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%.