The Leech Lake Reservation, located in the forests of north-central Minnesota, offers an oasis of natural beauty. Towering pines fringe the reservation's many lakes, two of which are among the largest in the state.
In the 1600's, the Dakota Indians had communities at Leech lake. The Ojibwe bands moved into the region during the mid-to-late 1700's. The first Ojibwe settlements were on small islands on Leech Lake. This area in north central Minnesota was the home of the Mississippi and Pillager Ojibwe bands. In 1847, treaties took sections on the southwest corner of their lands with the Mississippi and Pillager bands from the Menominee and Winnebago tribes that were to be moved from Wisconsin. The remaining land was ceded by treaty to the Chippewa Nation in 1855 that established the reservation. The 1864 Treaty expanded and consolidated the reservation in the area of the three lakes. The intent at that time was to have the other Minnesota Ojibwe bands move to the Leech Lake area. By 1867, the plan was changed and White Earth Reservation was created to be the home of all Ojibwe people. The area of the Leech Lake Reservation was reduced by executive orders however, in 1873 and 1874 added land.
Drained by the headwaters of the Mississippi River, the area is generally swampy. With some 40 wild rice producing lakes, it has the largest natural wild rice production of any of the State's reservations. The land is mostly second growth. The Leech Lake Tribe holds the smallest percentage of its reservation of any of the state's tribes. County, state, and federal governments owned well over half of the original land. Of the 677,099 original acres, 212,000 acres are surface area of the three big lakes. Of the remaining 465,000 acres, other levels of government own 332,804 acres. The National Chippewa Forest has the largest portion of the land. Seventy-five percent of the National Forest is within the reservation.
In 1972 the Leech Lake Band was successful in asserting their right to hunt, fish, and gather wild rice free of state regulation on the Leech Lake Reservation. While the case was under appeal, the state and the Leech Lake Band signed an agreement providing for limitations on the Band's right to hunt, fish, and gather in exchange for compensation from the state. The agreement was ratified by the Legislature in 1973. The original agreement called for the establishment of special Leech Lake licenses, with money from the special licenses going to a special Leech Lake Band Account. Later the agreement was amended to provide, in lieu of the special license, for a payment from the state of five percent of the license revenue collected by the state for fishing, hunting, trapping, and taking bait.
Stamps were first issued in 1973 in panes of 10 (2x5). Stamps issued through 1974 were imperforate and scored between the stamps. Starting in 1977, the stamps were rouletted 9.5. Stamps were used for fishing, hunting and trapping. The backing paper is brown.

LEECH LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION

Paper color Mint Used on license
LL 1 1973 .50 Netting black on red orange ----- (Two examples recorded)
LL 2 1973 1.00 Fishing & Hunting brown on orange 125.00 25.00 175.00
LL 3 1974-76 .50 Validation black on orange 4.00 4.00 75.00
LL 4 1974-76 1.00 Validation black on lime green 4.00 4.00 75.00
LL 5 1974-80 2.00 Validation black on red orange 5.00 4.00 35.00
Paper color Mint Used on license
LL 6 1977-80 1.25 Validation black on hot pink 4.00 4.00 75.00
LL 7 1977-80 1.50 Validation black on lime green 4.00 4.00 75.00
LL 8 1977-80 2.50 Validation black on white 6.00 4.00 75.00
LL 9 1977-80 3.00 Validation black on red orange 7.00 4.00 75.00
LL10 1977-80 4.00 Validation black on yellow/grn 10.00 4.00 75.00
LL11 1977-80 5.00 Validation black on orange 12.00 4.00 75.00

LEECH LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION

LL #1

LL #2

LL #3

LL #4

LL #5

LEECH LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION

LL #11

LL #10

LL #9

LL #8

LL #7

LL #6

LL#5
used on a
Resident angling
license

LL #2 used on a resident combination license

LL #9 used on a resident combination license

LEECH LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION

LL #11 used on a resident combination license

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Leech Lake Page 1