Central ND News

Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden met with leaders and members of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation in New Town, North Dakota to discuss state-tribal relations. The meeting focused on challenges, opportunities, and shared priorities between the state government and tribal communities.

The visit is part of Governor Armstrong’s plan to strengthen partnerships with all five tribal nations in North Dakota during his first year in office. Previous meetings have taken place with officials from Turtle Mountain and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate.

During the meeting, Armstrong expressed appreciation to MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox for hosting the delegation and emphasized the importance of collaboration. “Our goal with these events isn’t just to be here and show that we’re here. Our goal is to find action items … and build up those partnerships and find a way that we can add value,” Armstrong said. “We want to make progress. We want to figure out where we can work together.”

Fox spoke about recent investments made by the tribes in infrastructure and economic development as essential for their prosperity. He noted that MHA Nation contributes about 3% of total U.S. oil production and has ongoing projects related to gas capture, power generation, among others. “We’re proud that you took the time to come here, government to government, and to sit down and talk about very important issues that impact all of us,” Fox said. “What we do impacts the state. What the state does impacts us.”

Armstrong and Strinden joined Fox for a tour of MHA’s new NG2 Greenhouse, which covers more than 141,000 square feet and will produce up to 1.8 million pounds of fresh produce annually including lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, and cabbage. Fox described this progress as a move toward self-sustainability: “We’re building our future with our own initiative, with our own strength.”

The agenda included discussions at 4 Bears Casino regarding economic development, gaming operations, public safety jurisdiction issues, emergency management coordination, substance abuse treatment services, as well as tours of tribal facilities such as the emergency operations center and health center campus.

These visits are facilitated by the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission to help introduce new administration members to tribal nations while building stronger relationships.

Strinden highlighted shared goals between the state government and MHA Nation involving education initiatives, workforce development programs, health care services improvements, and community strengthening efforts. She stated: “MHA has a strong presence in energy, gaming and agribusiness, which contribute to the economic strength of ND, and we commend the Nation’s ongoing investments in infrastructure, health care and cultural revitalization.”

The MHA Nation—also called the Three Affiliated Tribes—is based on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation across six counties in west-central North Dakota.