Dayton proposes expanded wild rice rights for tribal members

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton's administration has proposed expanding the rights of tribal members to harvest wild rice throughout the state.

One provision in a broader Department of Natural Resources policy bill introduced last week would allow band members who possess valid tribal identification cards to harvest wild rice without a license on state-controlled waters anywhere in Minnesota. A House committee has already backed the bill and it is expected to get its first hearing in the Senate next week, DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier said Wednesday.

Meier told The Associated Press that the idea arose after some American Indian protesters announced plans last summer to gather wild rice without state-issued licenses on Hole-in-the-Day Lake in Nisswa to assert rights they contend they still hold under an 1855 treaty. The DNR, which disputes their interpretation of the treaty, moved to defuse the conflict by issuing a special one-day permit on Aug. 27 to allow them to harvest without licenses.

http://www.theeagle.com/news/nation/dayton-proposes-expanded-wild-rice-rights-for-tribal-members/article_7c7b1266-881c-5c04-ab23-06531f95dacc.html