"On a recent Monday afternoon, near the end of business hours, Arthur "Archie" LaRose made the tactical error of walking into the reception area outside his Cass Lake office. Everyone, it seemed, wanted something from LaRose, the 37 year-old chairman-elect of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

One young mother, with two kids in tow and troubles with her food stamps, beseeched him for a gas voucher. A grandmother meekly asked for emergency assistance with an overdue light bill. A band member visiting from the Twin Cities said she needed some cash for transportation home.

Like a seasoned ward healer, LaRose fielded the requests diplomatically, urging each of his supplicants "fill out an app." At the same time, he slowly maneuvered his way to the exit on his way to a meeting in Bemidji with two political allies.

Once out of earshot, LaRose offered a frank assessment of the persistent economic and social problems at Leech Lake. "I want to restore the work ethic in our people. A lot of them try, but with our hiring practices, it's hard for them to get jobs," he said. "And some of these younger people come in and try to take advantage. You help them out once or twice and then they keep coming back in. We do have some people who are just sitting back and collecting."

Still, in his six years as secretary-treasurer — the band's second most powerful elected office — LaRose said he has "helped a lot of people in a lot of ways." As he explains it, he doesn't wish to be "stingy with the people's dime.""

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From casino heist suspect to tribal chairman: The astonishing rise of Archie LaRose (MinnPost.Com 6/5)