Tribal nation in Bayfield County
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation
- County
- Bayfield County
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Gaa-Miskwaabikaang) is a federally recognized Ojibwe nation whose reservation sits on the Lake Superior shore in the towns of Russell and Bayfield, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, north and northwest of the city of Bayfield. The 2020 Census counted 1,403 people on the combined reservation and off-reservation trust land; the tribe reports 5,312 enrolled members. A nine-member Tribal Council chaired by Nicole Boyd governs from offices on Pike Road near Bayfield, and the tribe is the largest employer in Bayfield County (about 300 people), anchored by the Legendary Waters Resort and Casino. Red Cliff is known for Frog Bay Tribal National Park (the first tribal national park in the United States), its July Fourth-weekend traditional powwow, Apostle Islands access, and a fish hatchery and Ojibwe language-immersion program.
The record
6 records name Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation
- 5 news
- 1 government
- Bayfield fireworks fund still short of goal, 2027 show in question News July 13, 2026 via apg-wi.com paywalled
- Aquatic Invasive Species Government May 20, 2026 via bayfieldcounty.wi.gov
- Red Cliff Elder to have regalia on display at new history center in Madison News March 9, 2026 via apg-wi.com paywalled
- Boys & Girls Club Receives Anonymous $50K Donation News via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Red Cliff Receives $5.8M BUILD Transportation Grant News via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Welcome to Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa News via redcliff-nsn.gov
What the records show
47 of 50 independently verified
Authoritative data
- Bayfield County holds 337 named lakes and flowages via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com
Overview
- Name: Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Gaa-Miskwaabikaang) via dpi.wi.gov
- Type: federally recognized tribal nation via dpi.wi.gov
- County: Bayfield County, Wisconsin via bayfieldcounty.wi.gov
- Town: Town of Russell and Town of Bayfield via en.wikipedia.org
- Coords: 46.9469, -90.8722 via en.wikipedia.org
- Land area: 22.91 via en.wikipedia.org
- Reservation acres: 14541 via dpi.wi.gov
Population and demographics
- 2020: 1403 via en.wikipedia.org
- Acs: 1256 via censusreporter.org
- Members: 5312 via dpi.wi.gov
- Mhi: 46900 via censusreporter.org
- Pci: 21706 via censusreporter.org
- Age: 34 via censusreporter.org
- Poverty: 33 via censusreporter.org
- Households: 464 via censusreporter.org
- Age profile: 882 under-16; 1,463 age 16-64; 168 age 65+ via dpi.wi.gov
- Seasonal: no quantified swing found unverified via censusreporter.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
Government and civic
- Form: nine-member Tribal Council via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Chair: Nicole Boyd (Chair) via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Council atlarge: Curran, Nordby, LaPointe, Gurnoe, Nordin via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Office: 88455 Pike Rd, Bayfield, WI 54814; 715-779-3700 via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Meetings: redcliff-nsn.diligent.community portal via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Site: https://www.redcliff-nsn.gov/ via redcliff-nsn.gov
- County liaison: bayfieldcounty.wi.gov/1091/Red-Cliff via bayfieldcounty.wi.gov
Schools
- District: Bayfield School District via dpi.wi.gov
- Enrollment: ~415-421 via bayfield.k12.wi.us
- Site: https://www.bayfield.k12.wi.us/ via dpi.wi.gov
- Earlychildhood: Red Cliff Early Childhood Center (Head Start / Early Head Start) via dpi.wi.gov
Economy and employers
- Employer top: ~300 via dpi.wi.gov
- Casino: Legendary Waters Resort and Casino via legendarywaters.com
- Enterprises: fish hatchery; Treaty Natural Resources; language immersion; marina; campground via legendarywaters.com
- Tourism: tribal government + gaming + Lake Superior tourism via dpi.wi.gov
Institutions and anchors
- Hospital: tribal health center; nearest hospital Ashland (~25 mi) via bayfieldcounty.wi.gov
- Postoffice: 54814 via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Library: Bayfield Carnegie Library (area) unverified via bayfieldcounty.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
Business and commerce
- Commerce: tribal enterprises on WI 13; Bayfield Chamber regionally via legendarywaters.com
Media
- Ashland daily press: Ashland Daily Press via apg-wi.com
- Tribal: redcliff-nsn.gov via redcliff-nsn.gov
Recreation and natural assets
- Frogbay: Frog Bay Tribal National Park (first in the U.S.) via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Frogbay protection: 300 via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Lake superior: Lake Superior shore; Apostle Islands access via legendarywaters.com
- Hatchery: Red Cliff fish hatchery via en.wikipedia.org
Events and seasonal rhythm
- Powwow: Red Cliff Traditional Pow-Wow (July 4th weekend) via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Other: Winter Pow-Wow (Jan); Cultural Days (Sept) via legendarywaters.com
- Seasonal: summer-peak, powwow-anchored rhythm via redcliff-nsn.gov
Infrastructure and access
- Hwy: WI Highway 13 (US 2 to the south) via redcliff-nsn.gov
- Hub: Bayfield (adjacent); Ashland ~25 mi via en.wikipedia.org
- Airport: JFK Memorial (ASX), Ashland; DLH ~80-90 mi commercial via en.wikipedia.org
- Broadband: not confirmed unverified via dpi.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
Local government
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.