The cooperation and partnerships between Cass County and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in recent years have not only been successful but apparently are highly unusual, both state- and nationwide. Time and again at the April 24 joint meeting of the county board and tribal council, at Northern Lights Event Center, speakers mentioned how other tribes and governing bodies asked them “How did you accomplish that?” or “Where does this happen?”

One key element is the Memorandum of Understanding signed Jan. 31, 2014, that provides a framework for cooperation between the county and the Band. It states, in part, that “it is mutually understood that consultation between the parties will contribute to the creation of more enlightened, better constructed and more effective policies and decisions.”...