The Greater Northwoods

Tribal nation in Ashland County

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation

County
Ashland County

The Bad River Reservation is the homeland of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Mashkiiziibii), a federally recognized Ojibwe tribe whose reservation was set aside under the Treaty of La Pointe of September 30, 1854 on the south shore of Lake Superior, straddling Ashland and Iron counties in far northern Wisconsin. It spans about 124,655 acres (roughly 193 square miles of land) with an administrative and cultural center at Odanah on U.S. Highway 2 east of Ashland, had a 2020 census resident population of 1,545, and reports about 6,945 enrolled members. The Band governs itself through a seven-member elected Tribal Council chaired by Robert Blanchard, is the largest employer in Ashland County, and stewards the Kakagon and Bad River Sloughs, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance holding the largest natural wild rice bed on the Great Lakes.

The record

9 records name Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation

What the records show

42 of 46 independently verified

Authoritative data

Overview

  • Name: Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Mashkiiziibii) via badriver-nsn.gov
  • Type: federally recognized tribe; reservation set aside under the Treaty of La Pointe, September 30, 1854 secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • County: Ashland County (primary) and Iron County, Wisconsin via dpi.wi.gov
  • Coords: 46.531, -90.675 secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Area sqmi: 197.09 secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Acreage: 124655 via dpi.wi.gov
  • Village: Odanah via dpi.wi.gov

Population and demographics

  • 2020: 1545 via data.census.gov
  • Members: 6945 via dpi.wi.gov
  • Income household: 51458 secondary source via data.census.gov Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Income family: 62083 secondary source via data.census.gov Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Native share: 76.1 secondary source via data.census.gov Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Seasonal swing: not established unverified via dpi.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Government and civic

Schools

Economy and employers

Institutions and anchors

  • Clinic: Bad River Health & Wellness Center, 53585 Nokomis Road, Odanah, WI 54806 via badriverhwc.com
  • Clinic services: medical, dental, optical, pharmacy, behavioral health, physical therapy, AODA, public health via badriverhwc.com

Business and commerce

  • Chamber: Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce (nearest) unverified via dpi.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Media

  • Ashland daily press: Ashland Daily Press secondary source via apg-wi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Tribe: badriver-nsn.gov (tribal news and notices) via badriver-nsn.gov

Recreation and natural assets

  • Sloughs: Kakagon and Bad River Sloughs (Ramsar, 2012) via dnr.wisconsin.gov
  • Sloughs size: 10760 secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Rivers wetlands: ~500 miles rivers/streams; 30,000+ acres wetlands via badriver-nsn.gov
  • Lakesuperior: 38 unverified via badriver-nsn.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Events and seasonal rhythm

Infrastructure and access

  • Highway: U.S. Highway 2 via dpi.wi.gov
  • Airport: John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (ASX), Ashland; Duluth International ~76 mi for commercial service secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Hub: Ashland (~5-10 mi west) inferred via dpi.wi.gov Reasoned from other facts on this page, not reported directly.
  • Broadband: not established unverified via dpi.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Every figure here traces to a primary public record, linked at the fact. We gather and cite; we do not author. See something off? Tell us.

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