Ojibwe Officials Choose Not to Block Access to Controversial Roads

Lac du Flambeau: So, the tribal officials decided not to put up barricades on those four roads this week. They had been talking about it, but they changed their minds.

They said it was all about making sure everyone on the reservation gets the services they need while still keeping things safe and following tribal laws. If they had blocked those roads, it would have cut off access for a lot of non-tribal property owners.

This whole thing kicked off back in January 2023 when they first put up barricades on roads like Elsie Lake Lane and Center Sugarbush Lane. That move really upset a bunch of non-tribal folks who used those roads.

Tribal President John Johnson, Sr. mentioned that those roads were built without proper permission ages ago, and the leases for non-tribal folks to use them had run out. He said they tried to talk about renewing those leases, but nobody was listening.

Despite the back-and-forth, the tribe is still hoping to work things out with the Lac du Flambeau Town Board. They’re ready to chat, even if the town board hasn’t been too eager to meet up.