County administrator meets with Grand Portage officials, shares update
New Cook County Administrator James Joerke met recently with officials from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Council. Joerke, who moved to Cook County from the Kansas City area, said he is working diligently to understand the history of the Grand Portage community. Issues at the forefront of the discussion include treaty rights and racial inequities, Joerke said during an interview with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs Oct. 28.
Much of what Joerke discussed with tribal officials regarding these topics will be shared by John Morrin from the Grand Portage Tribal Council in a meeting Nov. 19 starting at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held on Zoom and livestreamed via YouTube.
As the calendar flips closer to the end of the year, looking back to October, it was indeed a busy month for Joerke. In addition to traveling northbound to his new home in the far reaches of northeastern Minnesota, Joerke has been busy meeting county staff and local residents from every corner of the county.
Learn more about Joerke, his meeting with Grand Portage officials and his first month as the new county administrator in Cook County by listening to the audio below.
Joe Friedrichs November 2, 2020
