Tribal-State Collaboration on Sustainability and Solar Development: A Case Study of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Tribal and State governments have a unique and often misunderstood relationship. State government employees are often not aware that Tribes are sovereign entities and not subject to their laws, regulations, or processes on Tribal lands. This lack of understanding causes situations in which consultation with Tribes is overlooked or inadequate, which further strains relationships and can threaten Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Similarly, a lack of understanding of Tribal processes often leads to the incorrect assertion that the Tribe must follow the State’s processes, including their extensive paperwork. Despite these challenges, there has been more collaboration between Tribal and State governments in recent years.

The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) has published a case study exploring the Tribal-State relationship through the experiences of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, which shares geography with Minnesota. Over the past decade, the Band has built relationships with state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Commerce, in support of renewable energy and sustainability programs. The case study describes the Band’s work and successes, and it makes recommendations for how other Tribes and States can work together collaboratively and effectively.

This document was developed as part of CESA’s Solar with Justice: Connecting States and Communities project. The Solar with Justice project aims to bring together state energy agencies and community-based organizations developing solar for environmental justice communities to create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.

This document is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office Award Number DE-EE0009360.