Indian Reservations Wisconsin 2025 | Statistics & Facts

About Indian Reservations in Wisconsin 2025

Wisconsin stands as home to 11 federally recognized Native American tribes, each maintaining sovereign governance over their designated reservation lands across the state. These indian reservations in Wisconsin represent more than just geographic boundaries—they are thriving centers of cultural preservation, economic development, and self-governance that have demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth. The tribal nations include the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Forest County Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa Community (Mole Lake), St. Croix Chippewa Indians, and Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians.

The landscape of Wisconsin tribal lands encompasses diverse geographical regions, from the northern forests to southern agricultural areas, covering hundreds of thousands of acres held in trust by the federal government. These reservation lands serve as the foundation for tribal sovereignty, enabling indigenous communities to exercise their inherent rights to self-determination while contributing significantly to Wisconsin’s economy, culture, and social fabric. Recent data from fiscal year 2024 reveals unprecedented economic growth across tribal gaming operations, healthcare expansion, and educational initiatives that are transforming not only reservation communities but the entire state’s economic outlook.

Key Stats & Facts about Indian Reservations in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: National Indian Gaming Commission FY 2024 GGR Report (July 2025), Wisconsin First Nations (2018), Wisconsin Policy Forum (2024-2025), Wisconsin Department of Health Services (2025)

The statistics presented above represent the most comprehensive snapshot of indian reservations Wisconsin 2025 data available from verified government and tribal sources. The 11 federally recognized tribes collectively manage substantial land holdings while supporting nearly 21,000 tribal members living on reservation territories. The gaming industry has become the cornerstone of tribal economic development, with 24 casino operations generating billions in revenue that supports essential tribal services, infrastructure development, and community programs. The $66.3 million in payments to the state represents a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the robust recovery and continued growth of tribal gaming operations.

The data reveals remarkable diversity among Wisconsin’s tribal nations, from the Menominee Reservation’s 235,524 acres—the largest in the state—to smaller trust land holdings. The Oneida Nation maintains the highest on-reservation population with 4,473 members, followed by the Menominee Tribe with 3,401 members. Gaming infrastructure has expanded dramatically, with 13,981 electronic gaming devices and 146 table games serving millions of visitors annually. The authorization of sports betting at tribal casinos represents a new frontier, with 9 tribes having amended their gaming compacts by the end of 2024 to include event wagering, positioning Wisconsin’s tribal gaming industry for continued expansion and innovation.

Tribal Population Demographics in Wisconsin 2025

Data Source: Wisconsin First Nations, Wisconsin State Tribal Relations Initiative (2018 baseline data)

The demographic landscape of Wisconsin’s indian reservations reflects both historical settlement patterns and contemporary tribal nation-building efforts. The Oneida Nation represents the largest tribal population in Wisconsin with 12,101 members residing in the state, though only 4,473 live on tribal lands. This pattern of substantial off-reservation population is common among Wisconsin tribes, reflecting employment opportunities, education pursuits, and family considerations that draw tribal members to urban and suburban areas. The Menominee Tribe, with 8,720 state residents, maintains the second-largest population and operates the state’s most extensive reservation at 235,524 acres—a forested landscape that can be observed from space.

Population distribution varies significantly across Wisconsin tribal lands in 2025. The Lac Courte Oreilles Band counts 7,275 total members in Wisconsin, with 2,247 residing on their 76,465-acre reservation near Hayward. The Bad River Band governs 124,655 acres—the second-largest reservation in the state—but has only 932 members living on tribal lands despite a total state population of 6,945. The Ho-Chunk Nation presents a unique demographic profile with 6,563 members statewide, utilizing a non-contiguous trust land system of 8,863 acres scattered across multiple Wisconsin counties. The Brothertown Nation, notably, remains landless and is the only Wisconsin indigenous group without federal recognition, maintaining 1,200 members in the state who preserve their cultural identity despite lacking a land base.

Tribal Gaming Revenue and Economic Impact in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: National Indian Gaming Commission FY 2024 GGR Report (July 2025), Wisconsin Policy Forum (February 2025), Legislative Fiscal Bureau (2024)

The tribal gaming industry in Wisconsin achieved historic milestones in fiscal year 2024, contributing to the national tribal gaming record of $43.9 billion in gross gaming revenues. Wisconsin tribal casinos operate within the St. Paul region, which generated $5.1 billion in tribal gaming revenue, representing a significant portion of the $43.9 billion national total. The National Indian Gaming Commission reported that this record revenue reflects 4.6% growth from fiscal year 2023, demonstrating the resilience and continued expansion of tribal gaming operations nationwide. Wisconsin’s 24 tribal casino facilities feature 13,981 electronic gaming devices and 146 table games, serving millions of patrons annually and generating substantial economic activity that extends far beyond reservation boundaries.

Payments from Wisconsin tribes to the state reached $66.3 million in 2024, marking a slight increase from the $65.9 million paid in 2023. These payments represent tribal obligations under gaming compacts negotiated with the state, where tribes receive exclusive rights to operate certain gaming activities in exchange for revenue-sharing payments. The gaming industry’s economic footprint extends throughout Wisconsin, generating an estimated $3.69 billion in annual economic impact, supporting more than 26,700 jobs, and producing $604.4 million in tax revenue. The expansion of sports betting to 9 out of 11 Wisconsin tribes by the end of 2024 represents a new revenue stream, though Wisconsin maintains restrictions that limit sports wagering to physical locations on tribal lands, unlike neighboring states Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa that offer mobile sports betting statewide.

Tribal Land Holdings and Reservation Sizes in Wisconsin 2025

Data Source: Wisconsin First Nations, Wisconsin State Tribal Relations Initiative (2018)

The indian reservations in Wisconsin encompass approximately 724,666 acres of land held in trust by the federal government, though actual acreage varies based on tribal acquisitions and land-into-trust processes. The Menominee Reservation dominates Wisconsin’s tribal landholdings with 235,524 acres of densely forested territory in northeastern Wisconsin—a remarkable landscape that represents the tribe’s ancestral homeland that was never fully ceded. The Menominee Forest stands as one of the most sustainably managed forests in North America and remains visible from space due to its distinctive density compared to surrounding cleared lands. The reservation represents not just land but the Menominee people’s deep connection to sustainable forestry practices that have maintained the forest’s health for generations.

The Bad River Reservation’s 124,655 acres along Lake Superior’s southern shore represents the second-largest tribal landholding in Wisconsin. In 2003, the tribe purchased nearly 24,000 acres of their original reservation lands to protect them from commercial development, demonstrating proactive tribal sovereignty in land management. The Lac du Flambeau and Lac Courte Oreilles reservations, with 86,600 and 76,465 acres respectively, maintain substantial forested landscapes that support traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering activities protected under treaty rights. The Oneida Nation’s 65,400 acres near Green Bay represents a highly productive agricultural and commercial zone. Meanwhile, the Ho-Chunk Nation operates under a unique trust land system where 8,863 acres are scattered across multiple Wisconsin counties rather than forming a single contiguous reservation, reflecting the tribe’s historical dispossession and ongoing efforts to reacquire ancestral lands.

Healthcare Infrastructure and Services in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (April 2025), Indian Health Service (2024-2025), Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council

The healthcare infrastructure serving Wisconsin indian reservations operates through a collaborative network of tribal, federal, and urban Indian health programs collectively known as the I/T/U system. Each of Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribes maintains its own health department, providing comprehensive services ranging from primary medical care to dental, optical, pharmaceutical, and behavioral health services. These tribal health facilities operate under the Indian Health Service (IHS) Bemidji Area, which serves 34 federally recognized tribes across Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The tribal health system represents a critical component of reservation infrastructure, addressing healthcare disparities that have historically affected Native American communities while incorporating culturally appropriate care models that respect traditional healing practices alongside modern medical interventions.

The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC) provides essential coordination and support services for Wisconsin tribal health programs, while the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) serves as one of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers nationally, conducting disease surveillance and public health research. Recent federal infrastructure investments have enhanced tribal healthcare facilities across Wisconsin, with the IHS announcing $25 million available for small ambulatory health center construction, expansion, or modernization in fiscal year 2024. Tribal health centers integrate multiple services including diabetes care programs, nutrition counseling, fitness facilities, WIC programs, medical eligibility outreach, transportation services, and community health programs specifically designed for elder care. The St. Croix Tribal Health Clinic, for example, provides comprehensive services at two locations and emphasizes holistic, person-centered care that addresses not only immediate medical needs but also preventive health and wellness throughout the lifespan.

Education Initiatives and Statistics in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: UW-Madison Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program (2024-2025), Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (August 2025), Wisconsin Legislature (2024)

Educational opportunities for Wisconsin tribal members expanded dramatically in fall 2024 with the launch of the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program at UW-Madison. This groundbreaking initiative guarantees full financial support covering tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, and other educational expenses for Wisconsin residents who are enrolled members of any of the state’s 11 federally recognized tribes pursuing their first undergraduate degree. The program requires no separate application beyond the FAFSA and is not based on financial need, ensuring that tribal students can access flagship university education regardless of family income. A 5-year pilot program extends similar support to Law (J.D.) and Medical (M.D.) students, covering in-state tuition and fees for tribal members pursuing professional degrees, addressing critical shortages of Native American attorneys and physicians.

The Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise represents UW-Madison’s commitment to reconciling its history as an institution built on Ho-Chunk Nation ancestral lands and its ongoing relationship with tribal nations. The program emerged from extensive consultation with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, which unanimously endorsed the initiative in October 2023. Beyond financial support, the program emphasizes comprehensive student support services including advising, cultural connection opportunities, clubs, and events designed to ensure tribal students not only enroll but persist through graduation. State-level support for tribal education includes summer youth employment programs that served 80 students in 2024 and 61 students in 2025, providing work experience at tribal facilities including health clinics, legal departments, and community centers. Legislative initiatives in 2024 proposed lifetime teaching licenses for individuals teaching American Indian languages, recognizing the critical importance of language revitalization for cultural preservation.

Tribal Employment and Economic Development in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (August 2025, November 2024), Wisconsin Policy Forum (2024), Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau (2024)

Employment patterns in Wisconsin tribal communities reflect both the economic opportunities created by tribal gaming operations and ongoing challenges in reservation economies. The tribal gaming industry supports approximately 26,700 jobs across Wisconsin through direct casino employment and indirect economic multiplier effects including suppliers, contractors, and businesses that serve gaming patrons. Casino operations employ tribal members in positions ranging from gaming floor staff to hotel management, restaurant operations, security, marketing, and tribal government administration. However, unemployment rates in tribal areas remain elevated compared to state averages, with Menominee County recording Wisconsin’s highest unemployment rate at 4.8% in November 2024, and Forest County—home to Forest County Potawatomi—reporting 4.1% unemployment, both significantly above the state’s 3.1% rate.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development maintains dedicated tribal outreach through its Tribal Action Plan, updated in August 2025, which coordinates employment services, vocational rehabilitation, apprenticeship programs, and economic development initiatives with tribal governments. The department’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) collaborates with 6 tribal VR programs operated by the Menominee Tribe, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Lac Courte Oreilles, Oneida Nation, Bad River, and St. Croix tribes. These programs served approximately 50 tribal VR staff and state liaisons at a substance use conference in April-May 2024, addressing addiction challenges affecting workforce participation. The Menominee Indian Tribe’s partnership with the Worker Connection program and DVR summer youth employment program demonstrates integrated approaches to workforce development that prepare tribal youth for career success while respecting cultural identity and community needs.

Tribal Casino Development Projects in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: 500 Nations (2024-2025), Wisconsin news sources (2024), Tribal announcements (2024)

Major tribal casino development projects totaling nearly $1 billion in investment are transforming Wisconsin’s gaming landscape in 2024-2026. The Ho-Chunk Nation’s $405 million Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit represents one of the most ambitious tribal gaming projects in Wisconsin history, featuring 1,500 slot machines, 44 table games, a 312-room hotel, 4 restaurants, 3 bars, a spa, and an impressive 76,000 square feet of conference space. The facility will showcase a “color-changing media mesh” lighting system on the hotel façade capable of creating dynamic digital displays visible from Interstate 90. Groundbreaking occurred in fall 2024 with opening anticipated in 2026, positioning the resort as Wisconsin’s second-largest casino. The development received federal land-into-trust approval after years of advocacy by the Ho-Chunk Nation, which claims ancestral ties to the Beloit region along Wisconsin’s southern border.

The Menominee Indian Tribe’s $360 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Kenosha project advanced significantly in 2024 after receiving Kenosha City Council approval in January and county board approval by a narrow margin. The development, located near Interstate 94 at 122nd Avenue and 60th Street, represents a partnership between the Menominee Tribe and Hard Rock International, bringing the iconic brand to Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Forest County Potawatomi announced plans for a $200 million concert venue west of their flagship Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee, complementing their newly opened two-story sportsbook lounge and 13-table poker room that debuted in May 2024. The tribe also launched the “Potawatomi Amplified Concert Series” at a temporary outdoor venue in summer 2024. The Lac du Flambeau Band partnered with DraftKings to open a retail sportsbook at their Lake of the Torches Resort Casino in August 2024, joining the growing number of Wisconsin tribal casinos offering sports wagering to patrons.

Treaty Rights and Natural Resource Management in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (2024-2025), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2024-2025)

The exercise of off-reservation treaty rights remains one of the most significant aspects of tribal sovereignty in Wisconsin, affecting resource management across approximately one-third of the state. The Lake Superior Chippewa bands—including Bad River, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau, Red Cliff, Sokaogon Chippewa, and St. Croix—retain rights to hunt, fish, and gather in the territories they ceded to the United States in the 1837 and 1842 treaties. These rights were explicitly reserved in the treaty language and were definitively affirmed by the 1983 Voigt Decision, a landmark federal court ruling that recognized tribal members’ continuing right to harvest natural resources in ceded territories using traditional methods. The decision sparked decades of collaboration between state and tribal governments to manage these resources cooperatively.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), established in 1984, coordinates natural resource management for 11 member tribes across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. GLIFWC biologists conduct extensive research and monitoring to ensure sustainable harvest levels for walleye, deer, wild rice, and other resources. During the annual spring walleye spearfishing season, tribal members harvest fish from ceded territory lakes under carefully regulated quotas designed to maintain healthy fish populations. The commission operates sophisticated biological assessment programs, maintains a conservation enforcement department, and provides public education about treaty rights. Wild rice harvesting continues as a culturally vital practice for Chippewa communities, with tribal members using traditional canoes and wooden flails to gather this sacred food from northern Wisconsin lakes. Treaty rights represent not merely legal entitlements but the continuation of relationships between indigenous peoples and the natural world that predate the United States itself.

Tribal Language Revitalization in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Tribal language departments (2024-2025), Wisconsin Legislature (2024), Native American language preservation organizations (2024-2025)

The preservation and revitalization of Native American languages represents an existential priority for Wisconsin tribes facing the potential extinction of linguistic traditions that have been spoken for thousands of years. The Ho-Chunk Nation created a dedicated language program in 2006 after recognizing that their language, Hochunk, faced critical endangerment with fewer than 100 fluent speakers remaining. The nation developed comprehensive educational initiatives including immersion programs where children learn the language through daily use rather than academic study, dramatically improving retention and fluency. The Menominee Language & Culture Commission employs similar approaches, operating a master-apprentice program that pairs fluent elders with younger learners for intensive one-on-one instruction over extended periods.

The Oneida Nation has invested substantially in language revitalization infrastructure, creating curriculum materials, training teachers, operating school-based programs from early childhood through high school, and offering adult community classes for tribal members seeking to reconnect with their linguistic heritage. Ojibwe language programs operate across multiple Chippewa bands in Wisconsin, supported by the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and other intertribal organizations that develop shared resources. The Wisconsin Legislature considered groundbreaking legislation in 2024 that would grant lifetime teaching licenses to individuals teaching American Indian languages in schools, removing bureaucratic barriers that prevented fluent speakers without traditional teaching credentials from sharing their knowledge with students. These language revitalization efforts recognize that indigenous languages carry irreplaceable cultural knowledge, worldviews, and connections to place that cannot be fully translated into English.

Tribal Environmental Protection Initiatives in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Tribal environmental departments (2024-2025), EPA Tribal Programs (2024), GLIFWC (2024-2025)

Environmental stewardship represents a core value across Wisconsin indian reservations, with tribes operating sophisticated environmental protection programs that often exceed state and federal standards. The Red Cliff Band created the Frog Bay Tribal National Park in 2012, establishing the first tribal national park in the United States—a 90-acre forested sanctuary along the Lake Superior shoreline that protects critical habitat while providing public education about indigenous land management. The Bad River Band has engaged in protracted legal battles to protect their 124,655-acre reservation and the ecologically vital Kakagon-Bad River Sloughs from the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which crosses reservation lands without proper authorization and poses catastrophic risks to wild rice beds, fisheries, and drinking water supplies.

The Menominee Indian Tribe operates what many consider the most sustainably managed forest in North America, maintaining 235,524 acres of forestland that has produced continuous timber harvests since 1854 while actually increasing overall forest health and biodiversity. The Menominee forestry approach, which removes only mature trees while maintaining forest structure, contrasts dramatically with surrounding cleared lands visible from space. The Forest County Potawatomi demonstrated environmental leadership by constructing the first tribally-owned utility-scale wind farm in the Great Lakes region, featuring 31 turbines capable of powering 40,500 homes and representing the tribe’s commitment to renewable energy. Multiple Wisconsin tribes have achieved Treatment as State (TAS) status under the Clean Water Act, allowing them to establish and enforce water quality standards on reservation lands, often setting more protective standards than Wisconsin state regulations to safeguard drinking water, fisheries, and wild rice habitat essential to tribal lifeways.

Tribal Economic Diversification Beyond Gaming in Wisconsin 2025

Data Sources: Tribal economic development departments (2024-2025), Wisconsin Department of Commerce (2024)

While tribal gaming operations generate substantial revenues, Wisconsin tribes have strategically diversified their economic portfolios to reduce dependence on casino income and create sustainable long-term prosperity. The Menominee Indian Tribe maintains the state’s most distinctive non-gaming enterprise through their sustainable forestry operations, which have harvested timber continuously since the reservation was established in 1854 while maintaining—and actually improving—forest health. The Menominee approach demonstrates that economic development and environmental stewardship need not conflict, producing high-quality hardwood lumber while preserving biodiversity and cultural resources. The Oneida Nation operates one of Wisconsin’s most diversified tribal economies, with business ventures including multiple retail convenience stores, gas stations, a significant manufacturing sector, construction companies, and agricultural operations that extend far beyond their casino enterprises.

The Forest County Potawatomi’s investment in wind energy represents forward-thinking economic diversification that generates revenue while addressing climate change. The tribe’s 31-turbine wind farm produces clean electricity sold to regional power grids, creating long-term revenue streams independent of gaming industry fluctuations. Multiple tribes operate construction companies that compete for contracts on and off reservations, building expertise in commercial and residential development, road construction, and infrastructure projects. Tribal healthcare facilities serve not only tribal members but surrounding communities, creating employment for healthcare professionals and generating revenue through third-party billing. Several tribes have invested in telecommunications infrastructure, recognizing that high-speed internet access is essential for modern economic development, education, and telehealth services. These diversification efforts ensure that tribes can maintain essential governmental services, support cultural programs, and provide for community needs even during economic downturns that might affect gaming revenues.

The trajectory of indian reservations in Wisconsin points toward continued economic expansion, enhanced tribal sovereignty, and deeper engagement with environmental sustainability challenges. The completion of major casino development projects including the Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit and Menominee Hard Rock Kenosha facilities will reshape Wisconsin’s gaming landscape, bringing billions in additional investment and thousands of jobs to tribal and surrounding communities. The expansion of sports betting across tribal casinos positions Wisconsin tribes to capture growing entertainment gambling markets, though limitations on mobile betting may constrain growth compared to neighboring states. Federal infrastructure investments in tribal healthcare facilities, broadband deployment, and renewable energy projects promise to address longstanding disparities while creating employment opportunities that don’t depend solely on gaming revenues.

The successful implementation of the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program represents a transformative investment in tribal human capital that will produce Native American professionals in medicine, law, business, education, and other fields for generations to come. Combined with aggressive language revitalization programs and cultural preservation initiatives, Wisconsin tribes are positioning themselves not merely to survive but to thrive while maintaining distinct indigenous identities. Climate change presents both challenges and opportunities, with tribes leading innovative approaches to environmental protection, sustainable resource management, and renewable energy development. As the 11 federally recognized tribes continue strengthening their governmental capacities, economic foundations, and cultural institutions, Wisconsin indian reservations will remain vital centers of indigenous sovereignty and self-determination well into the future, contributing substantially to the state’s economy, culture, and identity while preserving traditions that stretch back thousands of years before European contact.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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