a $2 million Minnesota Legacy Amendment grant.

Using Legacy money seemed to make sense. The funds are meant to be used partly to protect Minnesota wetlands and wildlife habitat. The band intended to keep the land undeveloped. The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which reviews and recommends Legacy spending, backed the deal.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/10/05/land-deal