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New Edition Of 'Indian Nations of Wisconsin' Chronicles Progress

onwisconsin.uwalumni.com

A decision by Governor Scott Walker is still pending as to the future of a proposed Menominee casino in the Kenosha area.

The plan – which also includes a partnership with Hard Rock International – is strongly opposed by the Potawatomi tribe. It says the project would take away business from its Milwaukee casino.

For UW-Madison professor Patty Loew, the casino debate is just one of the modern challenges facing Wisconsin’s Indian tribes. But as she’s documented in her bookIndian Nations of Wisconsin, tribes have also endured and made great advancements in the last several decades.  The book is in its second edition.

Loew explained to Lake Effect’s Stephanie Lecci last year why she believed the book deserved an update.

"I had serious regrets almost immediately after the first edition was written because I didn't have a chapter on urban Indians. And more than half of all native people in Wisconsin live in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, and other urban areas in Wisconsin, so it was a serious omission on my part," Loew said.

Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal is published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Loew will talk about Native Americans, especially in urban Wisconsin, tomorrow at noon at the Milwaukee Central Library, as part of the Wisconsin History Tour.

Audrey is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.