1
00:00:00,701 --> 00:00:01,134
The Lac du Flambeau Band of

2
00:00:01,201 --> 00:00:02,569
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

3
00:00:02,636 --> 00:00:04,037
are a sovereign

4
00:00:04,104 --> 00:00:05,672
independent nation

5
00:00:05,739 --> 00:00:06,306
but they're facing

6
00:00:06,373 --> 00:00:07,107
federal lawsuits

7
00:00:07,174 --> 00:00:08,542
about how they govern

8
00:00:08,609 --> 00:00:10,277
their reservation area.

9
00:00:10,344 --> 00:00:11,478
That's here

10
00:00:11,545 --> 00:00:12,646
here

11
00:00:12,713 --> 00:00:13,780
here

12
00:00:13,847 --> 00:00:15,148
and here.

13
00:00:15,215 --> 00:00:16,617
I'm Erica Ayisi

14
00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:18,752
a reporter with
PBS Wisconsin.

15
00:00:18,819 --> 00:00:19,920
What does it mean when

16
00:00:19,987 --> 00:00:21,154
a Native American nation

17
00:00:21,221 --> 00:00:22,789
asserts its tribal sovereignty?

18
00:00:22,856 --> 00:00:24,558
For the Lac du Flambeau

19
00:00:24,625 --> 00:00:26,193
governing their land can

20
00:00:26,260 --> 00:00:27,961
end up in federal court.

21
00:00:28,028 --> 00:00:29,563
The state of Wisconsin filed

22
00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:31,398
a lawsuit against the tribe

23
00:00:31,465 --> 00:00:32,733
challenging their fishing rights

24
00:00:32,799 --> 00:00:34,635
with non-tribal members

25
00:00:34,701 --> 00:00:35,736
and the White Sand

26
00:00:35,802 --> 00:00:36,703
Lake Association

27
00:00:36,770 --> 00:00:37,404
of homeowners

28
00:00:37,471 --> 00:00:39,072
are also suing the tribe

29
00:00:39,139 --> 00:00:40,340
for access to launch

30
00:00:40,407 --> 00:00:41,542
their boats from the tribe's

31
00:00:41,608 --> 00:00:42,876
reservation lakes.

32
00:00:42,943 --> 00:00:43,710
I spoke with

33
00:00:43,777 --> 00:00:45,312
Lac du Flambeau tribal members

34
00:00:45,379 --> 00:00:46,013
who say there's

35
00:00:46,079 --> 00:00:47,114
important environmental

36
00:00:47,181 --> 00:00:48,982
concerns at stake.

37
00:00:49,283 --> 00:00:50,184
Wherever the information

38
00:00:50,250 --> 00:00:51,451
and data came from

39
00:00:51,518 --> 00:00:53,554
whether it was our own

40
00:00:53,620 --> 00:00:54,521
or the state's

41
00:00:54,588 --> 00:00:56,490
we pay attention to that.

42
00:00:56,557 --> 00:00:58,425
Let us do what we know best.

43
00:00:58,492 --> 00:00:59,960
Replenish our lakes

44
00:01:00,027 --> 00:01:01,528
keep our grounds clean

45
00:01:01,595 --> 00:01:02,863
our forest.

46
00:01:02,930 --> 00:01:03,897
If you want to know more

47
00:01:03,964 --> 00:01:05,699
about what can sometimes happen

48
00:01:05,766 --> 00:01:06,934
when a tribe asserts

49
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:07,835
their sovereignty

50
00:01:07,901 --> 00:01:09,770
go to pbswisconsin.org

51
00:01:09,837 --> 00:01:12,172
and click on the news tab.