 A more than 1,000 people were on hand today for the Malax Band of Ojibwe's 33rd annual State of the Band Address. Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin called on band members to engage more with their government as elders intended. Benjamin also highlighted the many successes that the Malax band and its members achieved in 2016, which included the purchase of Big Sandy Lodge and Resort, the first major business in District 2, the creation of a tribal fish hatchery and stocking of over a million walleye fry in three area lakes, the redesign of the Neyasheng School curriculum with the goal of making Neyasheng a top tier school of choice, the purchase of the Four Winds treatment facility in Brainerd, which will begin operating as a facility for band members, the completion of a beautiful new cultural immersion facility in Rutledge, which it will be for teaching Anishinaabe culture traditions and language, and the groundbreaking for new community centers in Districts 1 and 3, as well as the halt of the sandpiper pipeline. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.