Jean Roper

Extensions Development & Community Coordinator

(She/Her) | jean.roper@lltc.edu | (218) 335-4285 | Cedar Hall 205

August 12, 2024

My native name is Menabenayseeaque (Thunderbird Lady), my colonized name is Jean (Adams) Roper. I have family members enrolled under the MCT (Minnesota Chippewa Tribe).  My 6 adult children, 11 grandchildren, great granddaughter, and I are from the Cass Lake area. I am the 3^rd youngest child out of 9. My parents and grandparents are from both the Leech Lake and the White Earth Reservations.  I graduated in 1985 from Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Tribal school, after graduating I wanted to further my education, so I attended Staples Vo-Tech for 4 years with acquiring a degree for both carpentry and office management. After graduating in 1989 I started working for Leech Lake Gaming, I worked in the same department for over 16 years at the old Palace Casino here I Cass Lake.  I went from a Blackjack dealer to BJ Supervisor and then the BJ director position. When I decided to change my employment, I moved over to the Tribe side of Leech Lake in 2005.  I had numerous positions throughout my time with the Tribe. The last position I had before transferring to the LLTC was the Cass Lake Emergency Shelter Site Manager. I worked in that position for 10 years. During those years I worked with most of the Tribes, CoC’s (Continuum of Care), State, Federal and non-profit organizations within the State. I collaborated with other Shelters both on and off the Reservations in Minnesota.  I have a great relationship with Tribal, State and Federal Programs that I believe I will bring a great deal of relationships and knowledge to the LLTC Extensions Program. With the collaboration of all, we will be able to take the Extensions Program to a higher limit of what we can do for the students within the campus as well as the Community members on and off Leech Lake and the surrounding areas.  The Extensions Program has offered a variety of classes to both students and Community members abroad over a period of years. Such classes have consisted of ribbon skirt/shirt making, the art of making music, heirloom seeding, garden tilling, Ojibwe language games, moccasin making, processing deer hides, quilt making, snowshoe class, braided rug class and so many more that I have not listed. What I would like to do going forward, is still incorporate these classes listed along with more newer classes that can add our cultural understanding, wisdoms, walking the good life path, winter storytelling, birchbark ceremony bowls, ceremony tools for our indigenous people, making of bear grease (sav) for healing and so many more. I would like to work on getting a teaching lodge and sweat lodge built here on campus for our students, faculty, staff and all family members.  A sweat lodge for the women and another for the men. I have started working with such items to create for our students as they are known as “white sage mini bundles” which will have such items in them as; sage, sweetgrass, willow, cedar, Palo santo smudge sticks and sage goddess palo santo. We could teach the deeper knowledge and sustainability of what these sacred items mean and how to use them.  I will be reaching out to our LL members, MCT members and then all other members enrolled in other Tribes to enquire about their knowledge and teachings. I would like to get more community members involved with our teaching and learning classes as well. The Extensions Program is working on having classes monthly for the entire 12 months of the year. A variety of teaching and learning for the youth, teenagers, young adults and elders. At times I would like to do door prizes for the classes if appropriate. I would like to incorporate classes with other Tribes as well as non-native programs in the area. Working on a 5 year strategic plan is what is most important for the Extension Community & Development to strive for success.