Water is Life: Watershed Conservation and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

For the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Northern Wisconsin, water is life. Protecting water means protecting the watersheds that provide water for their Reservation and people from top to bottom, including uplands, floodplains, and globally important coastal wetlands along Lake Superior. It also means carefully monitoring their land and water resources and developing programs and policies to protect these resources for future generations. As a result of these efforts, the Tribe is protecting water quality, alleviating flooding, protecting habitat for fish and wildlife, and providing natural resources for their people’s sustenance and cultural practices.

This video was produced in partnership by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department, and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Additional financial support was provided by the Brookby Foundation, Forest County Potawatomi Foundation, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (Bureau of Indian Affairs), and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

Want to download this video? Download the video from Vimeo here. We recommend downloading the 1080p HD version. Please be aware that this large file may take a moment to download.

Special thanks to the following individuals for their help with this video:

• Mike Wiggins, Jr., Tribal Chairperson, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Raeann Bender, Member, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Kristen Ojaniemi, Videographer/Producer, kristinojaniemi.com
• Donovan O’Claire, Member, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Dawn M. White, Treaty Resource Specialist, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
• Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Archives & Tribal Historic Preservation Office
• Mashkiiziibii Natural Resources Department
  • Naomi Tillison, Director
  • Edith Leoso, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
  • Mariah Hipsher, Climate Change Specialist
  • Jessica Strand, Environmental Specialist
  • Nick Blanchard, Water Technician
  • Ben Connors, Sr., Deputy Director
  • Daniel Wiggins Jr., Air Quality Technician
  • Malita Smart, Administrative Assistant
  • Paula Maday, Museum Manager
  • Berthea Olby, Outreach Coordinator

Special thanks to our project funders: