Ojibwe Tribe Concerned About Wisconsin Mine

The head of the Bad River Indian tribe told Wisconsin lawmakers today he’s concerned about the environmental effects of the proposed taconite mine in the north. Michael Wiggins Junior delivered the annual “State of the Tribes” address to a joint session of the Assembly and Senate. He runs the tribe that’s nearest the proposed Gogebic Taconite mine between Mellen and Upton in Ashland and Iron counties. Wiggins said the land and water, “define who we are as Ojibwe people.” And his concerns are in spite of a report by a Madison firm that estimates the open-pit ore mine would create 700 mining jobs and over 2,800 related jobs in 12 northern Wisconsin counties. The mine could operate for at least 35 years. Hear Michael Wiggins Juniors speech here. Read the rest of the article here.]]>