November is Native American Heritage Month, and Wisconsin is rich in Native American culture, with more tribes than any other state east of the Mississippi River. Across the state, travelers can tour intriguing museums, attend festive pow-wows and enjoy authentic Native American foods.
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Museums
- Wisconsin has a variety of museums commemorating Native American history.
- The Oneida Nation Museum in De Pere, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, showcases one of the largest ongoing exhibits of Oneida history, including original Iroquois artwork and hands-on displays. Take a walk through the nature trails and browse contemporary Oneida and Iroquois arts and crafts.
- In Crandon, the Forest County Potawatomi Museum and Cultural Center offers exhibits on the history of Potawatomi, their language and traditional elements of their culture. The museum even offers language and cultural class instruction.
Frog Bay Tribal National Park – Bayfield Â
- The Frog Bay Tribal National Park on the Red Cliff Chippewa Reservation is the first-ever tribal national park in the country.
- The property spans nearly a mile along Lake Superior’s shoreline on the Red Cliff Reservation and provides views of five of the Apostle Islands and has 2 miles of trails for hiking and snowshoeing.
- All of the park’s infrastructure– the trail system, interpretive signs, bridges, and comfort station – was developed through careful planning by tribal staff.Â
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Food and Drink
- In Bayfield, Native American-owned Copper Crow Distillery, features unique, hand-crafted cocktails like the Lavender Martini or Crow Old Fashioned.
- Natives and the general public alike can purchase corn, buffalo, honey, tea and more that was produced on the 6,000-acre Oneida Nation Farm at the Oneida Nation Market in Green Bay.
- The Farmer’s Market has closed for the season but will re-open in June.