1971
In 1923, the Winter Dam on Lac Courte Oreilles was completed, despite objections from the local Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) band of the Ojibwe people. The construction of the dam flooded the village of Pahquahwong, destroying the homes of hundreds of LCO Indians. In 1971–as the Red Power movement grew and the conditions of the LCO Ojibwe worsened–LCO activists along with American Indian Movement (AIM) decided to occupy the dam. They felt that their interests were being ignored by the government decision makers who aimed to relicense the dam. The dam takeover, which lasted for three days, garnered extensive media attention and forced the governor to step in and support the LCO in the ongoing negotiations. Nonetheless, a settlement was not achieved until 1984. The settlement did not cede control of the dam to the LCO, as initially desired, but it did include extensive concessions that would not have been achieved without this militant action.
Image credit: Facing Freedom