The ACLU of Wisconsin seeks to uplift Indigenous people, communities, and tribes through community-focused and integrated legal and advocacy work. We aim to support tribal communities – and follow their lead – as they work to uphold their sovereignty, dignity, and autonomy. We work to dismantle colonial systems of oppression that are found in all of our institutions including schools and prisons.
Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribes: Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, St. Croix Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa (Mole Lake), and Stockbridge-Munsee, in addition to other tribes.
State and federal governments fail to adequately address how the legacy of colonization continues to harm Indigenous people. Since the founding of the United States, Indigenous people have faced systemic injustice and inequality in all aspects of our society. The ACLU of Wisconsin recognizes that Indigenous Justice is not racial justice alone, but a complexity of political and sovereignty issues.