Although this reservation is known as home to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, there are also members of the Pembina Band of Chippewa living there.
Most of the Chippewa in this area are of mixed ancestry, predominately French and are known as Mechif/Metis. Few full blood Chippewas remain.
According to the 1990 Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates, tribal membership is approximately 25,000.
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LOCATION
The Turtle Mountain Service Unit is located in
north central North Dakota, with Canada bordering the north. The
service unit is comprised of Rolette County and covers
approximately 938 square miles. The Reservation proper is totally
within Rolette county and is only 72 square miles. Belcourt, the
site of the Indian Health Service (IHS) hospital, is located 271
miles from the Aberdeen Area Office.
ACCESS
The service unit is served by highways, U.S.
281, ND 5, and ND 3. Although paved, the highways are often
treacherous during the winter months due to snow and icy
conditions. The Tribal Government and Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) hard-surfaced the major Tribal roads on the reservation.
Freight service is provided by the Burlington Northern Railroad
to Rolla seven (7) miles from Belcourt. Amtrak service is
available at Rugby, ND, forty-five (45) miles from Belcourt. Air
travel is provided by Rolla Flying Service, a private enterprise
located in Rolla. Commercial air travel is available at Devils
Lake and Minot (100 miles away), Fargo (250 miles away), Grand
Forks (170 miles away), and Bismarck (280 miles away).
TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The topography of the reservation consists of
low rolling hills, trees, and brush of which 40% is covered with
lakes, small ponds, and sloughs. Six-thousand acres are used for
farming and the remainder is individually owned. The climate of
the area is cold winters, with snow remaining on the ground for
about six months and pleasant summers, warm in the daytime and
cool in the evening. Average annual precipitation is between
25-30 inches.
HOUSING AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
Overcrowded housing conditions are slowly
getting relieved by the various housing programs on the
reservation with resources coming from HUD, FHA, BIA, and IHS.
However, there is still a problem of substandard housing on the
reservation. Low-rent housing is available in Dunseith and the
rural area north of Dunseith. Two low-rent complexes provide
housing in the rural Belcourt area. Scattered home sites exist
throughout the area. Belcourt is the site of government housing
for BIA and IHS employees.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PROFILE
Although the service unit is known as home to
the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, there a also members of the
Pembina Band of Chippewa living there. Most of the Chippewa in
the service unit are of mixed ancestry, predominately French and
are known as Mechif/Metis. Few full blood Chippewas remain.
According to the 1990 Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates, Tribal
membership is approximately 25,000. The Tribe is governed by an
elected Tribal council comprised of nine members.
The Tribe has not developed sufficient
information regarding surface and groundwater at the reservation
to determine the quality or quantity of tribal water resources.
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