Chairman Deschampe signs the proclamation formally recognizing March 16, 2026, as “Gezhibaabisega Day.” All photos by Brittany North

By Brittany North - Boreal Community Media - March 19, 2026

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa marked a significant milestone with the return of three culturally important land parcels: Francis Island, Paradise Beach, and an 80-acre forest tract within the reservation, totaling roughly 87 acres.

The land return, finalized in February and celebrated publicly on March 16, represents the largest restoration of Grand Portage land in recent history.

Chairman Robert Deschampe framed the moment not as a transaction, but as a continuation of generations-long efforts to reclaim what was lost.

Each parcel tells a different part of that history.

Paradise Beach, a stretch of Lake Superior shoreline just east of Grand Marais, has long been a cultural gathering place for the Band. It was lost through the 1854 treaty, when millions of acres were ceded and boundaries were drawn that pushed important sites outside the reservation.

Francis Island, part of the Susie Islands archipelago, sits along historic canoe routes to Isle Royale (Minong). For generations, it was used for fishing, hunting, and ceremony. The Band lost the island when it was transferred to the state of Minnesota and eventually passed into private ownership.

The third parcel, 80 acres of forest along Mineral Center Road, lies within reservation boundaries but was lost during the allotment era, when federal policies broke up tribal land and opened it to sale.

Together, these three parcels represent the broader pattern of land loss: treaty cession, state transfer, and federal allotment.

“This is a great day for Grand Portage,” Deschampe said. “When we talk about seven generations, this is what we’re talking about—getting our land back for them.”

 There was a large community attendance for the celebration. 

The return was made possible through a $1.23 million grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, allowing the Band to purchase the land from the B. Van Johnson Trust and related owners. The involvement of the Johnson name carries weight in the community, tied to a history of land acquisition that contributed to the Band’s loss of land more than a century ago.

That context made the action itself more significant.

Rather than a symbolic gesture, tribal leaders emphasized that this was a concrete step toward reconciliation—one that required learning the full history and acting on it.

The day’s ceremony reflected both the gravity and the forward-looking nature of the moment. It opened with a pipe ceremony led by Billy Blackwell, followed by an honor song performed by the Stone Bridge Singers drum group. Tribal elder and former council member John Morrin spoke about the deep connection between the Band and the land, emphasizing that this return restores more than acreage—it restores relationships and responsibility.

 April McCormick, Tribal Council Secretary Treasurer, offers a handmade pin of gratitude to Joe Halloran.

Tribal Council Secretary-Treasurer April McCormick presented a handmade gift to Joe Halloran, recognizing his role in facilitating the land transfer. Language teacher Erik Redix highlighted the significance of the word “Gezhibaabisega,” meaning “it comes back around,” reinforcing the idea that the return of land is both a restorative and forward-looking act.

Foundation Executive Director Erik Torch offered remarks acknowledging the importance of the collaboration, and a ceremonial signing of a proclamation formally recognized March 16, 2026, as “Gezhibaabisega Day.” The day concluded with closing remarks from Chairman Deschampe and a traveling song by the drum group, symbolically carrying the significance of the moment into the future.

 Stone Bridge Singers play the Traveling Song at the close of the ceremony.

Throughout the event, the focus remained on stewardship. The land is not simply back under tribal ownership—it is being returned to careful care and cultural use, with an eye toward the generations who will inherit it.

For Grand Portage, the return of Francis Island, Paradise Beach, and the forest parcel is not just about reclaiming space. It is about restoring relationships—to land, to history, and to the generations still to come.