The Bad River Reservation, nestled in the northwestern corner of Wisconsin, stands as the largest Chippewa reservation within the state. Encompassing a substantial landmass across both Ashland and Iron counties, the reservation boasts a diverse landscape that includes 17 miles of precious Lake Superior shoreline and an intricate network of over 100 miles of rivers and streams. A defining characteristic of the Bad River Reservation is its commitment to preserving its natural heritage, with over 90% of its area remaining undeveloped, a testament to its rich ecological significance.
A Land of Expansive Dimensions
The Bad River Reservation spans a considerable area, totaling approximately 156,000 acres, equivalent to 244 square miles or 630 square kilometers. This expansive territory provides ample space for the diverse ecosystems that thrive within its borders, contributing to the region’s overall biodiversity and ecological balance.
The Bad River Band: Keepers of Tradition
The reservation serves as the home and heartland of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. This vibrant community is deeply rooted in its cultural heritage and traditions, striving to preserve its unique identity while navigating the challenges of the modern world.
Population and Community Life
The Bad River Band comprises approximately 7,000 enrolled members. As of the year 2000, roughly 1,800 members resided directly on the Bad River Reservation. The majority of the population is concentrated within four primary communities: Odanah, Diaperville (also known as Old Odanah), Birch Hill, and Frank’s Field/Aspen Estates. Odanah serves as the administrative and cultural nucleus of the reservation, strategically located five miles east of the town of Ashland along U.S. Highway 2. In addition to Odanah, a newer settlement, New Odanah, has also emerged within the reservation’s boundaries.
A Journey Through History: From Prophecy to Treaty
The history of the Bad River Reservation is interwoven with the rich tapestry of the Anishinaabe people. According to their ancient prophecies, Gichi Manidoo, the Great Spirit, instructed the Anishinaabe to migrate westward from the Atlantic coast until they discovered "the food that grows on water." After a series of migrations and separations, a branch of the Anishinaabe, known as the Lake Superior Chippewa, located wild rice near Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior’s southern shore, marking the site of the present-day Bad River Lapointe Reservation. The final destination of their journey was the nearby Madeline Island.
Following the 17th century, Anishinaabe communities spread throughout northern Wisconsin, settling on lands that had previously been contested with the Dakota Sioux and the Meskwaki tribes. Those who remained close to the trading post of La Pointe on Madeline Island became known collectively as the La Pointe Band. Their livelihoods were intricately linked to the fur trade with French-Canadian settlers, supplemented by seasonal activities such as berry picking, maple sugaring, fishing, wild ricing, hunting, and gathering nuts, roots, and medicinal plants.
The Treaty of Prairie Du Chien, signed in 1825, highlights the decentralized governance of the Ojibwe people, based on the consent of its people. The treaty bears the signatures of over 40 Ojibwe leaders. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Ojibwe were compelled to cede vast amounts of land in the Treaties of 1837 and 1842. These treaties, however, explicitly preserved the Ojibwe’s right to hunt and fish on the ceded lands.
In 1850, a removal order was issued for the Ojibwe bands, but a delegation managed to persuade President Fillmore to revoke the order and initiate the establishment of permanent reservations. The Treaty of 1854 formally established four reservations for the Ojibwe bands: Bad River, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac Du Flambeau, and Red Cliff. Crucially, the treaty reaffirmed the Ojibwe’s rights to hunt, fish, and gather on their ceded lands.
The ill-fated attempt to remove the Lake Superior Bands in the 19th century culminated in the Sandy Lake Tragedy. In the wake of this tragedy, the U.S. government agreed to establish permanent reservations in Wisconsin. At this juncture, the La Pointe band divided: those who had embraced Roman Catholicism, led by Kechewaishke (Chief Buffalo), established a reservation at Red Cliff. Those who adhered to traditional Midewiwin beliefs settled at Bad River Reservation. Despite this separation, the two bands maintain close ties to this day.
The land for the Bad River Reservation was formally designated in the Treaty of La Pointe, signed with the United States on Madeline Island on September 30, 1854. The treaty land encompassed nearly 2,000 acres on Madeline Island, considered the ancestral center of the Ojibwe Nation.
During the late 19th century, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration established St. Mary’s School in Odanah, an Indian boarding school. Students from various tribes came to learn English, Western subjects, and Christianity. During this era, timber companies leased land on the reservation for lumbering, but they exploited the tribe and caused significant environmental damage through overlogging. During the Allotment period, the tribe leased almost half of its land base, which originally covered the entire area of modern-day Ashland, Wisconsin.
Contemporary Issues and Achievements
As Lake Superior Ojibwe, the Bad River Lapointe Band retains its rights to hunt, fish, gather wild rice, and harvest medicinal plants throughout the ceded territory of northern Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. The tribe has vigorously asserted these rights throughout the 20th century and into the present day. Tribal members from Bad River and other Lake Superior bands resumed their traditional practice of spear fishing, which resulted in the Wisconsin Walleye War with recreational and sports fishermen.
In 1996, a group of Ojibwe activists known as the Anishinaabe Ogitchida blockaded a railroad shipment of sulfuric acid from crossing the reservation. The shipment was destined for a copper mine in Michigan, and the protestors raised concerns about the potential environmental hazards the acid posed to reservation lands and the Lake Superior watershed. The national attention generated by the protests compelled the Environmental Protection Agency to halt the use of acid in the mine.
Economic Landscape
The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) is headquartered on the Bad River Reservation. The tribe also owns and operates a fish hatchery, which annually stocks local rivers and lakes with 15 million walleye.
The Bad River Band of Lapointe Ojibwe owns and operates a casino, as well as the Moccasin Trail gas station and grocery store complex. The Tribe also operates a clinic, local transit system, tribal school, daycare, and Head Start program. The tribe also has a police and volunteer fire department for the community. It has several community facilities: a tribal fire hall and youth center in the Birch Hill community, and a utility garage in the Franks Field community.
Topography and Climate: A Land Shaped by Nature
The Bad River Reservation is characterized by its predominantly forested and swampy terrain. In Anishinaabemowin, the Anishinaabe people who lived around swamps were known as Omashkiigowag ("Swampy people"), derived from mashkiig, meaning "swamp." They are also referred to as Mashkigonaabeg, meaning "Swampy-men," where the suffix -naabe signifies "male" or "man" in the Anishinaabe language.
The northern border of the reservation typically lies between 600 and 700 feet above sea level. Moving southward, the elevation gradually increases to between 700 and 1,100 feet above sea level. Numerous small lakes are scattered throughout the reservation, adding to its scenic beauty and ecological diversity.
Sixteen thousand acres of the reservation consist of high-quality wetlands, thanks to the Kakagon River and the Bad River sloughs, which are recognized by the United States government under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. These wetlands provide ideal conditions for the cultivation of wild rice, the historical staple crop of the Ojibwe people. The sloughs represent the only remaining extensive coastal wild rice marsh in the Great Lakes region.
Due to its rich habitat and proximity to Madeline Island, the Bad River Reservation holds immense significance for the Ojibwe Nation. People from all over Ojibwe Country converge for the annual August Celebration of the manoomin, or wild rice harvest.
The Bad River Reservation experiences extreme climate conditions, with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Lake Superior exerts a strong influence on the climate. During the cold winter months, low temperatures average slightly above 0°F (-18°C), while high temperatures average above 20°F (-7°C). Average low temperatures during the summer months range from 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C), and average high temperatures range from 74 to 80°F (23 to 27°C).
Precipitation is abundant, primarily due to the extensive forests and the proximity to Lake Superior. The average yearly precipitation is approximately 30 inches (760 mm).