Woven into the history of the town of Devils Lake, is the history of its neighbor to the south, the reservation of the Spirit Lake Nation. Formerly known as Devils Lake Sioux Tribe, Spirit Lake is a federally recognized tribe based on the southern shores of Devils Lake.
According to the Spirit Lake Tribe’s website, the reservation was established by a treaty between the U.S. government and the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Bands in 1867. Located 11 miles south of Devils Lake, the area is comprised of Sisseton, Wahpeton and the Cut-Head bands of Yanktonais, who had already been placed on the reservation.
According to the Treaty of 1867, the boundaries of the Spirit Lake reservation are,
“Beginning at the most easterly point of Devil’s Lake; thence along the waters of said lake to the most westerly point of the same; thence on a direct line to the nearest point on the Cheyenne River; thence down said river to a point opposite the lower end of Aspen Island, and thence on a direct line to the place of beginning.”
In 2014, total enrollment of the Spirit Lake Tribe members was 7,256.
The topography of the area is generally consistent with the Northern Plains region, with both flat terrain and rolling hills, and some wooded areas. The major surface water feature is Devils Lake, which comprises 90,000 acres of area stretched over 200 miles. There are also numerous small lakes on the reservation, including Twin Lakes, Spring Lake, Free Peoples Lake, Elbow Lake, and Skin and Bone Lake.
The Spirit Lake Reservation covers approximately 405 square miles primarily in Benson County, and in the southern part is Eddy County, with Nelson on the east boundary and Ramsey County to the north. Total acres as of 1998 were as follows; total tribally owned is 26,283 acres, allotted (trust) land; (trust) is 34,026 acres, U.S. Government and State is 375 acres, and fee land is 184,451 acres. Total acres within the exterior boundaries are total land 245,141 acres.
The major river surface water body is the Sheyenne River, which forms the southern boundary of the reservation. The portion of the Sheyenne within the reservation is approximately 50 miles long: ultimately the Sheyenne River discharges into the Red River, which flows northerly between North Dakota and Minnesota into Manitoba, Canada. Numerous small streams and springs within the reservation also contribute flows to the Sheyenne River. In addition, the rivers and streams of the reservation have substantial areas of associated wetlands and prairie potholes.
After the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 and following the gaming compact agreement between then-North Dakota Gov. George A. Sinner and the Tribes in 1992, the first tribal casino on the reservation was opened at St. Michael, N.D. The facility employed 35 individuals, most of whom were tribal members. In 1994, the tribe renovated a gymnasium and added a casino in Tokio, N.D. This development created employment for 191 people, 75 percent of whom were Native American.
In 1996, the Spirit Lake Tribe closed its two existing casinos, investing $7 million in the construction of a new 49,000-square-foot casino. Operation began on June 1, 1996, and was named Spirit Lake Casino. This new venture created an additional 150 new jobs for the reservation and surrounding communities.