The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has banned State Senator Mary Felzkowski from Tribal lands.
The resolution passed by Tribal Council was in response to comments the senator made during an August Lac du Flambeau Town meeting that was held at Woodruff Town Hall.
The Lac du Flambeau Town Board held a meeting on August 23rd. The board invited dozens of state, federal, and tribal officials to try to come to a resolution regarding road easement issues.
The tribe is trying to get payment for easements and back pay for past trespasses on four roads that are tribal land but give access to private homes. The issue goes back more than a decade but came to a head when the tribe temporarily barricaded the roads in January 2023. While the roads have reopened, the town and tribe have yet to come to an agreement to permanently resolve the issue.
Felzkowski’s comments at the meeting
Sen. Mary Felzkowski was one of several elected officials that were invited to the meeting and attended. She, like the other officials in attendance, was given an opportunity to speak about her involvement thus far in the issue and what possible role she could play.
Felzkowski started off talking about how she and Rep. Rob Swearingen have been involved since day one meeting with the town, homeowners, and the tribe.
She said that meeting with the Lac du Flambeau Tribe did not go well.
“I was really disappointed at how our meeting went with the Lac du Flambeau [Tribe]. It was very antagonistic, and it delved into personal attacks, which I was very sad about,” Felzkowski said in the meeting.
As WXPR previously reported, Felzkowski said a good compromise is when both sides walk away, and no one gets 100% of what they want.
Felzkowski finished by addressing one of the questions the town chair had for all the elected officials: “Would you support legislation or appropriations of monetary value to assist the town in a settlement with the tribe?”
She told the town the hard part about getting state money to resolve this issue is convincing enough lawmakers in other parts of the state that it’s worth spending the money.
“We're going to have to convince them to do it. And they don't like what they see are happening up here, and it's not because they don't want to help you get access to your homes. 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, and they're going to push back hard on it,” said Felzkowski.
Tribal leaders respond to comments
The Lac du Flambeau Tribe was invited to the town meeting, but did not send a representative.
Tribe President John Johnson Sr. released this statement in response to the comments Felzkowski made:
“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. It reveals a profound ignorance of the legal standing of our tribe and the obligations owed to us under the 1837, 1842, and 1854 treaties. Those treaties, which established our reservation as a permanent homeland, recognize our sovereign right to protect our lands and people. 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. We met with senator Felzkowski months ago at a tribal meeting and she had the nerve to tell our Council she did not represent us, and she instead represents individual landowners and the Town Board that continues to trespass over our lands.”
The press release announcing the Tribal Council’s decision to ban Sen. Felzkowski from Tribal lands went on to say that “Senator Felzkowski’s comparison of the Tribe to terrorists is not only harmful but also threatens the fragile negotiations surrounding the dispute.”
The Tribe also said the remarks were particularly irresponsible and disrespectful given her role as co-chair of the current Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
WXPR contacted Sen. Felzkowski’s office after the Tribe announced the ban Friday morning. She released a statement Friday afternoon. You can view it in its entirety here.
Felzkowski's response reads in part:
"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.
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. As always, I want to reiterate to President Johnson that he has my cell phone number, and if he is ever interested in a productive conversation instead of a splashy headline, I am available to discuss solutions."
