Long Awaited Elk Reintroduction Coming to Northeast Minnesota

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time for us to reflect on the historic and continued contributions of Native Americans across the country. Minnesota shares its borders with 11 federally recognized Tribes, including seven Anishinaabe and four Dakota Tribes.
 
Native Americans can teach us a lot about caring for the environment and being good stewards of the land, among other traditions. One symbol of this history is the elk, which were once found in abundance across present-day Minnesota, but now are relegated to three state-managed herds in the northwestern corner of the state.
 
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is leading on a proposal to reintroduce elk back to northeastern Minnesota, with support from the Department of Natural Resources. Conservation Minnesota supported this effort, and legislation was passed to begin the process of bringing elk back to the northeast.
 
Thanks to the changes made this year, one of the northwest herds can expand its population to eventually allow for 100 to 150 elk to move to the Fond du Lac State Forest and Fond du Lac Reservation, with the first animals planned for arrival in 2026. This move will allow Fond du Lac Band members to once again use elk in traditional cultural ways and allow greater opportunity for Native and non-Native people to experience elk in some of their original habitat.