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>> Finally tonight, what's
in a name? A federal bill

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authored by Congressman Tom
Tiffany to re designate the

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Apostle Islands from a
national lakeshore to a

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national park is, for some,
a practical opportunity to

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attract more tourists to
what would be the first and

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only national park in
Wisconsin. But there's

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opposition from local
governments, including the

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Red Cliff band of Lake
Superior Chippewa, who

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stressed their obligation
to preserve their homelands.

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Reporter Erika Ayisi
traveled to Bayfield County

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to hear how the community
feels about the name change.

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This report was made in
collaboration with Here and

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Now, and I see Te, formerly
Indian country today.

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>> As Raspberry Beach is
another spot that a lot of

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bullets Moore right there
overnight.

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>> The beach is just one of
the majestic spots on a

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cluster of islands off
Bayfield, in the

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northernmost tip of
Wisconsin. They are sacred

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to the Red Cliff tribal
community.

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not a play land for us.
>> Nicole Boyd is

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chairwoman of the Red Cliff
Band of Lake Superior

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Chippewa.
>> We came here as part of

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a prophecy of the traveling
to where the food is on the

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water.
the Wisconsin side of Lake

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Superior. It's 32,000mi'!S of
the largest freshwater lake

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in the world. Known for its
pristine waters, historic

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lighthouses, sea caves, and
red sandstone cliffs, the

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Apostle Islands attract
millions of visitors each

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year.
>> We have an incredible

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responsibility, and tourism
is a part of that.

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>> Most of the islands here
are a part of the Apostle

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Islands National Lakeshore.
Tom Tiffany, current

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congressman for the seventh
district, is proposing a

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bill to redesignate what he
calls the crown jewel of

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Wisconsin.
>> By elevating the Apostle

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Islands from a national
lakeshore to a national

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park. We can ensure that
thousands more are able to

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visit this area.
>> Boyd says news of

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Tiffany's proposal was
shocking.

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>> First of all, says who?
>> The Red Cliff band

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maintains hunting rights
for tribal members,

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including the Apostle
Islands. Tiffany says the

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proposal affirms those
treaty rights for all

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others. He says even though
hunting is not permitted in

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national parks, it would be
on 1 Island.

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>> My bill also maintains
the heritage of hunting

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within the Apostle Islands
by designating, designating

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Sand Island, a popular
hunting destination as the

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Sand Island National
Preserve.

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>> Tiffany says his bill
incorporated tribal input

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on treaty rights.
>> I would also like to

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note that tribal members
were the first to receive

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any drafts of this bill,
and it is from consulting

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with them and receiving
their input that we have

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included that language.
>> Boyd says the Tribal

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Council responded to the
draft with concerns about

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the environment, economy
and resources.

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>> We've never had a
meeting. We've never met as

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a governing body with
Representative Tiffany.

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He's never sent his staff
here to meet with our team.

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>> With the draft
resolution, did it mention

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any financial support to
make changes that he

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propose?
>> Not that we're aware of.

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>> Boyd says the Red Cliff
Tribal Council was told an

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increase in tourism would
generate revenue. After the

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name change.
>> That's what the increase

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in tourism is going to do.
And the vice chair asking,

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so the check's in the mail,
right?

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>> If passed, the Apostle
Islands would be

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Wisconsin's first national
park, Boyd says the Red

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Cliff owns frog Bay Tribal
National Park, and it's

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already a first for the
state and the nation.

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>> And again, has just felt
a little spited that our

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own representative of our
state has not acknowledged.

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>> Right behind me is just
one of 22 Apostle islands

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near the Red Cliff band of
Lake Superior Chippewa.

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Over 4 million people
visited these islands and

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Bayfield County in 2025.
But Bayfield County

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officials say they also
oppose a new national park

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designation, and they're
worried about managing

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emergency services in this
rural community.

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>> We're missing calls. We
don't mean to be, but we

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don't. We're having trouble
manning our EMS. We're

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already in a a pretty dire
situation.

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>> Jan Lee, Bayfield County
Board of Supervisors, says

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about 16,000 people live in
Bayfield County, and their

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tax dollars are responsible
for providing emergency

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services for all visitors.
>> In order to cover that,

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we have to, you know, raise
our levy. We have to raise

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the taxes.
>> The National Park

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Service manages the Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore.

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Boyd says they are short
staffed.

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dangerous. If you are a
visitor coming here and we

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don't have enough law
enforcement staff that can

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respond to an emergency on
the lake.

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>> Back in Bayfield, Dan
Cardinal visits Lake

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Superior from Wanaka every
year and says he supports

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the bill.
>> Cautiously I do. I mean,

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if it guarantees the future
of Apostle Islands to

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continue in the path
they've been on for the

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last 100 years, absolutely.
>> He offers support with

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caution after reportedly
hearing the Trump

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administration's suggestion
to sell some of the

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nation's parks.
>> The Apostle Islands are

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not subject to that kind of
action right now, and that

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would make me think like,
maybe we shouldn't rush

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into this.
>> Leave the beauty alone.

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>> Christie Branagan is an
enrolled member of the Red

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Cliff band and lives on the
reservation. And she says

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more tourists might
interrupt their ceremonies.

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>> A lot of people hold
ceremonies down by the

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water. Gichi-gami Lake
Superior, and with a lot of

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people coming in tourism,
we don't want to be

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disturbed.
>> Boyd says she doesn't

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expect people to understand
the Red cliffs frustrations

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with Redesignating, the
Apostle Islands.

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>> I've heard people say,
well, if if the name change

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isn't the big deal, what's
the big deal?

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>> She says it's more than
a change in name.

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>> It is understanding the
obligation to protect and

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preserve this land. And all
the beings here and our

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water for everyone.
>> In Bayfield. I'm Eric

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Ayisi for here and Now. And
I see te.

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>> For more on this and
>> For more on this and