The Lac du Flambeau Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
are a sovereign
independent nation
but they're facing
federal lawsuits
about how they govern
their reservation area.
That's here
here
and here.
I'm Erica Ayisi
a reporter with PBS Wisconsin.
What does it mean when
a Native American nation
asserts its tribal sovereignty?
For the Lac du Flambeau
governing their land can
end up in federal court.
The state of Wisconsin filed
a lawsuit against the tribe
challenging their fishing rights
with non-tribal members
and the White Sand
Lake Association
of homeowners
are also suing the tribe
for access to launch
their boats from the tribe's
reservation lakes.
I spoke with
Lac du Flambeau tribal members
who say there's
important environmental
concerns at stake.
Wherever the information
and data came from
whether it was our own
or the state's
we pay attention to that.
Let us do what we know best.
Replenish our lakes
keep our grounds clean
our forest.
If you want to know more
about what can sometimes happen
when a tribe asserts
their sovereignty
go to pbswisconsin.org
and click on the news tab.