Turtle Mountain Background

The reservation was established by Executive Orders of December 21, 1882, and March 29, 1884 on an area of 72,000 acres of land.

The Chippewa proudly referred to themselves as Anishinabe meaning “THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE.”

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe located on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.

The tribe has 30,722 enrolled members (2010 BIA Labor Force Report), with a little over 16,500 living on or adjacent to the 6 x 12 reservation.

(http://tmbci.kkbold.com/history/)

-Turtle Mountain.

 

 

 According to the 2000 census, 8,331 live on the Turtle Mountain Reservation but the unemployment rate was near 50%. The estimated 2000 employment force was 5,222. Of that total, 2,748 were employed and 2,474 were unemployed. The per capita annual income is near $12,000. The poverty rate is at 38%.

 

The International Peace Garden

If your looking for a quiet tranquil place to rest and to see beauty the International Peace Garden is a great place to go.

Since 1932, nestled on the U.S. and Canadian borders of North Dakota and Manitoba in a symbol of friendship, lies a “One of a Kind” International Peace Garden. Reflecting pools and dazzling colorful floral displays of over 150,000 flowers splash across the grounds of the Formal Garden’s terraced walkways.


The large clock received from the Bulova Watch Company in 1966 was a duplicate of the famous Bulova Floral Clock at Berne, Switzerland. It was replaced the summer of 2005 with a new clock from St. Louis, Missouri. The Floral Clock, 18 feet in diameter, is a popular attraction at the International Peace Garden, and displays a unique floral design each year. The number of plants on the clock can range from 2,000 to 5,000, depending on the type of plant and design on the face of the clock. Typically the first week in June, 150,000 flowers are planted at the Peace Garden, and best viewed full bloom from mid-July through August. However, the park has its own distinctive beauty all year around.





The International Peace Garden is located on the northern border of North Dakota and Canada and is part of the Turtle Mountain Reservation. 

United States
International Peace Garden
10939 Highway 281
Dunseith, ND 58329
Phone (701) 263-4390
Fax (701) 263-3169

 

CanadaInternational Peace GardenBox 419
Boissevain, MB R0K 0E0
Phone (204) 534-2510

The garden is actually split in half by the Canadian/USA border.  A passport is not required to go on the Canadian half of the garden however if you wanted to leave the garden and go into Canada then you would need to go through Canadian customs and provide a passport.

There are places in the garden to camp and there is even a music camp within the garden.
http://www.peacegarden.com/camping.htm
There are also rentals available
http://www.peacegarden.com/rentalrate.htm
Weddings can be held here are well
http://www.peacegarden.com/wedding.htm
Hiking and auto tours, through verdant Turtle Mountain Forests and past the pristine waters of Lake Udall and Lake Stormon, yields, as great a variety of birds, as found anywhere else in North America. Deer, moose, grouse, beaver and other game form a great marriage with the extensive variety of wild flowers, trees, and shrubs abundant in this “Like No Other Place on Earth” Garden.

Sky Dancer Casno

Sky Dancer Casino

The Sky Dancer Casino is a luxurious place to stay on the Turtle Mountain reservation with a whole vacation planned right inside. Come and spend the day meeting new people in our Lounge Bar and by night going to our Casino where you have a chance to win thousands of dollars!
After all the excitement has calmed down, you can stay the night in one of our King or Queen suits and watch some free HBO where you can fall right asleep to after your big night.  In the morning you can come join us at one of our restaurants with delicious, freshly cooked meals. And don't you worry about gaining any pounds because you can always head down to our sauna where those calories will burn right off and if you get too hot, you can cool off in the pool of have some fun in our whirlpool. Worried about your precious little kids? It will be alright, here we have a kiddy pool made especially for them. Don't know what to do during the day? That is quite alright. We have bus tours to take you around the reservation so you won't miss the scenery or you can take a ride over to the Simulcast race course! And if that still doesn't satisfy your needs, there is a chance to see a performance! Before you leave to go home, stop at our gift shop and pick up some souvenirs, because you definitely won't want to forget your stay.

Visit our website at:
http://www.skydancercasino.com/simulcast.html

Visit Turtle Mountain's turtles

If you're looking for a family friendly good time in the Turtle Mountain reservation, try visiting Tommy the Turtle anytime year round. He is a 30 foot tall turtle, riding on a 34 foot long snowmobile. His job is to guard the tennis courts of the local park.

He was built by Boots Reynolds in 1978, a 3-ton 6-color fiberglass statue that marks the gateway into the Turtle Mountains, a range of mountains that were destroyed about 12,000 years ago, which is easy to tell from the wide, long plains. 

He is at 103 South 11th street, in Bottineau, North Dakota.

Tommy not enough turtle for you? 

Check out how we reinvent the Wee'l

Constructed of 2,000 old wheels, the Wee'l Turtle in Dunseith, North Dakota. However, don't let his looks deceive you. He has a big motor in his neck, to make anyone confused know his status as a turtle (Not a lizard!). A truly festive monument, the W'eel Turtle rocks a big Santa Claus hat in the holiday seasons.

You can visit the W'eel near the intersection of Main Street and 96th Street in Dunseith, North Dakota.