On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the National Congress of American Indians, represented by the Native American Rights Fund, jointly submitted an amicus curae (friends of the court) brief in support of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in their ongoing case against the County of Mille Lacs, currently under consideration by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The original lawsuit brought forth by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe stemmed from disagreements concerning law enforcement responsibilities. For many years, the county and the tribal nation had maintained a collaborative policing agreement that acknowledged the tribal police's authority to enforce criminal laws and conduct investigations within the reservation.
The Forest and the Band jointly identified the proposed parcels to be transferred. The intent is to limit fragmentation of ownership boundaries while honoring private property rights.