Tribe dreams about elks' return

MINNEAPOLIS — Majestic wild elk once roamed most of Minnesota before hunters killed them off. Now, the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe hopes to bring them back to the tribe's ancestral territory in northeastern Minnesota.

The Ojibwe name for elk is "omashkoozoog," or "prairie moose." Tribal officials and other supporters say restoring them could open up new opportunities for nature tourism because they're looking at an area that's only a couple of hours' drive north of the Twin Cities. Success also could allow for elk hunting eventually. That's important to a tribe with a heritage of subsistence hunting, but tribal officials envision even non-Indians eventually getting the chance to hunt the elk, too.

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