Mille Lacs Ojibwe Social History Project: Interview with Don Wedll

Titles: Mille Lacs Ojibwe Social History Project: Interview with Don Wedll (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota in 1949, Don Wedll moved to the Mille Lacs area in 1970 and originally came to the Mille Lacs Reservation as a math tutor for Mille Lacs Ojibwe children. After taking this tutorial position, Don worked as one of the first teachers at the Nay-ah-shing school, and he eventually became Commissioner of Education, a job he had held for six years at the time of the interview. He had extensively researched the history of the Mille Lacs band and at the time of the interview headed the Natural Resources Department of the Mille Lacs band. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Focuses on tribal government under Art Gahbow and the creation of the new executive/legislative/judicial form of government that in many ways replaced the Reservation Business Committee (RBC) government. Mr. Wedll also addresses the history of the band's various economic enterprises, including the tribal marina, the Drift Inn and the Grand Casino, and provides pertinent information regarding the educational system at Mille Lacs, including the history of the Onamia School walkout (1975).

Dates

• 08/25/1992 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Wedll, Don
• interviewer: Godfrey, Anthony

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 36
• Accession Number: AV1993.251.10

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Mille Lacs Ojibwe Social History Project' <OH 36>

Quantity: 63 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: text

Subjects

How can we help?

• Help / About Collections Online
• Learn about the Collections
• Contact the Gale Family Library for help with research, orders, and use/licensing
• Have feedback or comments on the new Collections Online system? Please fill in the Collections Online Feedback Form.