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>> The following program is
a PBS Wisconsin original

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production.
>> I'm Frederica Freyberg

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on this Thanksgiving week.
Tonight we bring you a

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compilation of some of our
favorite stories. Our

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reporters have fanned out
across the state to bring

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you Zac Schultz breaks down
the balance of political

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power in Wisconsin.
Reporter Steven Potter

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shows the ongoing cleanup
of lead in Milwaukee public

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schools.
[MUSIC]

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the tiny town of Stella
about PFAS contamination,

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and Erika Ayisi reports on
UW Madison's tuition

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guarantee for indigenous
students. It's "Here& Now"

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for November 28th.
[MUSIC]

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>> Funding for "Here& Now"
is provided by the Focus

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Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

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>> In September, new
commercial building codes

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went into effect, nearly
two years after a

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legislative committee
blocked a rule that would

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have brought Wisconsin
building codes into

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compliance with
international standards.

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Now, the rule update was at
the center of a Wisconsin

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Supreme Court case that did
more than just change

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building codes. Here and
now, senior political

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reporter Zac Schultz has
this story about how this

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case is part of a series of
court decisions that have

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dramatically shifted the
balance of power at the

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Capitol.
>> Any discussion hearing?

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None. Clerk will call the
roll.

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>> The Joint Committee for
the Review of

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Administrative Rules is
probably not well known by

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most people outside the
Capitol.

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committee the entire time
I've been on the

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legislature.
Adam Neylon, it's one of

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the most important
committees, because it's

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been the place where
Republicans can stop what

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they view as executive
overreach by the

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administration of Governor
Tony Evers.

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>> The reason I did is
because the real world

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impact of administrative
rules, people don't

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necessarily understand that
rules have the same impact

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as law.
>> Administrative rules are

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proposed by state agencies.
So when the DNR wants to

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update the standards on how
to clean up a hazardous

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waste spill, or the
Department of Safety and

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Professional Services wants
to update the commercial

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building codes, they have
to go through a series of

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steps, including scope
statements and public

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hearings, and eventually
the proposed rule will end

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up in front of the Joint
Committee for the Review of

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Administrative Rules.
>> On behalf of the

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Department, I respectfully
request that this committee

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extend the expiration date
for emergency rule 2502 by

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60 days.
>> The committee can

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request changes, but one of
the laws passed during the

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lame duck session at the
end of Governor Scott

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Walker's term gave RFK, Jr.
AR the ability to

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indefinitely block rules.
Both new rules and old

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rules that have already
been in effect for years.

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In 2023, the committee
blocked an update to the

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building codes.
>> When they proposed the

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building code, it went what
we believe far above and

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beyond legislative intent.
>> The committee also

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blocked a proposed rule
that would have banned gay

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conversion therapy.
>> We're not here

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specifically to discuss the
merits of any conversion

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therapy or any other type
of therapy.

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>> Governor Evers filed a
lawsuit claiming Cra's

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ability to indefinitely
suspend rules was a pocket

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veto and unconstitutional.
>> This case is as

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consequential for the
operation of government as

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maybe I've seen in my time
on the court.

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>> At oral arguments,
conservative Justice Bryan

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Hagedorn seemed to
acknowledge that decades

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old arrangement may not be
legal, but so many laws

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have been passed giving
state agencies the power to

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make new rules. With the
understanding the

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legislature had oversight
to make sure they didn't go

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too far.
Constitution says, but hey,

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this is how we've been
operating for a long time.

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And the legislature has
passed a lot of laws

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accepting the framework
that's been given.

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>> Maybe it's not what the
Constitution says was the

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key phrase from Hagedorn.
In a split decision, the

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Liberal majority struck
down RFK, Jr. ability to

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object and suspend rules.
>> Sanity will reign.

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That's what I think. We've
been dealing with this for

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all the time I've been in
office, and that is this

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committee. Mainly the
leadership were able to

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stop everything dead in
their tracks and then it

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things just don't happen.
>> Governor Tony Evers

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celebrated the decision.
While Republicans like

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Neylon fear what rules may
be coming now that they

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can't object.
>> And what we're seeing

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now is how much this has
expanded executive

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authority and how much is
actually expanded. The

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ability to sidestep the
legislature and potentially

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have agency heads create a
super legislature where

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they're able to implement
rules with no oversight

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from the legislature.
>> Both at the national

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level and particularly at
Wisconsin, there is a

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redefining and shifting of
what people thought was the

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balance of power. And what
the court is saying is now

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the balance of power.
>> Former Wisconsin Supreme

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Court Justice Jeanine
Gajewski says as the

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partizan divides grow, the
court is being asked to

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look at the
agreements on how

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government works.
>> They either have to say

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there's a justification for
it, not just a gentleman's

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agreement or party's
agreement. There has to be

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a constitutional legal
justification, or if not,

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we're going to redefine it.
>> Neylon may not like it,

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but Democrats say the case
was only filed because of

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what they call the
excessive abuse of

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authority to shut down
rules ranging from the DNR

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setting safe levels for
PFAS contamination,

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election rules on absentee
ballots, or the conversion

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therapy ban.
>> But I don't think the

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headline should be about
conversion therapy. I think

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the headline should be we
lost legislative oversight

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because that's what really
happened.

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>> Gajewski says she was
happy so many of the cases

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cut across the partisan
labels on the bench, with

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conservatives joining with
liberals, at least in part

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on all these cases.
>> I think that's healthy.

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I really was glad to see
that because I think a

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court that is totally
predictable is really a

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court that looks like a
legislature.

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>> Neylon says they were
already drafting

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legislation in a more
narrow fashion, to reduce

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the need for agencies to
draft rules.

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>> You're already seeing
bills be much more

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prescriptive and not
granting rulemaking

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authority explicitly
through legislation.

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>> Well, I think that's
what happens on decisions

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that particularly upend
what people have been doing.

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And I think that what
happens is that the the

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branches get more creative.
>> Neylon says his next

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bill will attempt to
restore some oversight for

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RFK, Jr. in a way both
sides can agree on.

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>> I think there needs to
be some sort of bipartisan

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agreement, some sort of
working together to make

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sure that we put checks and
balances back into our

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system.
I'm Zach Schulz for "Here&

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Now".
>> As children return to

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classrooms at Milwaukee
Public Schools this past

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fall, more than 50 schools
built before 1950 were

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cleared of lead
contamination. That work

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happened after a student
tested positive for lead

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poisoning in January of
last year, and was traced

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back to chipped paint in a
grade school. Subsequently,

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at least nine schools were
found to have high levels

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of lead. By December 31st
of this year, the district

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and health department are
scheduled to clear all

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buildings built before 1978
of lead hazards. Still on

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the list some 14 schools.
Reporter Steven Potter was

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in the schools in late
summer with the story.

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>> So they'll come back
before school starts and

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make sure that they get
just a constant upkeep.

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>> Brenda Cassellius is the
superintendent of the

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Milwaukee Public School
system since her first day

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in the job less than six
months ago, she's faced the

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daunting task of how to
manage a significant health

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risk facing the school
district's more than 60,000

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students. The problem is
lead contamination,

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specifically chipping lead
paint and lead dust. And

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the extent of the problem
is very widespread.

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>> So we have to assume
that the schools built

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prior to 1950, when there
was the understanding that

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there's lead in paint
happened, that those

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schools have lead in them.
>> Cassellius says the

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Milwaukee Public Schools
were using lead paint until

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it was federally outlawed
in 1978. That means a

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majority of schools are
considered contaminated.

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>> That's about 106 schools.
>> The lead crisis began

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when a student at the Golda
Meir Elementary School

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tested positive for lead
poisoning back in January.

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That's when the City of
Milwaukee Health Department

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got involved.
>> We're very concerned

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about developmental delays
and cognitive regulation.

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So if a child has
significant lead poisoning,

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it can cause behavioral
issues and make their more

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impulsive, and it can cause
permanent brain damage that

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has significant long term
effects. So this is why

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lead is regulated at the
federal level and why we're

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taking this so seriously
here in the city.

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>> Early last spring, after
another MPs child tested

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positive for lead poisoning,
the health department

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ordered the school district
to come up with a lead

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abatement and management
plan to address the most

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contaminated schools and
the student populations

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most in danger of lead
poisoning.

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>> The district was
required to produce a lead

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plan to ensure that we
could get back to

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compliance with the lead
standards that are set

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forth for any school across
the state of Wisconsin.

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>> Around 600 students have
been tested. Totoritis says,

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and the testing of students
continues.

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>> This is an ongoing
effort that's really going

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to span into the coming
years to ensure that we

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keep eyes on the students
at Mnps and, frankly,

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across the city.
>> Part of the school

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district's new plan,
released last April,

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included temporarily
closing several schools and

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relocating the students to
another school. While

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cleaning and repainting was
done over the spring. And

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now through summer. School
officials say they've made

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progress but still have
dozens more schools to

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clear.
>> We're hoping that we'll

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have our schools finished
and tested by the September

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2nd school start date.
>> It's a fluid process, so

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as we do our screenings and
ensuring that the schools

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are ready to reopen, we've
uncovered, hey, you

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actually need to reclean
this room or you need to

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restabilize this surface
and that adds more time.

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>> Despite all of their
efforts so far, Mnps

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officials say that there's
still a lot more work to do

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with cleaning and painting
the schools to get them to

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a standard that's safe for
students. And once the

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schools are stabilized,
additional maintenance and

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00:11:09,369 --> 00:11:11,872
regular inspections will be
needed to keep them that

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way.
going to cost somewhere

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And then there's the
ongoing costs. So we put an

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additional $16 million of
ongoing investments within

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our facilities department
to add custodial support,

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to add painters, to add
plasters, to add lead

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abatement or lead
inspectors to the team to

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make sure that we're
keeping up with our lead

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action plan.
>> And those are costs that

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Mnps is having to cover
alone.

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help from the state.
>> Still, some are

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concerned that not enough
is being done fast enough

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or thoroughly enough to
keep their kids safe. And

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one group wants more
transparency about what's

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being done. Shannon
Pahlicek is apparent with

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Lead Safe Schools Milwaukee.
>> It shouldn't have been a

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problem in the first place.
It's an issue of aging.

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Buildings is a big part of
it, but it's also an issue

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of deferred maintenance,
which is a multifaceted

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problem. The
administration's job is to

240
00:12:09,596 --> 00:12:12,366
know what's going on in the
schools. And so the idea

241
00:12:12,432 --> 00:12:16,036
that there was, you know,
as much degradation in the

242
00:12:16,103 --> 00:12:20,307
paint as there was and as
much dust in the schools as

243
00:12:20,374 --> 00:12:23,544
there was, I think that's
that's disheartening. No

244
00:12:23,610 --> 00:12:27,581
child deserves to be unsafe
on day one. So they've got

245
00:12:27,648 --> 00:12:30,217
to do what they've got to
do. But the faster the

246
00:12:30,284 --> 00:12:32,486
better. But you want it
done right.

247
00:12:32,553 --> 00:12:34,488
>> MPs Superintendent
Cassellius says she

248
00:12:34,555 --> 00:12:37,891
understands the parents
concerns.

249
00:12:38,525 --> 00:12:42,196
we can with all urgency and
no expense spared. So I've

250
00:12:42,262 --> 00:12:44,798
told my team, if if you
need additional painters,

251
00:12:44,865 --> 00:12:47,367
we will buy them. If you
need additional plasters,

252
00:12:47,434 --> 00:12:50,637
we will buy them. The only
thing that I can't give

253
00:12:50,704 --> 00:12:54,508
them more of is time. We
are up against a deadline

254
00:12:54,575 --> 00:12:57,311
on September 2nd to get
this work done.

255
00:12:57,377 --> 00:13:00,781
>> You can't make a mistake
like this and then ask the

256
00:13:00,848 --> 00:13:03,517
public to just trust you.
You have to be willing to

257
00:13:03,584 --> 00:13:06,386
build that trust by being
completely transparent.

258
00:13:06,453 --> 00:13:08,755
>> Regardless of how much
cleaning and repainting is

259
00:13:08,822 --> 00:13:11,458
done, one fact remains that
these schools still have

260
00:13:11,525 --> 00:13:14,494
decades of lead paint
inside them. So the only

261
00:13:14,561 --> 00:13:17,998
way to truly eliminate this
risk, MPs, officials say,

262
00:13:18,065 --> 00:13:21,435
is to rebuild.
>> I think that we need to

263
00:13:21,502 --> 00:13:24,538
do some either major
renovations or new builds,

264
00:13:24,605 --> 00:13:28,342
and we need a significant
100 year plan in Milwaukee

265
00:13:28,408 --> 00:13:31,879
public schools. We have to
make some hard decisions as

266
00:13:31,945 --> 00:13:34,515
a community about the
investments we want to make

267
00:13:34,581 --> 00:13:36,850
in our children's future.
>> Reporting from Milwaukee.

268
00:13:36,917 --> 00:13:40,153
I'm Steven Potter for "Here&
Now".

269
00:13:40,921 --> 00:13:43,557
>> In environmental news.
At more than 100 sites

270
00:13:43,624 --> 00:13:46,827
across the state, from
Mount Pleasant to Superior,

271
00:13:46,894 --> 00:13:49,930
people are dealing with
water contaminated with the

272
00:13:49,997 --> 00:13:53,767
man made chemicals known as
PFAS. Last month, "Here&

273
00:13:53,834 --> 00:13:56,570
Now", reporter Murv Seymour
went to the Northwoods

274
00:13:56,637 --> 00:13:59,573
community of Stella, which
is currently under review

275
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,576
for a Superfund designation
where residents put health

276
00:14:02,643 --> 00:14:06,880
and environmental officials
in the hot seat.

277
00:14:07,981 --> 00:14:11,118
>> Stella is a farming
community.

278
00:14:11,618 --> 00:14:14,755
town of Stella.
>> I think we're 700 and

279
00:14:14,821 --> 00:14:17,991
some individuals out here.
>> It's lakes, it's

280
00:14:18,058 --> 00:14:20,027
wildlife, the people.
>> Everybody is a neighbor

281
00:14:20,093 --> 00:14:23,330
and everybody knows
everybody.

282
00:14:23,397 --> 00:14:27,601
reasons people move here.
>> It's a very caring

283
00:14:27,668 --> 00:14:29,870
locals never leave.
>> When somebody needs

284
00:14:29,937 --> 00:14:32,272
something out here,
Obviously, it's a good

285
00:14:32,339 --> 00:14:34,741
turnout.
>> On this night. People

286
00:14:34,808 --> 00:14:36,577
have shown up at Stella
Hall filling the parking

287
00:14:36,643 --> 00:14:39,613
lot and roadsides.
>> We're all here for the

288
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:41,748
same reason.
>> Inside, they fill nearly

289
00:14:41,815 --> 00:14:44,184
every seat as they stand
together listening. Because

290
00:14:44,251 --> 00:14:46,620
tonight they need answers
from town, state and

291
00:14:46,687 --> 00:14:49,323
federal officials about
their precious lakes and

292
00:14:49,389 --> 00:14:52,292
wildlife that are
contaminated with man made

293
00:14:52,359 --> 00:14:55,596
chemicals known as PFAS.
>> They're here to help us.

294
00:14:55,662 --> 00:14:57,297
They're here to work with
us. They're here to answer

295
00:14:57,364 --> 00:14:59,399
our questions.
>> Stella, town Chairman

296
00:14:59,466 --> 00:15:01,835
Casey Crump lives in this
community.

297
00:15:01,902 --> 00:15:04,238
>> I love the community. I
love the people.

298
00:15:04,304 --> 00:15:06,974
>> He has for almost 25
years.

299
00:15:07,941 --> 00:15:10,277
their friends.
>> As the organizer, he put

300
00:15:10,344 --> 00:15:12,779
this information session
together to provide his

301
00:15:12,846 --> 00:15:15,315
community and himself with
the first update in almost

302
00:15:15,382 --> 00:15:18,318
two years. On fact.
>> We're learning more and

303
00:15:18,385 --> 00:15:21,255
more.
how contaminated are the

304
00:15:21,321 --> 00:15:24,224
water and ground, whose
wells are affected, and

305
00:15:24,291 --> 00:15:27,394
what's the impact on people,
wildlife, crops and

306
00:15:27,461 --> 00:15:30,264
property values. Casey's
quest for answers is

307
00:15:30,330 --> 00:15:32,032
personal.
>> It was personal before,

308
00:15:32,099 --> 00:15:34,401
but now it's even more
personal.

309
00:15:34,468 --> 00:15:36,403
>> Like everyone else here.
>> We have permanent

310
00:15:36,470 --> 00:15:38,372
residents that live around
it, and we have vacationers

311
00:15:38,438 --> 00:15:40,407
that come up during the
summer.

312
00:15:40,474 --> 00:15:42,342
>> Casey Crump has plenty
of questions.

313
00:15:42,409 --> 00:15:45,412
>> What does PFAS do to us
when we have it in our body?

314
00:15:45,479 --> 00:15:48,615
And then also, how can we
find out if we do have it

315
00:15:48,682 --> 00:15:51,485
in our body? If my well's
been tested positive and

316
00:15:51,552 --> 00:15:53,787
I've been drinking this
well for 30 years, you know,

317
00:15:53,854 --> 00:15:57,024
do I have it in my body?
How can we find out about

318
00:15:57,090 --> 00:15:59,526
that?
some areas are more than

319
00:15:59,593 --> 00:16:02,496
three times the recommended
levels. The town is in the

320
00:16:02,563 --> 00:16:04,698
early assessment phase of
being designated a federal

321
00:16:04,765 --> 00:16:06,867
Superfund site. Superfund
status would mean federal

322
00:16:06,934 --> 00:16:10,337
funds and an expedited
cleanup process. Behind

323
00:16:10,404 --> 00:16:13,407
Town Hall sits one of many
EPA and DNR groundwater

324
00:16:13,473 --> 00:16:16,310
testing sites. Water
samples taken from various

325
00:16:16,376 --> 00:16:20,447
wells like this are part of
the lengthy assessment

326
00:16:20,514 --> 00:16:23,350
decades. For now, the DNR
tells people within five

327
00:16:23,417 --> 00:16:25,652
miles of Stella to limit
their consumption of deer

328
00:16:25,719 --> 00:16:28,555
meat to one meal per month,
and they've been told not

329
00:16:28,622 --> 00:16:31,391
to eat deer liver at all.
And they shouldn't eat any

330
00:16:31,458 --> 00:16:34,494
fish from almost a dozen
different lakes in the area,

331
00:16:34,561 --> 00:16:37,297
which includes fish in all
of the lakes that make up

332
00:16:37,364 --> 00:16:41,301
the heavily populated and
popular Moen Lake Chain.

333
00:16:41,368 --> 00:16:44,771
Nearby. Snowden Lake is on
the list, too. At the edge

334
00:16:44,838 --> 00:16:47,641
of the highway, 50 yards
from shore, you'll find a

335
00:16:47,708 --> 00:16:50,511
wooden gate that leads down
towards the lake with a

336
00:16:50,577 --> 00:16:52,813
sign that warns people
about the contaminated lake

337
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,916
water and the risk of being
exposed to it from swimming,

338
00:16:55,983 --> 00:16:59,419
fishing, or ingesting it.
>> We have any idea the

339
00:16:59,486 --> 00:17:02,422
levels stay the same or are
they getting worse or

340
00:17:02,489 --> 00:17:05,792
getting better?
panel takes questions from

341
00:17:05,859 --> 00:17:07,394
people who have written
them on index cards.

342
00:17:07,461 --> 00:17:11,431
>> The rumor is that there
were some illegal dumping

343
00:17:11,498 --> 00:17:15,402
that caused this. Is that
true or not true?

344
00:17:17,004 --> 00:17:19,706
>> The DNR confirms that
former owners of the paper

345
00:17:19,773 --> 00:17:23,443
mill, now called Ahlstrom
and Wausau Paper, are the

346
00:17:23,510 --> 00:17:25,379
primary PFAS polluters in
the area. They've notified

347
00:17:25,445 --> 00:17:27,581
both companies and their
previous owners, requiring

348
00:17:27,648 --> 00:17:31,318
them to fund and clean up
the contamination. In an

349
00:17:31,385 --> 00:17:33,520
email statement in Ahlstrom,
spokesperson tells me

350
00:17:33,587 --> 00:17:36,390
they've received the
notification and they're

351
00:17:36,456 --> 00:17:38,392
carefully reviewing it with
the recent site inspection

352
00:17:38,458 --> 00:17:41,995
report. The statement goes
on to say, we continue to

353
00:17:42,062 --> 00:17:45,999
actively engage as a
partner with the DNR, EPA

354
00:17:46,066 --> 00:17:50,304
and other agencies. Less
than a mile from Gene

355
00:17:51,138 --> 00:17:53,473
Peterson's home on the
shores of Third Lake and

356
00:17:53,540 --> 00:17:57,211
the other lakes, all is
pretty quiet on shore and

357
00:17:57,277 --> 00:17:59,913
on the water. Aside from a
few boaters fishing and

358
00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:02,349
cruising the lake. One day
after that community

359
00:18:02,416 --> 00:18:04,551
meeting, I meet Gene
Peterson at the Oneida

360
00:18:04,618 --> 00:18:07,588
County Courthouse in
Rhinelander. According to

361
00:18:07,654 --> 00:18:09,389
the DNR, lengthy exposure
to certain types of PFAS

362
00:18:09,456 --> 00:18:12,392
can lead to an increased
risk of cancer,

363
00:18:12,459 --> 00:18:16,196
developmental delays,
thyroid and heart issues,

364
00:18:16,263 --> 00:18:18,632
infertility, and low birth
weights in infants.

365
00:18:18,699 --> 00:18:21,368
Residents are encouraged to
use bottled water or treat

366
00:18:21,435 --> 00:18:26,473
water that they consume.
>> First visit DNR, gov and

367
00:18:26,540 --> 00:18:29,243
search PFAS.
>> The DNR has created an

368
00:18:29,309 --> 00:18:31,478
interactive website where
people can search and learn

369
00:18:31,545 --> 00:18:34,248
if they're in one of the
PFAS contaminated zones in

370
00:18:34,314 --> 00:18:37,484
Wisconsin, there are
thousands of types of man

371
00:18:37,551 --> 00:18:40,220
made PFAS in things like
nonstick cookware, plastic

372
00:18:40,287 --> 00:18:43,190
wrappings, microwave
popcorn bags, waterproof

373
00:18:43,257 --> 00:18:46,693
clothing and foam commonly
used in airport fire trucks.

374
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,664
>> I have a spring on my
land. What do I need to do

375
00:18:50,731 --> 00:18:52,633
to get it tested.
>> At that community town

376
00:18:52,699 --> 00:18:55,602
hall? At times, each answer
leads to more questions.

377
00:18:55,669 --> 00:18:57,404
>> They spread this stuff
on my fields for years and

378
00:18:57,471 --> 00:19:00,607
years and years. I lived on
that field. I grow

379
00:19:00,674 --> 00:19:02,342
vegetables in my garden,
which turned out really

380
00:19:02,409 --> 00:19:06,246
good this year. But now I
have concerns about

381
00:19:06,313 --> 00:19:09,683
consuming those vegetables
because we water with our

382
00:19:09,750 --> 00:19:11,485
well water.
>> In Madison, state

383
00:19:11,552 --> 00:19:15,622
lawmakers have set aside
$125 million to help pay

384
00:19:15,689 --> 00:19:17,457
for cleaning up PFAS
contaminated sites across

385
00:19:17,524 --> 00:19:20,160
the state, a drop in the
bucket of what will be

386
00:19:20,227 --> 00:19:23,163
needed.
perfect wording for that,

387
00:19:23,230 --> 00:19:26,099
so it includes all the
landowners that actually

388
00:19:26,166 --> 00:19:29,269
are innocent.
on hold as lawmakers hash

389
00:19:29,336 --> 00:19:31,538
out language in the bill
that protects the

390
00:19:31,605 --> 00:19:33,273
environment and protects
farmers, families and

391
00:19:33,340 --> 00:19:36,376
business owners from
liability and the

392
00:19:36,443 --> 00:19:38,478
anticipated astronomical
costs of cleanup.

393
00:19:38,545 --> 00:19:41,448
>> Wisconsin has done an
excellent job under this

394
00:19:41,515 --> 00:19:46,320
bill's law for decades, and
but it does need funding.

395
00:19:46,386 --> 00:19:48,322
>> Community groups
representing municipalities

396
00:19:48,388 --> 00:19:50,624
and environmental groups
from all over the state

397
00:19:50,691 --> 00:19:53,427
came here to weigh in on
the conversation.

398
00:19:53,493 --> 00:19:55,462
>> You don't have to treat
the water, to do your

399
00:19:55,529 --> 00:19:58,632
laundry, to do your dishes,
to flush your toilet. But

400
00:19:58,699 --> 00:20:00,367
you should be treating the
water that you're using for

401
00:20:00,434 --> 00:20:02,536
food preparation and for
drinking water.

402
00:20:02,603 --> 00:20:05,272
>> In a case by case
situation, the state is

403
00:20:05,339 --> 00:20:07,841
footing the bill to test
and redrill some private

404
00:20:07,908 --> 00:20:10,544
wells. People are already
drinking bottled water and

405
00:20:10,611 --> 00:20:13,146
some are paying for the
testing of their own wells,

406
00:20:13,213 --> 00:20:15,449
something Casey Crump
believes his small

407
00:20:15,516 --> 00:20:18,218
community might have to do
if they want the water

408
00:20:18,285 --> 00:20:21,555
quality here to get better
before it gets worse.

409
00:20:21,622 --> 00:20:23,557
>> We're willing to step up
and we're willing to do

410
00:20:23,624 --> 00:20:26,360
what we need to do, but we
still want answers.

411
00:20:26,426 --> 00:20:29,096
>> Reporting from Stella
for here. Now I'm Murv

412
00:20:29,162 --> 00:20:32,366
Seymour.
>> In a look at education

413
00:20:32,432 --> 00:20:36,703
reporting. UW-Madison sits
on ancestral Ho-Chunk land.

414
00:20:36,770 --> 00:20:40,641
In recognition of that. And
to give back the Wisconsin

415
00:20:40,707 --> 00:20:43,343
Tribal Education Promise
offers full tuition,

416
00:20:43,410 --> 00:20:46,780
including housing costs and
fees, to native

417
00:20:46,847 --> 00:20:49,349
undergraduate students in
Wisconsin. The promise also

418
00:20:49,416 --> 00:20:53,153
extends tuition waivers to
native law and medical

419
00:20:53,220 --> 00:20:55,489
students "Here& Now".
Reporter Erika Ayisi looked

420
00:20:55,556 --> 00:20:59,359
at the program and the
history behind it. This

421
00:20:59,426 --> 00:21:03,330
report is a collaboration
with our partners at ICT,

422
00:21:03,397 --> 00:21:05,799
formerly Indian Country.
Today.

423
00:21:05,866 --> 00:21:10,737
>> It means a lot to me and
my people, my community,

424
00:21:10,804 --> 00:21:15,375
the native community. We
are still here. We're still

425
00:21:15,442 --> 00:21:18,378
fighting for our right to
be here.

426
00:21:18,445 --> 00:21:21,114
>> Riley Aguirre is a
freshman at the University

427
00:21:21,181 --> 00:21:23,784
of Wisconsin's Madison
campus.

428
00:21:23,851 --> 00:21:28,388
>> Education was used as
assimilation to get rid of

429
00:21:28,455 --> 00:21:30,991
our culture, our language,
our traditions, but now

430
00:21:31,058 --> 00:21:33,493
it's used as a way of
teaching.

431
00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,730
>> She's an enrolled member
of the Oneida Nation and

432
00:21:36,797 --> 00:21:40,734
attending the university at
no cost to her or her

433
00:21:40,801 --> 00:21:44,304
family. Using the Wisconsin
Tribal Education Promise

434
00:21:44,371 --> 00:21:48,509
Program. How would your
family have paid for

435
00:21:49,610 --> 00:21:53,380
>> Other scholarships?
scholarships outside of the

436
00:21:53,447 --> 00:21:56,750
school to help me as well,
and probably funding

437
00:21:56,817 --> 00:21:59,520
through the tribe as well.
>> The Wisconsin Tribal

438
00:21:59,586 --> 00:22:02,723
Education Promise program
provides financial support

439
00:22:02,789 --> 00:22:05,459
for students who are
enrolled in one of the

440
00:22:05,526 --> 00:22:08,495
state's 11 federally
recognized tribes. Karla

441
00:22:08,562 --> 00:22:12,566
Vigue, Tribal relations
director of UW-Madison,

442
00:22:12,633 --> 00:22:16,103
says the university wants
to make the Madison campus

443
00:22:16,170 --> 00:22:18,505
more accessible to native
students.

444
00:22:18,572 --> 00:22:20,607
>> We worked with tribal
leaders from across the

445
00:22:20,674 --> 00:22:24,611
state to create the program,
and now we're seeing the

446
00:22:24,678 --> 00:22:28,448
fruits of those labors. You
know, we're seeing our

447
00:22:28,515 --> 00:22:32,519
first class. We've got
nearly 80 students in this

448
00:22:32,586 --> 00:22:36,924
first class, and we're
hoping it will grow from

449
00:22:36,990 --> 00:22:39,526
here.
>> Tuition, housing, books

450
00:22:39,593 --> 00:22:44,331
and all other school
related fees totaling about

451
00:22:44,398 --> 00:22:47,000
$30,000 are covered for
undergraduate native

452
00:22:47,067 --> 00:22:49,403
students through the
Promise program.

453
00:22:49,469 --> 00:22:52,573
>> It's not a taxpayer
funded program. And, you

454
00:22:52,639 --> 00:22:55,375
know, we're pretty proud
that people want to support

455
00:22:55,442 --> 00:22:59,413
this program.
through private donations.

456
00:22:59,479 --> 00:23:01,982
Vigue says the legal
precedent surrounding

457
00:23:02,049 --> 00:23:05,853
federally recognized tribes
is a specific eligibility

458
00:23:05,919 --> 00:23:07,754
requirement for the
students applying to the

459
00:23:07,821 --> 00:23:10,290
program.
>> Federally recognized

460
00:23:10,357 --> 00:23:12,593
tribes are sovereign
nations who determine

461
00:23:12,659 --> 00:23:15,329
citizenship. And so that's
a political classification.

462
00:23:15,395 --> 00:23:17,764
It's not a race or
ethnicity.

463
00:23:17,831 --> 00:23:20,601
>> Undergraduate recipients
of the tribal promise are

464
00:23:20,667 --> 00:23:23,837
reserved one wing of dorms
inside the Smith Residence

465
00:23:23,904 --> 00:23:26,306
Hall. There's also an
indigenous student center

466
00:23:26,373 --> 00:23:30,878
close by that hosts tribal
student groups like Wunk

467
00:23:30,944 --> 00:23:34,681
Sheek. Vigue says the
university wants to do

468
00:23:34,748 --> 00:23:36,717
what's right for
Wisconsin's native people,

469
00:23:36,783 --> 00:23:39,786
considering the university
is on native land belonging

470
00:23:39,853 --> 00:23:43,290
to the Ho-Chunk, also known
as the people of the Big

471
00:23:43,357 --> 00:23:45,926
Voice.
>> This is Ho-Chunk

472
00:23:45,993 --> 00:23:48,695
ancestral land, and I think
there's now some sense of

473
00:23:48,762 --> 00:23:52,866
pride in that and wanting
to share and celebrate that

474
00:23:52,933 --> 00:23:55,702
history. But there's also,
you know, with this promise,

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00:23:55,769 --> 00:23:58,872
a chance to give back to.
>> The University of

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00:23:58,939 --> 00:24:02,709
Wisconsin's Madison campus
extends over 900 acres of

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00:24:02,776 --> 00:24:06,480
land, including a four mile
stretch of shoreline along

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00:24:06,547 --> 00:24:10,884
Lake Mendota. But this land
is the ancestral home to

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00:24:10,951 --> 00:24:13,654
the Ho-Chunk nation. The
native people, who are

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00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,891
living here for over 10,000
years. Through a series of

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00:24:17,958 --> 00:24:21,295
treaties, the Ho-Chunk were
forced to cede or give up

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00:24:21,361 --> 00:24:24,531
this land to the state of
Wisconsin and the federal

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00:24:24,598 --> 00:24:28,268
government.
>> The 1837 treaty wasn't a

484
00:24:30,637 --> 00:24:34,208
revered treaty at all.
These are forced agreements

485
00:24:34,274 --> 00:24:39,179
to cede our land, such as
that particular treaty,

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00:24:39,246 --> 00:24:43,383
move west of the
Mississippi, and, you know,

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00:24:44,318 --> 00:24:48,555
and relinquish our
ownership of our historic

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00:24:49,456 --> 00:24:52,492
homes.
>> Jon Greendeer, president

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00:24:52,559 --> 00:24:55,329
of Ho-Chunk nation, says
the final treaty with the

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00:24:55,395 --> 00:24:57,164
government was signed under
duress.

491
00:24:57,231 --> 00:24:59,700
>> I don't think any
representatives of

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00:24:59,766 --> 00:25:02,402
authority could walk away
from one of those

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00:25:02,469 --> 00:25:04,505
agreements and say they
were the beneficiary of

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00:25:04,571 --> 00:25:07,407
something.
>> Ho-Chunk had already

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00:25:07,474 --> 00:25:10,744
surrendered this part of
their land in an 1832

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00:25:10,811 --> 00:25:14,882
treaty, paving the way for
UW-Madison to be built in

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00:25:14,948 --> 00:25:17,551
1848.
>> I think the Wisconsin

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00:25:17,618 --> 00:25:21,588
promise is a very old
promise that is finally

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00:25:21,655 --> 00:25:25,425
getting kept, at least at
the UW level, at least at

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00:25:25,492 --> 00:25:28,695
the college level.
>> For Aguirre, a free

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00:25:28,762 --> 00:25:32,833
university education on
native soil is personal.

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00:25:32,900 --> 00:25:37,271
>> Our education is not
only for me, but for our

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00:25:37,337 --> 00:25:40,674
community and for the
resiliency of my ancestors.

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00:25:40,741 --> 00:25:43,310
We fought so long through
so many generations of

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00:25:43,377 --> 00:25:47,681
trauma and abuse and
neglect, and being here is

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00:25:47,748 --> 00:25:50,217
like resiliency.
[MUSIC]

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00:25:50,918 --> 00:25:53,654
>> They were forcibly
removed, and this

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00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:58,859
university has spent some
time coming to accept and

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00:25:58,926 --> 00:26:03,197
share that story. And part
of the reason this promise

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00:26:03,263 --> 00:26:07,301
exists is because, you know,
there is some recognition

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00:26:07,367 --> 00:26:11,505
that that all happened. But
there's also, you know,

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00:26:11,572 --> 00:26:14,241
there's also the need and
want to to do what's right

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00:26:14,308 --> 00:26:17,277
and good for native people,
too.

514
00:26:17,344 --> 00:26:20,614
>> Reporting from Madison
Ho-Chunk lands. I'm Erika

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00:26:20,681 --> 00:26:23,584
Ayisi for “Here& Now” and
Eich.

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00:26:23,650 --> 00:26:26,520
>> For more on this and
other issues facing

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00:26:26,587 --> 00:26:29,890
Wisconsin, visit our
website at PBS Wisconsin.

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00:26:29,957 --> 00:26:33,861
Org and then click on the
news tab. That's our

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00:26:33,927 --> 00:26:36,964
program for tonight I'm
Frederica Freyberg. Have a

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00:26:37,030 --> 00:26:40,834
good weekend.
>> Funding for "Here& Now"

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00:26:45,806 --> 00:26:48,942
is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and

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00:26:49,009 --> 00:26:51,478
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.