St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, located in northwestern Wisconsin, along the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
valley and watershed.
History
St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin is the eastern half of the historic St. Croix Chippewa IndiansSt. Croix Chippewa Indians
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians are a historical Band of Ojibwe located along the St. Croix River, which forms the boundary between the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Majority of the St. Croix Band are divided into two groups: the Federally recognized St...
who lost federal recognition in 1854. St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin re-gained their federal recognition under the Indian Reorganization Act
Indian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...
. The western half of the historical tribe, the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, are non-Federally recognized component of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...
. Due to loss of Federal recognition in 1854, as one of two successors apparent of the historical St. Croix Chippewa Indians, the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin do not have a formal Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
.
Today
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin is a federally recognized tribe governed by a five-member council elected for two-year terms. The Tribal Council is responsible for the general welfare of tribal members and the management of day-to-day tribal business. The Council is governed by the tribal constitution and by-laws, which were originally ratified in 1934 under the Indian Reorganization Act.Due to not having a formal Indian Reservation, the lands constituting the St. Croix Indian Reservation are composed of small tracts of lands representing communities made up of families who have frequently lived in the same vicinity for generations. The reservation communities are scattered with about 50 miles (80.5 km) being the longest distance between any two of them. The five major communities are Sand Lake
Sand Lake, Burnett County, Wisconsin
Sand Lake is a town in Burnett County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 556 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 square miles , of which, 32.8 square miles of it is land and 3.4 square miles ...
, Danbury
Danbury, Wisconsin
Danbury is an unincorporated census-designated place in Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States. The community is located in the northwest corner of the Town of Swiss. Its ZIP code is 54830. As of the 2010 census, its population is 172...
, Round Lake
Round Lake, Wisconsin
Round Lake is a town in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 962 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 118.2 square miles , of which, 109.3 square miles of it is land and 8.9 square miles of...
, Maple Plain
Maple Plain, Wisconsin
Maple Plain is a town in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 876 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles , of which, 33.3 square miles of it is land and 2.7 square miles ...
, and Gaslyn. They occupy land in Barron, Burnett, and Polk counties. Of the total resident population of 641 persons as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, 370 live in Burnett County, 197 in Polk County, and 74 in Barron County. The total area of the separate tracts of lands equals 9.140 km² (3.529 sq mi, or 2,258.49 acres), including off-reservation trust lands.
The tribal headquarters is located on the Sand Lake Reservation Community, which is one mile (1.6 km) west of the town of Hertel, Wisconsin
Hertel, Wisconsin
Hertel is an unincorporated community located in Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States. Hertel is located on Wisconsin Highway 70 west of Spooner, in the town of La Follette. Hertel had a post office, which closed on September 13, 1997....
. The Tribe operates the St. Croix Casino & Hotel in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Turtle Lake is a village in Barron and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,065 at the 2000 census. The village is split between the towns of Almena and Beaver .-Geography:...
, "Little Turtle" Hertel Express Casino in Hertel, and St. Croix Casino and Hotel Danbury in Danbury.
External links
- Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) information regarding the fisheries operated by the St. Croix Band
- St. Croix Band Demographics