Lac du Flambeau is scheduled to start demolishing its historic Indian Bowl Monday.
The building dates back to the 1950s. As Lac du Flambeau tribal spokesperson Brandon Thoms explains, for years it drew tourists with its traditional dance performances and cultural events.
“There’s a lot of history that goes with the Indian Bowl," he said. "President Eisenhower was adopted into the band at the Indian Bowl in front of a large crowd…and it just has a real significance in the community.”
Thoms says the Indian Bowl was a crucial economic driver for the tribe in the years before the onset of Indian gaming. But over time it has fallen into disrepair.
And now the tribe has a plan to demolish the structure and build a new arts center in its place.
A fundraising campaign for the Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl Living Arts and Cultural Center hopes to raise more than $3.5 million to build the new facility, which organizers hope will be a cultural attraction for the entire region.
The tribe held the final dance at the Indian Bowl Powwow grounds this past weekend.
