Do you remember the hideous tactics used by law enforcement and private militarized security during the Dakota Access pipeline resistance? For instance, Lakota Law director Chase Iron Eyes was accused of domestic terrorism just for standing in a prayer circle to protect his homelands. Though this ridiculous charge was later dropped, it’s significant that such terminology was used in the first place. It’s a classic — and deeply harmful — racist trope to label non-white people as “terrorists” simply for exercising our First Amendment rights. 

While that dangerous rhetoric hasn’t gone away, I’m happy to say that, these days, tribes aren’t taking it lying down. A few weeks back, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa — my tribe — banished Wisconsin State Senator Mary Felzkowski from our lands after she equated tribal leadership to “terrorists.” She made the remark on Aug. 23 at a town hall meeting in Woodruff, Wisconsin, a bordertown of the reservation. This, of course, follows all nine of South Dakota’s Lakota nations banishing S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem earlier this year for her use of similarly abusive language.

Photo of the 37th Annual Bear River Pow Wow on the beautiful homelands of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. From the tribe’s Facebook page.

The dispute in my homelands centers around residents of the town of Lac du Flambeau — situated on the reservation but home to many non-Natives — and their unauthorized use of roadways on tribal lands. Last year, the federal government sued the town on behalf of the tribe and asked for relief, asserting that non-Native residents had been trespassing on the tribe’s lands. The tribe set up barricades, later removed once the town agreed to pay fees to the tribe. 

Here’s a little more history on how we got here. When the Dawes Act was passed in 1887, lands opened to non-tribal members on many reservations. Now, in my home region, non-tribal members own land within every reservation but one. As a result, tribal governments govern tribal lands and members, while townships govern non-tribal lands and non-tribal members. In places like Lac du Flambeau — or the town of McLaughlin on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota — the two entities often clash over competing priorities, and Natives and non-Natives must share space while at odds with each other.

By 1901 at Lac du Flambeau, 578 allotments had been distributed, and approximately 45,000 acres had passed into ownership by non-Natives. The problems associated with this reality can be hard to solve, but one thing I can be sure of is that it’s important to respect both the sovereignty and humanity of tribal peoples every step of the way. Felzkowski, who serves as co-chair for Wisconsin’s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations, should know this.

Instead, in addition to spreading harmful stereotypes, her comments undermine the Lac du Flambeau Band’s sovereign right to govern itself, its lands, and its citizens. Like Gov. Noem, Sen. Felzkowski just found out what happens, even to powerful government actors, when you mess around with that. 

Wopila tanka — thank you for supporting sovereignty!
Darren Thompson
Director of Media Relations
Lakota People’s Law Project