Remembering Chief Kechewaishke on Election Day

Boozhoo John,

This election year was the biggest our program has ever been and it’s hard to put into words the impact we made and the strength we had by coming together as Native people.

So, instead of telling you metrics and numbers, I want to share a quick story with you about my experience on Election Day:

I was working as a poll observer at three different polling locations, so I drove to the Town of Russell at 7 a.m. to start my day. Early on, I heard someone mention my name. When I looked up, I saw one of our beautiful Native Vote t-shirts being worn by a voter!

I recognized that voter to be Chief Buffalo (Robert Buffalo, Ojibwe), the hereditary chief of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Chief Buffalo was talking about his new t-shirt to the poll worker, and how excited he was about voting after hearing a presentation I gave at Chippewa Treaty Days in September.

This was a significant moment and here’s why: Chief Robert Buffalo is the great-great-great grandson to Kechewaishke, or the principal Chief Buffalo – the one who, at age 95, began his trip to D.C. in a birchbark canoe to have a sit-down with President Fillmore. This historic meeting was an unforgettable one for Wisconsin. That meeting led to the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe [[link removed]], signed by the United States and the Ojibwe (or Chippewa) people, which established reservations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Chief Buffalo would pass away a year later.

What I witnessed was more than a t-shirt. It was the Seventh Generation concept playing itself out right before my eyes. Chief Kechewaishke gave the Ojibwe people a permanent homeland. And now, generations later, Chief Robert Buffalo was casting his ballot with his future generations in mind.

The current Chief Buffalo – and maybe Chief Kechewaishke too – was there bright and early to make sure his voice was heard. And I'm so glad I was there to witness it.

Miigwech (thank you) for being in this work with us and helping us build a better world for the seventh generation.

DONATE [[link removed]]

Sincerely,
Dee Sweet
Native Vote Manager
Wisconsin Conservation Voices

Connect with us:
Facebook: [link removed]
Twitter: [link removed]
YouTube: [link removed]
Website: [link removed]


Wisconsin Conservation Voices
133 S. Butler Street Suite 320
Madison, WI 53703
United States
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .