Menominee Indian Reservation

The Menominee Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in northeastern Wisconsin held in trust by the United States for the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin. It is the largest Indian reservation east of the Mississippi River. In the Menominee language, it is called Omāēqnomenēw-Otāēskonenan, "Menominee Thing Set Apart",[4][5] or alternatively omǣqnomenēw-ahkīheh, "in the Menominee Country".[6]

Menominee Indian Reservation
Omāēqnomenēw-Otāēskonenan
Indian reservation
Tribal office
Menominee Tribal Hall
Flag of the Menominee Nation
Flag
Location in Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
TribeMenominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
CountryUnited States
StateWisconsin
CountyMenominee
HeadquartersKeshena
Government
[1]
 • BodyMenominee Legislature
 • ChairwomanGena Kakkak
 • Vice-ChairpersonTo Be Determined
 • SecretaryJoey Awonohopay
Area
[2]
 • Total362.791 sq mi (939.62 km2)
 • Land355.444 sq mi (920.60 km2)
 • Water7.347 sq mi (19.03 km2)
 Area includes off-reservation trust land
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total3,293
 • Density9.3/sq mi (3.6/km2)
 • Reservation
3,032
 • Off-reservation trust land
261
Websitemenominee-nsn.gov

Geography

The Menominee Indian Reservation technically consists of both a 360.8 sq mi (934.5 km2) Indian reservation in Menominee County, Wisconsin and an adjacent 1.96 sq mi (5.08 km2) plot of off-reservation trust land encompassing Middle Village in the town of Red Springs, in Shawano County, Wisconsin. These areas are governed as a single unit for most purposes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the combined reservation and off-reservation trust land have a total area of 362.8 square miles (939.6 km2), of which 355.5 square miles (920.7 km2) is land and 7.3 square miles (18.9 km2) is water.[2] The Menominee have no off-reservation trust land except that which is directly contiguous with the reservation.[7]

The reservation is mostly conterminous with Menominee County, Wisconsin. Within the county, there are numerous small pockets of territory that are not considered to be part of the reservation. These pockets amount to 1.14 percent of the county's area; the reservation takes up about 98.86 percent of the county's area. The largest of these pockets is in the western part of the community of Keshena.

The non-reservation parts of the county are more densely populated than the reservation, with 1,223 (28.7%) of the county's 4,255 total population, as opposed to the reservation's 3,032 (71.3%) population in the 2020 census.[8][3] The most populous communities are Legend Lake and Keshena. The Menominee operate a number of gambling facilities. Most of the reservation land is heavily forested.[7]

Communities
CommunityMenominee name2020 Population
KeshenaKesīqnæh[9]1,257
Legend Lake1,670
Middle VillageNanāweyah omenīkān[10]290
NeopitNeyōpet[11]616
ZoarSaqnawæpaniw[12]107

Education

The Menominee founded the College of the Menominee Nation, a tribal college, in 1993. It was accredited in 1998. The main campus is in Keshena.

Language

Both English as well as the Menominee language, part of the Algonquian language family, are used.[13]

Jurisdiction

The Menominee Reservation is the only reservation in Wisconsin that is not subject to state jurisdiction under Public Law 280. This means that the Menominee Nation or the federal government generally holds legal jurisdiction over tribal members for crimes and civil disputes that occur within the reservation boundaries. The state still maintains jurisdiction over crimes on the reservation when neither the perpetrator nor the victim is a tribal member.[14][15]

Demographics

As of the census of 2020,[3] the combined population of Menominee Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land was 3,293 (including 3,032 on the reservation and 261 on off-reservation trust land). The population density was 9.3 inhabitants per square mile (3.6/km2). There were 1,027 housing units at an average density of 2.9 per square mile (1.1/km2). The racial makeup of the reservation and off-reservation trust land was 94.1% Native American, 3.8% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.2% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household (including the reservation and off-reservation trust land) was $44,402, and the median income for a family was $46,176. Male full-time workers had a median income of $31,439 versus $34,871 for female workers. The per capita income was $15,249. About 29.0% of families and 33.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.2% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.[16] Of the population age 25 and over, 92.0% were high school graduates or higher and 12.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[17]

Economy

Lumber

The Menominee Indian Reservation contains a large forest that has been managed by the Menominee Tribe for over 150 years.[18][19] About 15 million board feet are harvested from the forest every year. This forestry work has been recognized by the United Nations.[20] Wood from the forest has gone to such places as the Milwaukee Bucks arena, Fiserv Forum.[21] The types of trees harvested at the Menominee Indian Reservation include white ash, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, basswood, beech, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, hard maple, pin oak, red oak, red pine, soft maple, and yellow birch.[22]

Cannabis

In August 2015 the Menominee Indian Reservation held a vote on proposed measures to legalize medical and/or recreational cannabis. They are sovereign on their reservation.[23]

In October 2015, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents raided the reservation, taking or destroying 30,000 plants. The Menominee said these were industrial hemp plants, the cultivation of which was authorized by federal law.[24] The DEA contends it was marijuana.[25]

Bison

A bison herd was put on 66 acres (27 ha) which was once a non-tribal farm that used chemicals. A restoration process will include prescribed burning to bring back native grass for the bison to feed on.[26]

References
  1. "Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Legislature". Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  2. "2020 Gazetteer Files". census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  3. "2020 Decennial Census: Menominee Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, WI". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  4. Hoffman, Mike. "Menominee Place Names in Wisconsin". The Menominee Clans Story. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  5. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Reservation Pg. 188
  6. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Menominee - in the Menominee Country Pg. 144
  7. "Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin". Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. September 1, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  8. "2020 Decennial Census: Menominee County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  9. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Keshena Pg. 122
  10. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Middle Village Pg. 145, Village Pg. 260
  11. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Neopit Pg. 153
  12. Center for Menominee Language, Culture, and Art, Language Materials www.menomineelanguage.com/dictionaries-word-lists, Menominee Dictionary - English - Menominee Link (Archive) - Zoar - Zoar Pg. 276
  13. Menominee Language and the Menominee Indian Tribe (Menomini, Mamaceqtaw)
  14. Tribes of Wisconsin (PDF). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of Intergovernmental Relations. July 2022. pp. 11–12. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  15. Moore, David (2018). "Chapter 24: State-Tribal Relations". Wisconsin Legislator Briefing Book 2019-20 (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Council. pp. 9–11. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  16. "Selected Economic Characteristics, 2020 American Community Survey: Menominee Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, WI". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  17. "Selected Social Characteristics, 2020 American Community Survey: Menominee Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, WI". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  18. Buckley, Cara; Davis, Jamie Kelter (April 22, 2023). "The Giving Forest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  19. "Menominee Tribal Enterprises: Forestry". Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  20. Johnson, Christopher and Barbara. "Menominee Forest Keepers". Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  21. Kirchen, Rich. "Preview the floors of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena as local firm awaits a name to paint on them". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  22. "Menominee Tribal Enterprises: Our Forest". Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  23. Spivak, Cary (August 16, 2015). "Menominee tribe prepares for vote on legalizing marijuana". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  24. Staff, "Agents seize marijuana plants on Menominee tribal land", Journal Sentinel staff, 23 October 2015
  25. Steven Nelson,, "DEA Raid on Tribe's Cannabis Crop Infuriates and Confuses Reformers", U.S. News & World Report, 26 October 2015, accessed 21 December 2015
  26. Vaisvilas, Frank (January 5, 2023). "How tribes in Wisconsin are reintroducing the bison with an eye toward food sovereignty and cultural revitalization". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved January 7, 2023.

45°00′19″N 88°42′41″W

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