“We wanted to create that sense of place where people knew without question that they are on Tribal land.” 

Grand Portage National Monument sits near the center of the Grand Portage Reservation, on land the Grand Portage people donated to the National Park Service. After years of Tribal members feeling ignored at the monument, Tribal Chairman Norman Deschampe used Tribal Self-Governance to change that, and in 1999 the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa became the first Tribe with an Annual Funding Agreement with a National Park. 

The Band started with maintenance and grew into interpretation, construction, and resource management, building a new Heritage Center, launching a Teen Ranger program, and extending its stewardship to Isle Royale National Park, where it helps monitor wolves and moose. Featuring Anna Deschampe, Melvin Gagnon, and former Superintendent Tim Cochrane. For Our People: Stories of Tribal Self-Governance & Sovereignty shares stories of Tribal Nations building healthier, more vibrant communities through Self-Governance authority.