Wisconsin First Nations

09/04/2026

Wisconsin’s first Wild Rice Week is Aug. 30 to Sept. 6! Wild rice, or "manoomin,” is found only in the upper Midwest and parts of Canada and was once abundant in northern Wisconsin. The plant serves a vital role in Indigenous culture and spirituality, but its presence in state waters has declined significantly over the past several decades.

This year’s wild rice harvesting season is beginning and will continue through the month of September. You can help wild rice by not driving boats through the wild rice beds and, if you're harvesting wild rice this year, making sure the rice is ripe before you begin and harvesting gently.

08/31/2026

08/27/2026

08/23/2026

08/21/2026

For weeks, Red Cliff elder Marvin DeFoe has been handcrafting a birch bark canoe on Madeline Island to celebrate the Ojibwe people’s connection to water. The canoe’s maiden voyage is set to take place Aug. 22. Watch a timelapse video of the build before the canoe launches in the water.

08/16/2026

Join Ojibwe artist Ramona Morrow and learn traditional skills as you craft your own porcupine quill-wrapped bracelet during this special workshop at Madeline Island Museum.

Ojibwe Quill-Wrapped Bracelet Workshop
Sept. 5 & 6 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Book Tickets: https://wihist.org/4pZwsTT

Ramona Morrow is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and descendant of Yankton Sioux, who lives on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation near Hayward, Wisconsin.

07/31/2026

04/21/2026

In reclaiming their language, Menominee renew connection to forest | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The tribe's language was almost lost due to White settlers. Teaching it has led to new appreciation for its connection to all that is around us.

04/12/2026

In 2017, Montana became the first state to allow tribal students to wear regalia during graduation ceremonies. Other states followed.