Ogichidaa Storytellers Education Resources
Grades 6-12
Multiple class periods
Ogichidaa (“warrior”) Storytellers, supported by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), shares the struggle of the Anishinaabe (also known as Ojibwe or Chippewa) to retain treaty reserved harvesting rights throughout the ceded territories of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Download ActivitiesPlease note that some primary resources used in these activities contain offensive language in quotations from historical figures (offensive words appear in full). Please review all materials before assigning them to students to ensure they are appropriate and to provide historic context.
Objectives
Enduring Understanding
The United States (US) federal government is responsible for providing for the welfare and well-being of all Native people and nations and non Native populations within its national boundaries, including territorial possessions. When a government fails to uphold these obligations and responsibilities, ramifications extend far beyond the moment and those immediately involved.
Essential Questions
- What obligations does a governing authority (ex. US federal government) have to adhere to its treaty agreements?
- How does intent play a role in the consequences of action or inaction?
- What circumstances can lead people to becoming dependent on another for their survival?
- How do ceremonies and memorials help communities maintain an active relationship with the past?
- What do the stories we keep or pass on tell us about our past, present, and future?
- What motivates individuals or groups to work for change in society?
Background
The successful reclamation and exercise of Ojibwe treaty rights in the late twentieth century is one of the defining moments in the history of the Anishinaabe (also referred to as Ojibwe or Chippewa) people in Wisconsin and central Great Lakes region. It was also a turning point in relations between the state of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota and the eleven federally recognized Ojibwe sovereign nations, which includes the following:
- Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Sokaogon Chippewa Community (Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)
- St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
- Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
- Bay Mills Indian Community
- Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Activity
Education Materials
This packet contain lesson plans, enduring understandings, essential questions, vocabulary words, and extension activities for use with the Ogichidaa Storytellers video series.
Download ActivityVideo: Crossing the Line: Tribble Brothers
Anishinaabe have harvested fish from inland lakes since time immemorial. Reserved rights to hunt, fish, and gather are protected through treaties between the Anishinaabe and the US. Despite these formal treaties, government agencies and other groups have opposed them and the Anishinaabe way of life they protect. Crossing the Line: Tribble Brothers from the Ogichidaa Storytellers series highlights Lac Courte Oreilles’ Mike and Fred Tribble and the struggle for Anishinaabe to retain treaty reserved harvesting rights throughout the ceded territory.
Video Credits:
- Director and Producer: Finn Ryan
- Associate Producer: Dylan Jennings, Charlie Rasmussen
- Director of Photography: Lukas Korver, Hunter Hampton, Dusan Harminc
Video: Every Step: A Healing Circle
This video from the Ogichidaa Storytellers series centers on the Healing Circle Run. In 1989, the Anishinaabe Solidarity Relay began as a response to the resounding racism and hatred directed towards Ojibwe people throughout the region at boat landings and other communal spaces. The animosity that spilled into communities, schools, and churches created great hardship for Ojibwe communities and their harvesters.
Today, the Healing Circle Run continues to connect Ojibwe communities across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Through collective running, walking, and prayer — it provides healing and relief. The annual event also serves as a reminder to both participants and observers of the commitment, efforts, and resiliency of the tribal nations that have survived decades of trauma.
Video Credits:
- Director/Producer: Finn Ryan
- Producer: Dylan Jennings
- Cinematographer: Mike Palzkill
- Sound Recordist: Craig Eley
- Editor: Travis Whitty
- Score: Sean Carey
- Sound Mix: Craig Eley
Video: Gathering the Pieces: The Jondreau Decision
Gathering the Pieces, from the Ogichidaa Storytellers series, highlights Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) tribal member Jerry Jondreau as he tells the story of his grandfather William “Boyzie” Jondreau and the struggle for Anishinaabeg to retain treaty reserved harvesting rights specifically in the Keweenaw Bay waters of Lake Superior.
KBIC of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians is located near L’Anse/Baraga, Michigan, which is approximately 65 miles north of Marquette, Michigan.
Video Credits:
- Director and Producer: Finn Ryan
- Associate Producer: Dylan Jennings, Charlie Rasmussen
- Cinematographer: Mike Palzkill
- Aerial Photographer: Dusan Harminc
- Editor: Travis Whitty
Video: Lifting the Nets: Gurnoe Decision
Anishinaabe have hunted, fished, and gathered since time immemorial. Reserved harvest rights were protected and guaranteed through treaties with the US. State governments suppressed harvest rights, limiting the ability of tribes to harvest beyond their reservations. Lifting Nets: Gurnoe Decision from the Ogichidaa Storytellers series highlights both Red Cliff and Bad River Tribal communities in their struggle to retain harvesting rights beyond their reservation.
Video Credits:
- Director and Producer: Finn Ryan
- Associate Producer: Dylan Jennings, Charlie Rasmussen
- Director of Photography: Lukas Korver
- Historical Footage: Harold Goetsch - "Alluring Wisconsin"
Video: (Mikwendaagoziwag) They are Remembered: Sandy Lake
In this video from the series Ogichidaa Storytellers, learn about the 1850 Sandy Lake Tragedy and the struggle for Anishinaabe to survive amidst forced assimilation and tragedy. In the winter of 1850, many Ojibwe people died as a result of actions by the Federal Government not upholding its treaty obligations. Today, many communities join at Sandy Lake to remember their ancestors and to tell their story.
Video Credits:
- Director/Producer: Finn Ryan
- Associate Producer: Dylan Jennings
- Cinematographer: Mike Palzkill
- Sound Recordist: Craig Eley
- Editor: Travis Whitty
- Sound Mix: Justin Perkins
Video: Place of the Pike: Ginoozhekaaning
This story, from the Ogichidaa Storytellers series, features the Bay Mills Ojibwe community located in present day northern Michigan.
In 1971, A.B. LeBlanc set a gill net in Pendills Bay on Lake Superior. The Michigan DNR arrested LeBlanc and he was later convicted of fishing commercially without a license and for fishing with an illegal device. Learn about the treaty challenge and struggle for Ojibwe communities to maintain their identity through treaty reserved rights asserted in the signing of the 1836 treaty with the United States.
Video Credits:
- Director/Producer: Finn Ryan
- Producer: Dylan Jennings, Charlie Rasmussen
- Cinematographer: Mike Palzkill
- Editor: Lukas Korver
- Score: Sean Carey, Ben Lester, Zach Hanson
- Sound Mix: Justin Perkins
- Design: Scott Pauli
Credit: These education materials were created with support from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.
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Last Updated: June 3, 2026
