Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians v. State of Minn.

Page 904

124 F.3d 904

28 Envtl. L. Rep. 20,183

MILLE LACS BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Arthur Gahbow; Walter

Sutton; Carleen Benjamin; Joseph Dunkley,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

United States of America; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewas;

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; Lac

Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Sokaogan Chippewa Community; Red Cliff Band of

Lake Superior Chippewa, Intervenors-Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF MINNESOTA; Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Rodney Sando, Commissioner of Natural

Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of Kanabec;

County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison; County of Pine,

Intervenors-Defendants-Appellants.

FOND DU LAC BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Robert Peacock;

Peter Defoe; Clifton Rabideaux; Herman Wise;

George Dupuis, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. Arne CARLSON, Governor of Minnesota; Rodney Sando,

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Raymond B. Hitchcock, Assistant Commissioner of

Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of Kanabec;

County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison; County of Pine,

Movants-Appellants.

MILLE LACS BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Arthur Gahbow; Walter

Sutton; Carleen Benjamin; Joseph Dunkley,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

United States of America; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewas;

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; Lac

Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Sokaogan Chippewa Community; Red Cliff Band of

Lake Superior Chippewa, Intervenors-Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF MINNESOTA; Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of Kanabec;

County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison; County of Pine,

Intervenors-Defendants,

John W. Thompson; Jenny Thompson; Joseph Karpen; Leroy

Burling; Glenn Thompson; Gary Kiedrowski,

Intervenors-Defendants-Appellants.

FOND DU LAC BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Robert Peacock;

Peter Defoe; Clifton Rabideaux; Herman Wise;

George Dupuis, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. John THOMPSON; Jenny Thompson; Glenn Thompson; Joseph

Karpen; Leroy Burling; Gary Kiedrowski, Movants-Appellants,

Robert J. Edmonds; Michael Sheff, Movants,

Arne Carlson, Governor of Minnesota; Rodney Sando,

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Raymond B. Hitchcock, Assistant Commissioner of

Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of

Kanabec; County of Mille Lacs; County

of Morrison; County of Pine, Movants.

FOND DU LAC BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Robert Peacock;

Peter Defoe; Clifton Rabideaux; Herman Wise;

George Dupuis, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. John THOMPSON; Jenny Thompson; Glenn Thompson; Joseph

Karpen; Leroy Burling; Gary Kiedrowski, Movants,

Arne Carlson, Governor of Minnesota; Rodney Sando,

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Raymond B. Hitchcock, Assistant Commissioner of

Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of

Kanabec; County of Mille Lacs; County

of Morrison; County of Pine, Movants,

Robert J. Edmonds; Michael Sheff,

Intervenors-Defendants-Appellants.

FOND DU LAC BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Robert Peacock;

Peter Defoe; Clifton Rabideaux; Herman Wise;

George Dupuis, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. John THOMPSON; Jenny Thompson; Glenn Thompson; Joseph

Karpen; Leroy Burling; Gary Kiedrowski, Movants,

Arne Carlson, Governor of Minnesota; Rodney Sando,

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Raymond B. Hitchcock, Assistant Commissioner of

Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,

Defendants-Appellants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of

Kanabec; County of Mille Lacs; County

of Morrison; County of Pine, Movants,

Robert J. Edmonds; Michael Sheff, Intervenors-Defendants.

MILLE LACS BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Arthur Gahbow; Walter

Sutton; Carleen Benjamin; Joseph Dunkley,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

United States of America; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewas;

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; Lac

Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Sokaogan Chippewa Community; Red Cliff Band of

Lake Superior Chippewa, Intervenors-Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF MINNESOTA; Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Rodney Sando, Commissioner of Natural

Resources, Defendants-Appellants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of Kanabec;

County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison; County of Pine,

Intervenors-Defendants.

MILLE LACS BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Arthur Gahbow; Walter

Sutton; Carleen Benjamin; Joseph Dunkley,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

United States of America; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewas;

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; Lac

Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of

Wisconsin; Sokaogan Chippewa Community; Red Cliff Band of

Lake Superior Chippewa, Intervenors-Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF MINNESOTA; Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Rodney Sando, Commissioner of Natural

Resources, Defendants,

County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of Sherburne;

County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County of Kanabec;

County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison; County of Pine,

Intervenors-Defendants-Appellants.

MILLE LACS BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS, Plaintiffs-Appellants,

Arthur Gahbow; Walter Sutton; Carleen Benjamin; Joseph

Dunkley, Plaintiffs,

United States of America, Intervenors-Plaintiffs,

St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau

Band of Lake Superior Chippewas; Bad River Band of Lake

Superior Chippewa Indians; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake

Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Sokaogan Chippewa

Community; Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Intervenors-Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. STATE OF MINNESOTA; Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; County of Aitkin; County of Benton; County of

Sherburne; County of Crow Wing; County of Isanti; County

of Kanabec; County of Mille Lacs; County of Morrison;

County of Pine, Defendants-Appellees,

John W. Thompson; Jenny Thompson; Joseph Karpen; Leroy

Burling; Glenn Thompson; Gary Kiedrowski,

Intervenor-Defendant-Appellees.

FOND DU LAC BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS; Robert Peacock;

Peter Defoe; Clifton Rabideaux; Herman Wise;

George Dupuis, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. John THOMPSON; Jenny Thompson; Glenn Thompson; Joseph

Karpen; Leroy Burling; Gary Kiedrowski, Movants-Appellees,

Arne Carlson, Governor of Minnesota; Rodney Sando,

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural

Resources; Raymond B. Hitchcock, Assistant Commissioner of

Operations, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,

Defendants-Appellees,

Robert J. Edmonds; Michael Sheff,

Intervenors-Defendants-Appellees.

Nos. 97-1757, 97-1764, 97-1768, 97-1770, 97-1771, 97-1772,

97-1774, 97-1937 and 97-1938.

United States Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit.

Submitted June 12, 1997.

Decided Aug. 26, 1997.

Rehearing and Suggestion for Rehearing En Banc Denied

Nov. 17, 1997. ^*

James Martin Johnson, Olympia, WA, argued, for appellants County of Pine, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Crow Wing, Sherburne, Benton and Aitkin.

Stephen G. Froehle, Minneapolis, MN, argued, for appellants Gary Kiedrowski, Glenn Thompson, Leroy Burling, Joseph Karpen, Jenny Thompson, John W. Thompson, Michael Sheff and Robert J. Edmonds.

Peter Lund Tester, St. Paul, MN, argued, for appellants Raymond B. Hitchcock, Rodney Sando, Arne Carlson and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Douglas Endreson, Washington, DC, argued, for appellees George Dupuis, Herman Wise, Clifton Rabideaux, Peter Defoe, Robert Peacock and Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa Indians.

Marc D. Slonim, Seattle, WA, argued, for appellees Joseph Dunkley, Carleen Benjamin, Walter Sutton, Arthur Gahbow and Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians.

Elizabeth Ann Peterson, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, argued, for intervenors.

Before McMILLIAN, LAY, and JOHN R. GIBSON, Circuit Judges.

LAY, Circuit Judge.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Introduction

One hundred sixty years ago, near Fort Snelling, Minnesota, representatives of the United States and representatives of twelve bands of the Chippewa Nation negotiated a treaty which ceded Indian ¹ title to certain lands in the Upper Midwest. Historical documents demonstrate that the government was interested in purchasing the land for purposes of harvesting its pine timber. See 1837 Treaty Journal 131; Letter from Commissioner of Indian Affairs Carey A. Harris to Henry Dodge, Wisconsin Territorial Governor, and General W.R. Smith (May 13, 1837). On July 29, 1837, the Bands signed a treaty ceding over thirteen million acres of land in present-day Wisconsin and Minnesota to the United States in exchange for money, goods, and supplies. Treaty with the Chippewas, July 29, 1837, 7 Stat. 536. Article V of the Treaty provided, "[T]he privilege of hunting, fishing, and gathering the wild rice, upon the lands, the rivers and the lakes included in the territory ceded, is guarantied to the Indians, during the pleasure of the President of the United States." These usufructuary rights form the subject matter of the present litigation.

In 1990, the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians and some of its...