Lac du Flambeau tribe bans GOP lawmaker from its reservation

Leaders of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have banned a Republican state lawmaker from the tribe’s reservation over comments that likened tribal leaders to terrorists.

The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council on Monday passed a resolution to disallow state Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, from entering the reservation.

The remarks came during an Aug. 23 meeting with elected officials over attempts to resolve an ongoing roads dispute between the tribe and town of Lac du Flambeau.

“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,” Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr. said in a statement.

Araia Breedlove, the tribe’s public relations representative, said Felzkowski could potentially be arrested and escorted off tribal lands if found on the reservation.

In a fiery statement, Felzkowski called the move “overly dramatic,” adding that she has no plans to visit the reservation. Felzkowski said she made the comments on behalf of homeowners who have been “physically trapped” by the ongoing feud.

“I regret that I contributed to the narrative of division in this muddy conflict, but I do not regret speaking up for my constituents who the Council continues to dismiss,” Felzkowski said.

What did Sen. Felzkowski say?

At the meeting, town officials and lawmakers debated ways to resolve a standoff over access to roads that’s dragged on for more than a year-and-a-half.

In January 2023, the tribe barricaded four roads crossing tribal lands after negotiations failed between the tribe, the town of Lac du Flambeau and title companies after easements on them expired a decade ago. Tribal officials agreed to reopen the roads in March that same year, but for a fee that’s been climbing each month.

Town leaders asked state and federal lawmakers whether they would assist with providing funds or lands that could be conveyed to the tribe in an attempt to end the feud. During the meeting, Felzkowski said it would be difficult to convince her colleagues in the Legislature to provide money to resolve the dispute.

“They don’t like what the tribe is doing — holding people hostage. They don’t like it at all, and they think it’s wrong. It’s kind of like giving into terrorism. I’ll be really honest,” Felzkowski said. “They’re going to push back hard on them.”

Tribal leaders condemn lawmaker’s remarks

The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council condemned Felzkowski’s comments as “irresponsible and disrespectful.” The council said tribal members and others view the remarks as an attack on their sovereignty, identity and heritage. 

Johnson added that her comments reveal a “profound ignorance” of rights afforded to the tribe under the 1837, 1842 and 1854 treaties with the federal government.

“Those treaties, which established our reservation as a permanent homeland, recognize our sovereign right to protect our lands and people,” Johnson wrote in the statement. “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.”

The tribe said the ongoing dispute with town leaders is tied to the town’s failure to respect treaty rights, and the tribal council said it has a duty to protect lands established for the tribe under the 1854 treaty. Tribal leaders say Felzkowski’s remarks threaten “fragile negotiations” aimed at resolving the longstanding feud.

“I do find it laughable that Tribal President Johnson is insinuating that my comments are damaging to negotiations when there are no negotiations taking place to speak of- because the Tribe refuses to participate in good faith discussions or mediation with the other parties, including, most recently, declining to attend the public meeting at which I spoke,” Felzkowski said.

Tensions high as dispute drags on

The ongoing dispute has resulted in multiple lawsuits. The federal government sued the town last year on behalf of the tribe for trespassing. Both the town of Lac du Flambeau and homeowners have filed separate federal lawsuits against the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The tribe first sought $20 million in damages for what it said was trespassing by the town. Since then, tribal leaders have asked for roughly half that amount, and they want to grant annual leases in exchange for a fee equal to 1.5 percent of the fair market value of homes along the four roads. They include Elsie Lake Lane, Center Sugarbush Lane, East Ross Allen Lake Lane and Annie Sunn Lane.

Tribal officials have said they’re open to trying to mediate the dispute provided the tribe doesn’t have to give up more of its rights or sovereignty.

In August, town leaders said they can’t afford to pay for permits to keep the roads open.

The town last paid $50,000 to the tribe with funds provided by title companies representing homeowners along the four roads. That payment ensured roads would remain open through Thursday.

Colette Welch, the town’s deputy clerk, said Friday that town officials have no idea whether payments have been made to the tribe for the next month to maintain access on the four roads. Johnson said last month that “failure to pay” would result in restricted access to Elsie Lake Lane, Center Sugarbush Lane, East Ross Allen Lake Lane and Annie Sunn Lane.