A crowd gathered in the old bingo hall in Lac du Flambeau Wednesday to celebrate new a highway sign.
In large white print on the bright green background, the sign will signal to drivers they’re entering Waaswaaganing or Lac du Flambeau.
“I think it's good for our community, because everybody entering Lac du Flambeau now will know where we came from, you know, Waaswaaganing, to hunt or fish by torch light,” said Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr.
He says having signs in their own language are another piece that helps restore their culture and heritage— something he hopes will be there generations from now as a reminder.
“They'll know what we did, and the things that we're trying to bring back to our culture and our land, with our language and our hunting and fishing and gathering rights that we have on that back mural over there, each one of our treaties,” said Johnson pointing to an in-progress mural. “Like I said earlier, we gave up 20 million acres of land for this little reservation that we call our home, and we try to protect it at all costs, on and off reservation, our hunting, fishing, and gathering rights for our treaties. It's very, very important that our kids understand this in the future.”
Governor Tony Evers and WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman attended and spoke at the unveiling alongside Johnson.
Evers said Wisconsin has the highest concentration of Native nations east of the Mississippi River and these signs are important to acquaint travelers with the communities and provide a sense of belonging among residents.
“The Dual Language Sign Program allows us as a state to recognize the incredible resilience of Native nations and indigenous peoples throughout Wisconsin. Despite all odds, these communities have persevered and defended the cultural traditions, the practices, the histories and the language that makes every tribe unique. And I believe at the state, we share an important responsibility to make sure that happens,” said Evers.
Johnson says this moment was a long time coming. He hopes visitors to Lac du Flambeau will recognize the impact the tribe has on the region.
“We put a lot of economics back in each one of our communities surrounding us,” said Johnson. “We just want to be recognized by the state and the federal government that, you know, we're doing these things, we're creating jobs, and we want everybody to thrive, not just the Lac du Flambeau people.”
Seeing the signs unveiled was a full circle moment for Cyless Peterson. She’s the Wisconsin DOT Tribal Affairs Project Manager and a Lac du Flambeau Tribal member.
For years now, she’s helped other tribes in the state get their dual language signs.
“I got to see sneak peeks of it when they were doing the design, but to see it in real sign form, it's really heartwarming,” said Peterson. “It kind of brings everything full circle with all the hard work that's been done and all of the work of our agency and working with the tribe.”
Only a handful of states offer dual language sign programs.
Like Johnson, Peterson says these signs are particularly important for younger generations.
“I hope that the community takes these in and feels acknowledged and appreciated and welcomed in their own community with their own language,” said Peterson.
There are also dual language highway signs marking Pokegama and Fence Lakes.
Locally, Forest County Potawatomi Community and the Mole Sokaogon Chippewa Community also have dual language highway signs.
