For the Tomahawk Leader
LAC DU FLAMBEAU INDIAN RESERVATION – State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) has been banished from the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation.
According to a release from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Tribe’s Tribal Council passed a resolution on Monday, Sept. 9 banning Felzkowski from Tribal lands.
The release said the “unprecedented action” follows remarks made by Felzkowski during a public meeting at the Woodruff Town Hall on Friday, Aug. 23.
Felzkowski “equated the Tribe to ‘terrorists’ amid discussions concerning the ongoing dispute between the Tribe and the Town of Lac du Flambeau regarding the Town’s trespass on tribal lands,” according to the release.
The release said the dispute centers around the Town of Lac du Flambeau’s “unauthorized use and occupation of Tribal lands.”
The Tribe last year barricaded four roads often used by non-tribal members, saying the roads were built on tribal lands illegally and that the lease to use them had expired more than a decade earlier. The roads have since been temporarily reopened.
The meeting was convened in an effort to resolve the issue, and the possibility of returning state land to the Tribe in exchange for putting an end to the roads dispute was put forth.
During the meeting, Felzkowski reportedly said she feels like the stranded homeowners are being held hostage and allegedly also said “It’s kind of like giving in to terrorists, and I don’t like it.”
“The Tribal Council condemned Senator Felzkowski’s remarks as particularly irresponsible and disrespectful given her role as co-chair of the current Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations, a position that carries a responsibility to foster mutual understanding and respect between the State of Wisconsin and Tribal Governments,” the release stated. “The Council further emphasized that her comparison of the Tribe to terrorists has deeply offended tribal members, descendants and employees, who see this language as an attack on their sovereignty, identity and heritage.”
The release said the Tribal Council has “long sought resolution” to the roads issue, which “involves the violation of the Tribe’s territorial sovereignty.”
“The Tribe maintains that it has a legal duty, as guaranteed by the 1854 Treaty with the Chippewa, to protect its lands from unlawful encroachment and trespass,” the release stated.
“The comparison of the Lac du Flambeau Tribe to terrorists such as the Proud Boys and the Taliban, organizations with no sovereignty or treaty rights, and that seek to harm the United States, is not only offensive, but dangerously misinformed,” said President John Johnson Sr. of the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council. “It reveals a profound ignorance of the legal standing of our Tribe and the obligations owed to us under the 1837, 1842, and 1854 Treaties. Those treaties, which established our reservation as a permanent homeland, recognize our sovereign right to protect our lands and people. Senator Felzkowski’s comments, made during an already tense discussion about the Town’s trespass on our lands, have only escalated tensions and further show how uninformed she is concerning Tribal communities and respect for the law. We met with Senator Felzkowski months ago at a Tribal Council meeting and she had the nerve to tell our Council she did not represent us, and she instead represents individual landowners and the Town Board that continues to trespass over our lands.”
The 1854 Treaty between the United States and the Chippewa Nation formally established the Lac du Flambeau Reservation as the Tribe’s permanent homeland, guaranteeing the Tribe’s sovereign rights to govern and protect its lands, the release said.
“The ongoing dispute with the Town of Lac du Flambeau stems from the town’s failure to respect these treaty rights, and the Tribal Council has been steadfast in its legal duty to protect tribal lands from any unauthorized use or occupation,” the release stated. “Senator Felzkowski’s remarks came during a public meeting focused on resolving the trespass issue, a longstanding matter that has hindered relations between the Tribe and the town. Tribal leaders argue that her comments not only damage the prospects for constructive dialogue, but also demonstrate a disregard for the Tribe’s sovereign rights and its role as a governmental authority tasked with protecting its lands and people.”
The Tribal Council said Felzkowski’s comparison of the Tribe to terrorists is “not only deeply harmful, but also threatens the fragile negotiations surrounding the (roads) dispute,” according to the release.
“The Council remains committed to protecting its lands and people, as required by law, and will not allow such inflammatory rhetoric to derail their efforts to seek justice,” the release stated.
The Tomahawk Leader reached out to Felzkowski’s office for comment on Sunday, Sept. 15, but had not received a response as of press time on Monday, Sept. 16.