An aerial view of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant in Wisconsin. Photo by Tom Thomas, Badger History Group
The controversial National Defense Authorization Act includes a transfer of surplus military land to the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. The tribe has been trying to acquire land at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant since 1997. The Bureau of Indian Affairs balked at the transfer but the bill overrides those concerns. “This has been almost two decades of effort to reclaim that particular piece of property,” President Jon Greendeer told The Wisconsin State Journal. The transfer is found in Section 3078 of the 1,648-page package. It requires the BIA to place 1,553 acres in trust for the tribe and it declares that the land "shall be a part of the reservation of the Ho-Chunk Nation." The tribe credited Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) for inserting the language into the bill. It passed the House last week and is expected to pass the Senate this week. “It is not often that native nations have their ancestral lands returned. This land transfer signifies a great effort between many parties and many years of work and could not have been achieved without the work from Senator Baldwin and her office,” Susan Waukon, a tribal council member, said in a press release. Get the Story:
Ho-Chunk to finally get 1,500 acres at closed Badger plant (The Wisconsin State Journal 12/7)
Ho-Chunk to receive ammo plant land (The Baraboo News Republic 12/8)
Related Stories
BIA won't accept former Army property for Ho-Chunk Nation (10/31)
Join the Conversation
