In 1839, this tribe became U.S. citizens to save members. Now, will Congress restore its tribal status?

Great article by Frank Vaisvilas, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

**One small tweak our Brothertown members could add to this excellent article is that we were forced to accept US citizenship instead of asking for it. Our ancestors only wanted to stay on our lands with title to the lands they worked, just as we had with a past treaty. This is an important distinction, but the article is correct—we became U.S. Citizens 186 years ago. Read the whole

After President Donald Trump recently threw his support behind a North Carolina’s tribe’s attempt to gain federal recognition, some people in Wisconsin are wondering if there might be hope for an Indigenous tribe in Wisconsin to regain its status 186 years after losing it.

Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribes, and officials from Brothertown have been trying for decades to restore its status and become number 12.

Those efforts have the support of many local elected officials, such as several mayors in the Lake Winnebago area, which the tribe calls home. The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors and Gov. Tony Evers also back the effort; the governor already refers to Brothertown as Wisconsin’s 12th tribe.

Read Frank Vaisvilas’s entire article here…