MITW history - 1900-1959
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1900
Shortly after the turn of the century the Tribe was again denied the harvesting of one of their hereditary foods. They no longer
could camp on Shawano Lake, their main harvest ground for the wild rice, because of the white settlers who were moving into
the area.
1905
A severe storm damaged about 40 million board feet of hardwood- hemlock west of Neopit along the West Branch of the Wolf.
An Act of 1906 authorized the Tribe to log this timber and associated green timber, under the supervision of Government
experts, to saw lumber at mills on the Reservation and to sell same.
1908
The LaFolette bill authorized the Menominees to cut logs, manufacture timber under a selective cutting management system
by which only physiologically fully matured and ripened green timber would be cut. Forestry Service specialists would mark the
trees to be cut. A saw mill, kiln, planning mill and machine shop would be established on the reservation at Neopit and employ
Menominees under supervision of experts (?). The site of the Menominee Mill was originally called "Norway Dam". The town of Neopit grew up around the mill. It was originally a "tent city". This Act also created the Menominee 4% Fund. All proceeds from the mill was to be kept in the US Treasury to be used as operating expenses by the Tribe. 1910
A fire in the "Evergreen District" northeast of Neopit damaged pine, hemlock, and hardwood stands.
1912
A policy was begun, by agency superintendents, of clear-cutting the forest in contradiction to the stipulations of the
LaFollette bill. Railroad spurs were built in the areas to be cut.
1913
May
A combined school (St. Anthony’s), hall and sister’s residence was begun in Neopit and completed in September.
November
A government "Day" school was also opened in Neopit, for grades one through eight. It was located at the site of the present Neopit Public school.
Edward E. Ayer, a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners began an investigation into the conditions on the
Menominee Reservation.
1914
The Menominee Indian Fair was an annual event on the Reservation for 60 years, from 1914 to 1974. The Tribe had its own
merry-go-around, purchased around 1915. It was a permanent fixture at the fairgrounds. Approximately 20 Menominees volunteered to serve in the army and navy during World War I. They were not subject to the draft because the Menominees were not citizens, they were still considered wards of the government. 1915
A.R. Whitson, W.J. Geib and other soil scientists completed a reconnaissance soil survey of Northeastern Wisconsin, including
the Menominee Reservation. This was published by the University Geological and Natural History Survey as Bul. 47, Soil Series
No. 12.
1924
The old "military road" became part of the state highway system. It is now Wisconsin State Highway 55. Congress passes an Act allowing Indians to become citizens of the United States. Prior to this Act Indians people were listed as Wards of the Government. 1925
A serious mill fire required rebuilding the mill. The cost of the repairs led to an evaluation of the tribal lumbering operation.
The Tribe concluded that their affairs had been grossly mismanaged by the government.
Indian Agent Allen continued to pressure the Council to accept allotment of the Reservation. The Menominee Chapter of the League of Women Voters helped force the federal government to abandon the idea of allotting Menominee lands. They outlined a program defining tribal rights to mineral resources and keeping un-allotted land for future generations. (See Committee Meeting on Allotment in the Meeting Minutes pages off the Home Page for the Tribe). 1926
A policy was re-instituted of selective cutting of timber on the Menominee Reservation. At first 75%, then 30% of merchantable
timber was cut. Selective cutting was practiced even during salvage operations of two blow-downs in 1935-38.
1928
It became possible for the Tribal members to elect an advisory board. The BIA officials didn’t like this Board and tried to ignore
them. Anytime this group went to DC to point out the mismanagement of the forest and mill they had to pay their own way.
The agent refused to give them money from our own mill.
1929
Senator LaFollette arranged for a special investigating committee to look into the affairs on the Reservation. However, the
report was shelved due to political reasons at the congressional level. With the support of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters, the Tribe was able to get congress to pass an "Enabling Act" to give them permission to sue the government for mismanagement. 1930
Two more grades were added at St. Anthony’s allowing the students to attend school through the 10th grade in Neopit.
1931
Several Congressional Acts including the "Indian Reorganization Act," authorized per capita distribution of Menominee Tribal
funds, and strengthening of the Menominee Tribe as a more self-governing entity. The Tribe hired attorneys to assist them in a lawsuit against the US Government. The lawsuit was for losses sustained through the mismanagement of the lumber operation. Thirteen lawsuits were initiated against the government. Most of them for damages caused by the government not following the Act of 1908. 1934
June
Wheeler-Howard Act signed known as the Indian Reorganization Act. This allowed Tribes to develop a constitution and
setup their own governing body.
April
Johnson’Malley Act was passed to assist public schools educating Indian children from nearby Reservations.
1935
A Congressional Act initiated hearings on claims of the Menominee Tribe against the Government for cutting other than dead
and down timber and fully matured and ripened green timber. Congress passed an Act permitting the Tribe to sue the government for the value of the swamp and timber lands in question. The Tribe voted to accept the Reorganization Act, but never organized or operated under provisions of the Act. Instead they decided to keep their 10-member elected Advisory Council and the General Tribal Council as the official decision-making and governing bodies. 1936
The Woodland Bowl was constructed by an all Indian crew of the Federal CCC Program. The first pageant was "The Legend
of the North Star". The Menominees called the men who worked on the CCC "Woodticks" probably because they spent most
of their time in the woods.
1937
Some New Deal rehabilitation money enabled the Tribe to build a community center in Keshena. Roller Skates were purchased
and a roller skating rink opened at the site. (This site was located behind the present Harley Lyons residence.)
1942
The College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, made soil maps of about 6,000 acres of cleared land on the reservation
to determine soil productivity for agricultural use.
1943
By the end of the year over 200 Menominee men had volunteered for service, to fight in World War II. Many other Menominees
left for the ship yards and war plants from Lake Superior to Chicago and Detroit. The depletion of the labor force on the Reservation could have threatened the lumber mill but the Menominee women came to the rescue and joined the work force. Fifty women went to work at the mill, and others helped eradicate the blister rust in the forest. 1945
Swamp Lands case settled. The government recommended that the State be paid for the land out of Menominee funds.
However, the government had to pay for its own oversight and the 38,000 acres of swamp land on the Reservation was
released from the State jurisdiction. July 5th
After more than ninety years of intermittent litigation, the Tribe received title to 33,870 acres of swamp land for which the
federal government paid $1,590,854 to the State of Wisconsin. The swamp land had been lost to the Tribe in 1854, under
provision of the Swampland Act of September 28, 1850. The award also allowed $13,666 to the Tribe in compensation for
timber removed by the state from the swamp lands. The final Court of Claims decision was rendered on June 5, 1944, but the conclusion of the matter was delayed until 1945 by an initial refusal of the Wis Secretary of Treasury and the Secretary of State, both members of the State Land Commission, to sign the transaction. 1945 also saw the end of World War II. Returning veterans brought changes to the Reservation. Results of their experience changed their thinking and general outlook toward the administration of the Reservation’s government and lumber mill. They also took advantage of educational benefits giving them further knowledge of the political system. No longer would their lives be governed by the Agency Superintendent. 1948
The Wisconsin State Centennial. On January 5, 1948, the Menominee Indian Band was declared the official Centennial Band
and took part in celebrations throughout the State.
1949
A loan secured from the Federal Industrial Assistance program was used to establish a garment factory to manufacture ladies
lingerie in the Keshena Community building.
The 1950’s appeared to be a good decade for the Tribe. News from the lawyers, in DC, indicated the lawsuits were in the process of being finalized. The Tribe rejoiced in their good fortune but were unaware within a few months their world would again be threatened. Congress would soon enact another policy that would cause another upheaval. 1951
The Menominee Tribe won an 8.5 million dollar judgment against the Government for failure on the part of Government officials
to carry out provisions of the LaFollette Act. About 20,486 acres of pine-hardwood- hemlock forest had been clear-cut northeast
of Neopit. This judgment was the result of a settlement entered by the Federal Court following the consolidation of five law suits pending since 1938. The four grievances were:
1952
St. Joseph Boarding School, in Keshena, was closed in July and became a day school. December
The Tribe petitioned Congress for a $1500 per capita payment of the award monies for each of the 3,270 enrolled Menominees.
The request passed the House but when it reached the Senate it ran into a road block. Senator Watkins (R: Utah) attached a
provision to the bill. This required the Tribe to accept the termination of federal supervision in order to get the payment they
requested.
The "termination program" was a Federal Policy of forcing Tribes to assimilate by withdrawing federal supervision. Actually this meant releasing the government from its obligation to protect the sovereign rights of the Tribes. According to the records the Menominees did not vote for "termination". No one knew what it meant. The people assumed they were requesting a portion of their monies in the US Treasury. But Senator Watkins, who was able to exert a lot of pressure, thought otherwise. He used every means possible to coerce the tribe and to enforce the Termination Policy at any cost. Of course, he was successful in spite of the objections from the tribe and the State of Wisconsin. Federal Indian Relocation Program started. This program was designed to take Indians from the reservations and assist them in finding work in the city of their choice. Quite a few Menominees moved to the cities on this program. A good percent of these people eventually moved back to the reservation. 1953
June 20th
Senator Watkins visited the Reservation to explain the government’s Termination Policy. He did not believe our consent was
necessary. However, the people attending this meeting voted on what they thought was the "Principle of Termination". This was
done with a show of hands - the vote was 169 to 5. The people thought this was the only way they could receive $1500 of their
own tribal money.
The above vote was used by Senator Watkins to indicate to congress that the Menominee Tribe had accepted termination, a mere 5% of the 3,200 enrolled members. An important issue such as this was should have been done by a "referendum vote" for all adult Menominees to vote on it but instead the Senator chose to use a show of hands. 1954
June 17th
The Menominee Termination Act was signed into law by President Eisenhower providing for termination of federal control of
the Menominee Indian Reservation. This was in spite of the fact that the Menominees called another council meeting and
unanimously voted to oppose and reject "termination".
The Menominee Tribal rolls were closed as a result of the Termination Policy. The Menominee Tribal leaders were informed that they had until 1958 to develop a plan to take over the Reservation and submit the plan to the Secretary of Interior. Ironically, at this same time the Tribe celebrated the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Reservation. The area that was promised by Congress to remain their homeland, "to be held as Indian lands are held". 1955
The Wisconsin Legislature created the Menominee Indian Study Committee to study the problem of integration of the
Reservation with state and local governments. St. Anthony’s new school in Neopit was completed. January 23rd
St. Michael’s church and monastery in Keshena was destroyed by a fire.
1957
A Coordinating & Negotiating Committee was appointed, by the Tribal Council, to facilitate the drafting of the Menominee
Termination Plan. The Tribe was faced with four alternatives for their reservation:
(1) conversion to a national forest,
(2) conversion to a state forest, (3) absorption into Shawano and Oconto Counties and allotment of parcels of land to members of the tribe, and (4) creation of a new county. The Tribal members chose the fourth course of action to keep the land intact for the future generations and the general welfare of the members. 1959
January 17th
The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the newly formed Menominee Enterprises, Inc. were adopted by a vote of 91 to 16
at a general council.
July 3
Governor Nelson signed a law making Menominee County the state’s 72nd county, the first to be formed since 1901. The law
took effect at midnight on April 30, 1961. Menominee County then had about 3,300 residents, including 2,720 enrolled as
members of the tribe, whose total membership at this time was 3,700. The Menominee Tribe was the first Indian tribe in the
US to be given possession of its lands.
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Last Updated: Tue March 27, 2007