CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

TRIBES CELEBRATE END OF MINE SAGA

By Richard Ryman

Green Bay Press Gazette

Dec. 7, 2003

Ashwaubenon — Wisconsin Indian tribes on Saturday celebrated a

successful, nearly three decades-long fight to keep land near Crandon

from being mined.

A powwow to celebrate the resolution of the Crandon mine issue was held

Saturday afternoon in the Brown County Veteran's Memorial Arena.

Before the grand entrance ceremony, a coalition of 33 environmental

groups honored the Forest County Potawatomi, the Menominee Nation and

the Mole Lake Band of the Sokaogon Chippewa tribes for buying the land

and putting to rest nearly 30 years of acrimony.

"It's the perfect conclusion. The right people bought it, " said Dave

Blouin of the Mining Impact Coalition.

On Oct. 28, the Forest County Potawatomi and the Mole Lake Band of the

Sokaogon Chippewa paid $16.5 million to buy the property from Northern

Wisconsin Resources Group. The sale includes 5,770 acres in Forest

County and 169 acres in Shawano and Oconto counties. The deal includes

an agreement between the tribes and Nicolet Hardwood Corp. of Laona to

cooperatively manage the forested land for at least 15 years, with the

tribes owning the timber rights.

Zoltan Grossman of the Midwest Treaty Network said the deal was a

combination of gaming revenue and the renaissance of Native American

culture in Wisconsin, and a willingness of tribes to work together with

their neighbors.

Gus Frank, chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, said a

woman who works in his office best summed up the importance of the deal.

"She said 'Now my grandchildren will have water to drink.' That was just

a very profound statement," he said.

Environmentalists and the tribes said acidic mine runoff and cyanide

used in ore extraction would jeopardize groundwater and adjacent

wetlands, including the Wolf River.

Frank said gaming revenue made it possible for the tribes to buy the

land. He warned that revenue is in danger because of a lawsuit by

Republican legislators challenging Gov. Jim Doyle’s gaming compacts with

the tribes.

Bob Schmitz, a founder of the Wolf River Watershed Alliance in 1976,

said the Mole Lake Chippewas put everything on the line to purchase the

property.

"These people have mortgaged their homes and their futures and probably

their children's and grandchildren’s futures," he said. "They don’t have

the money the Potawatomi do."

Ken Van Zile of the Wolf River Protection Fund said the effort to save

the Crandon site is not over.

"Our tribe is one of the poorest tribes in Wisconsin. We need help now,"

he said.

The Wolf River Protection Fund is seeking private contributions to help

pay for the land.

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BACKGROUND ON CRANDON MINE VICTORY:

Releases/articles: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/victory.html

More articles/statements: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/victory2.html

Photos/movies: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/victory_gallery.html

Notes of Support: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/support.html

(e-mail mtn@igc.org to add your own note)

In Honor & Remembrance: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/honor.html

Links on 28-year Crandon mine battle:

http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/content.html

Wolf River Protection Fund donation form:

http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/common/WolfRiverProtectionFund.gif