Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau and Washburn counties.
St. Croix Tribe unveils signs
On May 25, 2023 Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Thompson joined Governor Evers and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin to unveil dual-language highway signs to signify tribal boundaries.
The new signs, in English and the Ojibwe Language, signify the entrance to the Sand Lake tribal community. The sign features the St. Croix Tribal Seal next to the community's name in its native language – Metaawangaag – (Meh-ta-wan-gog) the traditional name for the community, which means "sandy beach." The English language version of the highway sign is located beneath the Ojibwe version. Similar signs will be installed at the borders of other tribal communities, as the St. Croix Tribe is unique in its noncontiguous land base.
The St. Croix Tribe is Wisconsin's fifth tribe to install signs through our dual-language sign program since it launched in 2021.
Dual-language signs installed in Red Cliff
Wisconsin's first
dual-language sign was installed in November of 2021 in Bayfield County in partnership with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
The 8.5-by-4.5-foot sign features the tribal seal followed by the tribe’s name in its native language -- Gaa-Miskwaabikaang, the English version and population of the tribal lands.
Gaa-Miskwaabikaang -- pronounced ga-misk-wah-be-kong -- means the place where there is red rock cliffs.
"We are truly honored to be the first of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state of Wisconsin to have the dual-language signs. They incorporate our language into state signage, and those signs will identify to the general public that travel our area they are entering the boundaries of our reservation.”
Red Cliff Chairman Christopher Boyd
WIS 13 - Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
The purpose of this project was to conduct road safety audit/road safety assessment (RSA) to identify safety issues that may be contributing to the reported crashes along the WIS 13 corridor and to identify potential measures to mitigate these issues.
Another goal of the RSA was to review planned improvements for the area, incorporate the RSA findings with the planned improvements where applicable, and to help facilitate communication among the Red Cliff community, WisDOT and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
As part of the US 2 project, WisDOT entered into an
agreement with the tribe to enhance economic development by:
- Providing a
Highway Construction Skills Training (HCST) workshop to provide training to increase the tribe’s local construction labor pool.
- Providing a pre-DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) workshop to increase the awareness of the DBE certification process and opportunities available through certification.
- Hiring of a tribal monitor that provide oversight on the project’s impact on historical and cultural properties important to the tribe.
WisDOT and the Bad River Band are partnering on a long range study that will evaluate the operational issues, environmental constraints, and substandard roadway elements along the USH 2 corridor between Ashland and Hurley, and specifically within the Bad River Reservation. The goal of the study is to develop consensus on a plan that will incorporate possible enhancements to the highway system that will facilitate the preservation of the USH 2 corridor and its footprint through the tribal and adjacent communities by developing a mutually agreed upon future improvement concept and construction process that is acceptable to all parties.
WIS 77 - Town of Swiss, St. Croix Chippewa Community
In 2008, a cooperative effort between WisDOT, the town of Swiss, St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Burnett County and Northwest Regional Planning Commission initiated a study of existing conditions to identify future transportation needs in the Danbury area.
A public informational meeting was conducted in early 2009 to gather community input/concerns regarding the existing transportation system. One of the major impacts was the casino expansion underway on behalf of the tribe.
- Town of Swiss Transportation Element Update to the
Town of Swiss Comprehensive Plan and Potential Alternatives for Future Multi-Modal Transportation Improvements within the Danbury Area