MENOMONEE INDIANS

THIS TRIBE AND THE HO CHUNK ARE THE ONLY TRIBES INDIGENOUS TO WISCONSIN. THEIR NAMES COME FROM OJIBWAY AND MEANS "WILD RICE PEOPLE", ONE OF THEIR STAPLES. THEY HAVE A RESERVATION IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN AND TRIBAL OFFICE IN KESHENA. THE RESERVATION HAS 3000 MEMBERS AND NON RESERVATION MEMBERS ARE 4500.

IN 1854 THE RESERVATION WAS CREATED ON THE WOLF RIVER. THE TRIBE FORMERLY LIVED IN UPPER MICHIGAN BY MACKINAC. AFTER THE MENOMINEE HELPED THE BRITISH AND CANADIANS DEFEAT INVADING AMERICANS AT THE BATTLE OF MACKINAC ISLAND THEY SOLD THEIR LANDS TO THE U S GOVERNMENT THROUGH 9 TREATIES FROM 1821 TO 1848. THEN THEY MOVED TO THEIR PRESENT RESERVATION. THEY ARE EASTERN WOODLAND AND BELONG IN THE ALGONQUIN
LANGUAGE BRANCH. THEY PREVIOUSLY GATHERED A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANTS AND WILD RICE, AND HUNTED ANIMALS AND STURGEON. THEY HAD FIVE CLANS - BEAR, EAGLE, THE WOLF, THE CRANE AND THE MOOSE.

DURING THE 40'S THE MENOMINEE WERE IDENTIFIED FOR TERMINATION. AS WERE THE KLAMATH IN OREGON. THE MENOMINEE WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THE BIA BELIEVED THEY WERE SUFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY SELF RELIANT ON THEIR TIMBER INDUSTRY. BY 1950 THEIR RESERVATION WAS TERMINATED. THEIR PROPERTY TO A CORPORATION. THIS PLAN WAS A FAILURE AS THE TRIBE HAD SUBSTANDARD LIVING QUARTERS AND THEY CLOSED THE HOSPITAL AND SOME SCHOOLS. THE TRIBAL INDUSTRIES COULD NOT SUSTAIN THEIR COMMUNITY. THEIR $10 MILLION TAX BASE DWINDLED TO $300,000 BY 1964. THEY LOBBIED TO CONGRESS TO RESTORE THEIR TRIBE AS A FEDERAL RECOGNIZED TRIBE AND WERE SUCCESSFUL. BY 1975 A TRIBAL CONSTITUTION WAS SIGNED BY NEW TRIBAL LEADERS.

THEY BELIEVED THE EARTH SEPARATED INTO UPPER AND LOWER WORLDS. THEIR MYTHOLOGIES ARE RICH! UPPER WORLD WAS GOOD AND LOWER WORLD IS EVIL. THE SUN AND VARIOUS BIRDS OCCUPIED THE UPPER WORLD, WHILE THE LOWER LEVEL BELOW EARTH WAS OCCUPIED BY THE HORNED SERPENT. THE WHITE DEER OCCUPIED ANOTHER LEVEL AND WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE MEDICINE DANCE. THE NEXT LEVEL UNDERWATER PANTHER AND THE LOWEST LEVEL. RULED BY GREAT WHITE BEAR. THEY USED DREAMING AS A WAY OF CONNECTING WITH A GUARDIAN SPIRIT TO GAIN POWER. A YOUNG PERSON IN PUBERTY WOULD FAST AND A MEDICINE MAN WOULD INTERPRET THEIR DREAMS IN ANIMAL FORMS. AND IT GAVE THEM RESPONSIBILITIES.

CURRENTLY THEY HAVE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THEY ALSO BUILT A CASINO AND A HOTEL. THEY HAVE A NOTABLE FORESTRY RESOURCE DEPARTMENT. THEY MANAGE A $235000 ACRES AND SELL MUCH OF THEIR TIMBER.

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