Meet the 11 federally recognized tribes of Wisconsin

Each tribe is distinct in its own way

Lorenzo Gudino by Lorenzo Gudino

Map source: Wisconsin Judicare. Depicts general locations and is not a true reflection of the size of the land base. Text sources: Tribes and their websites, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and travelwisconsin.com.

The state’s 11 federally recognized tribes are distinct in a variety of ways.

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Pop: 6,945

Reservation: 124,655 acres

Location: Ashland County

Quick Fact: Kakagon Sloughs on tribal lands contains the largest naturally grown wild rice bed in the world and is a registered National Natural Landmark.

Forest County Potawatomi

Pop: About 1,400

Reservation: 12,000 acres

Location: Primarily in Forest County

Quick Fact: A cultural center, library and museum contains a collection of photos, books, treaties and other materials on the tribe’s culture and traditions.

Ho-Chunk Nation

Pop: 7,686 (5,426 residing in Wisconsin)

Tribal lands (no reservation): 8,863 acres in trust and fee lands.

Location: No continuous land base, but has acreage and communities in the counties of Adams, Clark, Crawford, Dane, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Sauk, Shawano, Vernon and Wood.

Quick Fact: Ho-Chunk recently opened new community buildings for tribal members in Black River Falls, Green Bay, Madison and the Mauston area.

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Pop: 7,275

Reservation: 76,465

Location: Primarily in Sawyer County

Quick Fact: This tribe hosts Honor the Earth Powwow every July and celebrates Ojibwe traditions with music, dancing, crafts and food.

Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Pop: 3,415

Reservation: 86,600 acres

Location: Primarily in Vilas County

Quick Fact: The historic Indian Bowl, the site of cultural events, was rebuilt on the same site and reopened last year. Phase 2 will include a museum and arts center.

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Pop: 8,720

Reservation: 235,524 acres

Location: Almost identical to boundaries of Menominee County

Quick Fact: The Menominee Indian reservation contains about 223,500 acres of forested land, representing the largest single tract of virgin timberland in Wisconsin.

Oneida Nation of Wisconsin

Pop: 16,567

Reservation: 65,400 acres

Location: Brown and Outagamie counties

Quick Fact: Among its businesses is Thornberry Creek at Oneida, a 27-hole premier golf facility that is the “official golf course of the Green Bay Packers.”

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Pop: 5,312

Reservation: 14,541 acres

Location: Bayfield County

Quick Fact: Frog Bay Tribal National Park, along the Lake Superior shoreline, is the first tribal national park in the U.S.

St. Croix Band of Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin

Pop: 2,909

Reservation: 4,689 acres

Location: Mostly in Burnett County, with trust land in Barron, Burnett, Polk and Douglas counties

Quick Fact: Since 1987, the tribe has stocked more than 9.8 million walleye fingerlings and fry into 37 northern Wisconsin lakes for tribal members and the general public.

Sokaogon Chippewa Community

Pop: 1,377

Reservation: 4,904 acres

Location: Forest County

Quick Fact: The tribe’s housing authority turned an abandoned motel into needed affordable apartments near Crandon, Wisconsin, in 2016.

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians

Pop: 1,565

Reservation: 22,139 acres

Location: Shawano County

Quick Fact: The Mohican Historical Library and Museum includes a research library on the tribe’s culture and history and the museum contains artifacts from before European contact.

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