Menominee Indian Reservation

Wisconsin’s Menominee County is actually the Menominee Indian Reservation. The reservation totals 234,000 acres and is home to about 4,000 tribal members. At one time, the Menominee occupied most of central Wisconsin – more than 10 million acres. The Menominee have lived here for more than 10,000 years and have a proud history. They are an Algonquin speaking tribe; Menominee or “O-Maeq-No-Min-Ni-Wuk” means People of the Wild Rice. They are divided among five ancestral clans: Bear, Eagle, Wolf, Moose and Crane.

The Menominee are national leaders in sustainable forestry practices. Ninety-five percent of the reservation is forested. It holds the finest old stands of hardwood, pine and hemlock in the Great Lakes basin. It is said that you can see the outline of Menominee County from space – the trees are that much taller than the surrounding landscape. The combination of hardwoods and evergreens makes for spectacular fall colors.

Twenty-four miles of the Wolf River, a federally designated wild river, flows through the reservation. Menominee County is a particularly beautiful area – a remnant of pre-European Wisconsin – with 128 lakes and the Evergreen, Oconto, Red and Wolf Rivers found within its borders. There are a dozen natural and cultural tourist attractions located on the reservation. They include several beautiful waterfalls, Spirit Rock, the Menominee Logging Museum, the College of the Menominee Nation, and Menominee Casino & Bingo. There are also cultural events that the public is invited to attend; consult the Menominee web site for a schedule.

Gazetteer: Page 66, A-4 and page 78, D-1-4.

Phone: 715/799-5100 or 715/799-4654.

Web site: Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Signature species: Common Raven, Great Blue Heron and Bald Eagle.

Rare species: Black Tern, Golden-winged Warbler, Northern Parula and Winter Wren.

Seasonality: Open all year.