bju I'm Rita carpin your host for Native report mik for joining us for the 19th season the American Declaration on the rights of indigenous people States in part that indigenous peoples have the right to the recognition and enforcement of treaties made with States or their successors on this episode of native report we look back at a moment in history where Sovereign rights to fish and Hunt were tested plus we take a look at how treaties are recognized and celebrated today and a highly observed site making history all this and more next on Native report production for Native report is made possible by grants from the Blandon Foundation the generous support from viewers like Jack and Sharon camp and viewers like [Music] you [Music] in 1854 several Nishi communities seeded over 5 million acres of land in Minesota and Wisconsin to the United States government in exchange through the treaty the tribes were to be given small cash payments and guaranteed the right to continue to hunt fish and gather on that seated land however treaties have not always been uph our team had the opportunity to speak with Ron de Perry and redcliff Wisconsin Mr de Perry is one of the seven involved in the court case in 1972 known as gno versus the state of Wisconsin Ron and six other tribal members were arrested after they set nuts to test the tribe's right to fish in Buffalo Bay let's hear from Ron as he describes the events that led up to that [Music] day we got arrested on September 17th 1969 I'm thinking to reflect back in the historical time period with the uh citizenship Act of I think 1926 or 20 something like that I'm not quite sure of that that uh you were no longer an Indian but you were now a citizen and subjected you to all the laws and rules you know if you didn't have a license you're going to be arrested and uh for hunting or fishing and that was back you know then and it wasn't only happening at redcliff it was happening throughout Indian Country what transpired what came about as as a result of that it was kind of a mixed feeling throughout and here we start talking about well what can we do here in redcliff coming meet talk a little bit more and uh wondering well let's let's try to do a test case let's test the fishing and we looking at the treaty and that article and uh looking at it and then all of a sudden we would meet and we kind of we didn't want to have just one family or two families we thought well let's kind of get as many families in redcliff back then to see um if you know we can kind of put this together somehow it was Philip Gordon who was the tribal chairman at the time uh dick gerno a fisherman Louie Peterson Lewis Peterson Alan bear Roger basney and myself the evening before we were going to set our net down by the lakefront um over at Roy's point there was a boat that was you could hear the engine and the lights were off but we knew from experience that the boat was the game warden what are we going to do so we went back up to the house and uh he called the coast guard station and he said uh yeah he says out here in the bay there's a boat it has its run rning lights off and it uh it might be in distress so by the time we they hung up the phone and we got down by the landing again um the Coast Guard Coast Guard boat was on its way out and it got over to Roy's point and all of a sudden the lights on that boat the game one boats come on and the engines started up and it got back to Bayfield it went back to Bayfield cuz we said okay let's go ahead and set set the net we get down there by the until next day and by the time we got down there there was all kinds of people down there there was the radio stations the television stations there was Community people down there and um there was a fisherman from uh the non-tribal fishermen and U there was tribal Elders from the community they had post signs they had they had on their treaty rights Indian power you know and these were Elders from red cleff women that um we're all supportive of that so all of a sudden uh we get in our those two little boats alen bear Roger basne and myself we get in one boat and in the other boat you get uh dick Gro uh Lewis Peterson and Philip Gordon they get in the other boat and uh they were lifting the net and as they were lifting the net there comes a great big sucker and all of a sudden the game War boat got right next to them and he says on that microphone all right you guys you're under arrest drop what you're doing and get aboard so the game wardens uh hook that little boat on and the the three of them had to get a on on boat the boat we were in was just leaking it had a wood it was just taken in water and we were Buck you know using a bucket to bail the water out and then he said you guys open another boat you're under arrest to and come aboard before you sink you know cuz the water boat was taken in the Water by the time we got down the Bayfield with the game warden in them there was a whole bunch that came down by the boat landing and there were still you know being supportive we got into two vehicles there and they took us over to Ashton or Washburn the court was just packed the women from redcliff the elders that had those signs and play cards and you know they were standing back by the court the judge came out and when they when they make their appearance everybody stands the judge says before I get started in here with this hearing you women that are back in the court courtroom with those signs you get them outside and you place them against the building until this is over the court that started and um they each one of our names were called and asked us how we pleaded I had to say not guilty not guilty and then U he had set a court for our hearing and we we got a fine I forget how much money it was but there was a fine and uh if we didn't pay it we were going to go to jail and do our time in jail but as it turned out there was money left over in an account and there was money in there that had enough to pay our fines it rule that uh we did have our hunting and fishing rights what it does is it makes you feel that uh you're not alone in doing this and that you have all these other uh Community people and you have uh tribal elders and you have women tribal women and then you have non non-native non-tribal native fishermen that were also in support of what it was that was taking place here a tremendous uh very successful undertaking for the tribe to have that and uh it's all that support deer is the last living tribal member of that original Seven who tested their treaty rights deer is a respected Elder in the community he was able to attend the opening ceremony of the redcliffe fishery which is a direct enaction of the treaty rights he tested and fought for if you are curious about what kind of treaties are still in effect where you are living reach out to a tribal government Administrative [Music] Office there are four valves in your heart the aortic valve is the last one and it makes sure oxygenated blood flows out of your heart into your tissues aortic stenosis means your aortic valve doesn't open properly in the early stages you might not feel anything more severe disease can result in fatigue shortness of breath and chest pain especially with activity you may experience palpitations or feeling your heartbeating you may have a cough possibly bloody you may also have swollen ankles and may get laded or dizzy your healthc care provider will usually notice a heart murmur risks for getting aortic valve stenosis include age obesity smoking high blood pressure high cholesterol diabetes and chronic kidney disease replacing an aortic valve has long meant open heart surgery and the operation can take four to 6 hours and required two to three months of recovery open heart surgery patients usually stay in the hospital for about a week in the last few years trans catheter aortic valve replacement or Taver has become more available the average Tavern procedure is about an hour or so and most patients go home the next day and can return to work in two weeks the procedure involves a small incision into an artery usually in the groin a thin tube called a catheter is guided up to your heart and the new valve is placed inside your failing aortic valve this is done while your heart is still beating there are risks associated with any procedure and there will be a team involved in the operating room to address and minimize those risks I have had several patients who have successfully had this procedure and they have done very well blood thinners depend on several factors and some patients only need to take Aspirin regularly afterward as always talk to your healthc care provider they can help you make the right decisions and remember to call an elder they've been waiting for your call I'm Dr Arie Vino and this is Health [Music] matters next we take you to meline Island Wisconsin where for one weekend every year the treaty day's commemoration is held by the redcliff band of ojibway this marks the day in 1854 when Wisconsin ojibway met La point on meline island to sign a treaty with the United States now the weekend is filled with honoring the ancestors interpretation of the 1854 treaty celebration of art by indigenous artists games and feasts the native report team was there and got to experience how the local government took the weekend to respect the tribe and acknowledge their sovereignty [Music] so the 1854 treaty was signed on meline island as uh realy agents made their way here for the annual annuity payments to the indigenous peoples that occupied this land relative to the prior treaties uh that established the reservations across Michigan Wisconsin and minnes soda uh at that time those agents were authorized to renegotiate and uh ultimately turned into the 1854 treaty within all the land that we seeded ultimately that we sold to the federal government um tribal members within those bands retain rights to hunt fish and gather so when we say treaty day there's there's a lot of treaties relative to treaty days um but we celebrate specific specifically the the September 30th 1854 treaty signed here on um Le Point where our indigenous peoples were uh there and occupying annually uh redcliff along with bands from Minnesota Wisconsin and Michigan come together gwick is an agency an inner tribal agency Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission they typically coordinate and kind of host the event all the bands come together with resources to support that event we hosted on Le Point there's a schedule of uh activities events and we typically host it down at what we call the old cemetery on Le Point where some of our former um Le Point band members are and we host a ceremony there typically in the morning and then there's a whole slew of social activity that takes Place throughout the day sometimes we have some great sponsorships uh from natau Native American tourism of Wisconsin for example cuz it is an event open to the public so anyone can come Le Point is a great host so there's always a lot of food cooking um there's games we usually play lacrosse at the baseball field over there it was really beautiful uh Gathering and sharing of information and multi-generational uh as you just walk around the area there's groups of people everywhere it's just really cool to see all the generations together gathered to just share indigenous socialness this year we also we're celebrating a new marker being installed at the Madeline Island Museum that's um managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society so that was a a unique component to this year to not only have have the traditional celebrations we were hosting but to also uh coordinate that event on that specific day which allowed um people to just have that extra opportunity to be aware of our history the migration story is a a reminder of how we came here as a people and um all indigenous peoples of Wisconsin should be recognized and not just the Le Point bands so with that I welcome you and uh thanks again for for having us through the Trey Day celebration sharing stories of the recent elk hunt or sharing stories of um harvesting fish with our youth um there's a lot of medicinal teaching that takes place with the land there on on the point and across the indigenous communities what I think about when I explain treaties to individuals uh mostly what we want to share with them is that treaties do not expire they don't um grow older with age and diminish they don't wean off they they are permanent they are to be interpreted as our ancestors uh wrote them at the time with the understanding that they are Everlasting and here for us always so I I tend to use that when I explain treaties to individuals um the 1854 treaty specifically with our Hunting Fishing Gathering uh we try to reinforce that these are supporting our ways of life they're not hobbies to us they're not Sports or Recreation they support our well-being and our sustainability they are um further supported by ceremony and cultural practices and stories and teachings that reflect our our value systems and our way of life the native report team was honored to attend the annual treaty days commemoration if you'd like to attend next year's activities the redcliff band of Lake Superior chipa was website will keep you up to date on their events calendar and for continued coverage on treaty rights like and follow native report on Facebook Instagram and YouTube now we take you up along the NorthShore of Lake Superior just miles from the Canadian border to Grand Portage where Heather Boyd an inish ab woman is making history at Grand Portage National Monument a site once known for being an 18th century cultural Crossroad between the indigenous community of Grand Portage and the French fur trade our team made it to the annual rendo days a weekend full of reenactments and education we had the chance to speak with Boyd and learn more about her work at the National [Music] Monument I think it's important because it tells the story of the relationship compared to other fur trade post where they tried to keep the Indian people out Grand page actually welcomed them in it really was a special relationship that the voyagers and the indigenous people here had my name is Heather Boyd I am the superintendent at Grand Portage National Monument located in Grand Portage Minnesota I've been like humbled by this whole experience um it's you know it's pretty cool to see that people are still so interested in in my appointment here it means a lot to me just because I have a different perspective and experience like living in a reservation to bring to this position um that I get to share that I was born and raised on the Red Cliff reservation um which is by Bayfield Wisconsin in the aposto islands I moved to Michigan and that's when I got into the park service and it was actually like not seeing very many Native um indigenous people um through the park service that kind of propelled me to find a way for me to have a seat at the table so prior to working at our I really didn't know too much about the park service or about co- management but um when I became the administrative officer I was like the liazon kind of between the park and the park here um so I just you know went and educated myself on what this meant and you know the different opportunities it presented and and it just it excited me so much so once this the superintendent here had said you know would you think about coming for a detail over to Grand Portage and I was like um I don't know that superintendency was necessarily in my career path but I said sure I'll come in as soon as I arrived like everyone was so welcoming and supportive and I'm like it just it feels like home although it's not my traditional homelands it it felt like home so the Grand Portage National Monument was established in 1958 the purpose was of preserving an area containing unique historical values and to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects in the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same so the relationship between the Grand Portage band and the Grand Portage National Monument um has been there forever um they've actually donated a portion of the land to become a monument and so in that also the relationship it just shows how special the relationship is the monument is located within the reservation boundaries it includes part of the original ojua Village here in Grand Portage um you know it really speaks volume to the relationship that they created so Grand porish National Monument is currently identified as like the successful model across the park service So currently I'm facilitating conversations with tribes and with other Parks um to talk about coal management they ask for me to facilitate maybe a visit here to gr Portage specifically maybe a visit to speak with the tribal council um and so I do that pretty regularly as part of my job I really enjoy like having being able to like share cuz obviously the the band The Tribal Council and the band and myself have the same kind of experiences and knowledge and traditional knowledges and things like that but to be able to openly like share some of the ideas that I have and they're really receptive and supportive of those things so dayto day I spend a lot of time on the computer um just trying to network um like I said I do a lot of meetings with different tribal nations with the tribal council we're in um you know frequent communication if not daily every other day I'm texting or we're on the phone or I'm up at the um Council building or they're down here at the monument a lot of communications back and forth um of course like Co management means that we have not only Park Service employee but also grand par band employees here in the space so we share resources we share space we share knowledge we share experience um it's really something I've never you know had an experience with so it is really cool rendevu Day celebration in Pawa is an annual event we have here which celebrates the Northwest Trading Post era we have reenactors come from all across um the US and in Canada that spend um 3 days here just um as participating in the event we do workshops we do um demonstrations um and then of course there's the poal that's in conjunction with the Rev Vu days which of course is traditional singing and dancing and food and family and and all of it this is the canoe warehouse and what happens here is kind of shows you the Transportation Hub of the fur trade era so these big ones here were coming from Montreal bringing trade goods from Montreal to here and then from here they'd be portaged up to Fort Charlotte loaded on these North canoes and then eventually brought to different trade posts various trade posts along the Pacific [Music] Northwest uh that's my uh my Indian name and uh what that says is um BL Thunderbird um my name is Nate masaki um I work here at Grand Porter National monument and today we are here this weekend for our annual Rendevous days the collaboration between what's going on here and the annual poo up here it's it's it's um it's very cool mixture of cultures you know like early F trade culture and Native modern native culture today the energy was excellent this year and in the team I mean I can't say that you know the team does an excellent job of planning they're they're so great and so thoughtful and mindful of you know trying to have that balance of you know fur trade stuff and Indigenous stuff so I think that we're working towards that for sure I arrived last summer we the park service across the whole park service has been having some challenges with Recruitment and Retention um and when the original agreement um in 1999 that they signed with the band was for them to take over assume the responsibility of Maintenance um as the years have progressed we've expanded that and last year was the first year that we actually hired our interp staff through the band and through the annual funding agreement in co-management and we've gotten such a you know great result of that like people feel more connected locally um tribal members feel more connected to the site and they're here telling their own stories it is extremely beautiful here as someone who um was born and raised on the cell Shore this is a very different topography and Landscape than it is on the cell Shore um but you know the feeling of family up here and the just the welcome Community I think that's well worth your well worth your visit voyd is a remarkable woman doing an incredible job of representing the indigenous community and working alongside the local government if you have any interest in attending rendevu days next year or want to get involved with the Grand Portage National Monument reach out to the National Park Service site dedicated to the monument if you missed a show or want to catch up online find us at nativereport.org and don't forget to follow us on Facebook YouTube and Instagram for behind thescene updates drop a comment on social media if you enjoyed the show thank you for spending your time with your friends and Neighbors from across Indian Country I'm Rita carpon we'll see you next time on Native [Music] report [Music]