Kolby KickingWoman
ICT
It’s coming up on three weeks since a northern Wisconsin tribe placed blockades across four roads on its tribal land, blocking in both tribal and non-tribal residents, and the dispute still seems to have no end.
At the end of January, tribal officials from the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians set up the road blocks, saying the roads were built illegally and built without compensation to the tribe.
At least 60 households affected by the blockades are occupied by non-Natives, according to the Green-Bay Post Gazette.
Leaders insist they are taking care of residents who need food, prescriptions, propane and other services, but some people feel trapped.
“We understand that this is a difficult time for those residents and have tried to show compassion for their predicament,” the tribe said.
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The 86,600 acre Lac Du Flambeau reservation is located in northern Wisconsin.
The tribe said the reservation town of Lac Du Flambeau and title companies therein have negotiated in bad faith, leading to negotiations breaking down and ultimately reaching this point.
In a public statement from Feb. 9, the tribe said it has tried to get the town and title companies to agree to a 25-year easement agreement for the last decade. Easements are “a right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose” and are a common practice.
ICT reached out to a spokesperson for the tribe but did not hear back by publishing of this article.
Originally, the tribe said it offered road easements for 25 years but that the town and title companies want the “right-of-way access forever.”
“Essentially, they are asking us to give up our land. We have given up millions of acres of land over generations,” the tribe said in a public statement. “We now live on a 12-by-12 square mile piece of land known as a Reservation. This is all we have left.”
The tribe is now asking for $20 million to settle the dispute. That number is based on “fees and expenses we’ve incurred trying to secure an agreement to provide access for property owners using Tribal Lands, as well as the cost of illegally using Tribal Lands over 10 years since the easements expired.”
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On Feb. 4, tribal officials met with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and members of his team. The tribe provided updates of what was taking place at that time and provided historical facts that showed how this situation came to be.
In a separate public statement after the meeting, the tribe said, Gov. Evers supported the tribe’s efforts to resolve the situation and would work with the tribe to assist its efforts to “provide current and factual information.”
With the roadblocks going on three weeks since they’ve been erected, it’s difficult to say when a settlement will be reached.
In the public statement, the tribe said it feels for the property owners affected and can relate to their frustrations.
“How much longer should the Tribe allow Town of Lac du Flambeau elected officials, Town Attorney Greg Harrold, and Title Company lawyers to string us along, saying one thing and doing another, before saying enough using our property without a formal agreement in place? Ask yourself, would you tolerate someone using your property for 10 years without your permission? Would you expect compensation for using your property for those 10 years?”
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