New era of leadership begins for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
MILLE LACS, Minn. — Former Mille Lacs Band's District I Representative Virgil Wind was sworn in Tuesday as Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
Wind's swearing in by the Honorable Chief Justice Rhonda Sam marks a new era of leadership for the band with its first new chief in more than two decades. Melanie Benjamin, first elected in 2000, stepped down as one of the longest-serving chief executives in the history of the band located in east central Minnesota.
"Throughout this next phase of my journey, I hope to give that love back to my people. With these supports, there is no telling what heights we can reach, or how sturdy a foundation we can provide for each other," said Wind in a press release. "You see, it is the certainty of the foundation that provides for the beauty and integrity of all that is built upon it. The foundation of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is our people and our children. It's you. That's something that none of us should ever forget."
Carolyn Beaulieu replaces Wind as the District 1 Representative. Wind had held the position since 2020.
Benjamin announced in January that she would not seek a sixth term.
"Serving as chief executive for my band has been the greatest honor of my life," Benjamin said at the time. "I love public service, but I have now accomplished what I first set out to do as chief executive. I learned from Art Gahbow, our past chief executive, that one of the most important jobs of any leader is to prepare the next generation to take over. That has been a focus of my work, and I am very proud of our new warriors. They are now ready to lead our tribe with vision and skill."
Under Benjamin's leadership, the Band secured legal confirmation that its reservation remains intact in a 2016 legal opinion from the U.S. Interior Department Solicitor and in a 2022 federal court decision.
She also expand programs preserving the Ojibwe language and testified before Congress on issues such as tribal self-governance.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is home to more than 2,300 of the Band's 5,000 members.
