Today’s column (gift link) takes you along on my first trip to the wild rice stand at the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County. I went there to meet with leaders from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, whose reservation borders the federal reserve. Rice Lake is one of the state’s most bountiful sources of wild rice — some 3,000 acres — and is a crucial stop for a massive population of migrating waterfowl every year.
Our topic of discussion was Talon Metals proposal to mine nickel just a few miles away at Tamarack, Minn.
Longtime readers know I’ve been researching, exploring and pontificating upon new forms of mining in northern Minnesota since I started this blog in 2006, and even before that. I’ve taken a cautious but curious view toward mines like Talon, Twin Metals in Ely or New Range Minerals in Hoyt Lakes. I understand the appeal, and also the skepticism.
I often frame my views in the context of whether new mining will help diversify the economy of northeastern Minnesota, my true cause. This column makes a more focused point. If we can’t compromise on nonferrous mining, what is the question we must answer to make this fateful decision?
Read “Is what we might get worth what we might lose?” in the Sunday, July 12, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
