Memories Of Lac Du Flambeau Elders

With a Brief History of Waaswaagoning Ojibweg by Leon Valliere, Jr. Photographs by Greg Gent.

Memories of Lac du Flambeau Elders is a collection of interviews with fifteen Ojibwe elders of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in northern Wisconsin. The elders, in their seventies and eighties when interviewed, all experienced enormous changes in their lifetimes. In their stories they discuss these changes as well as the traditions and beliefs that the Ojibwe have continued to maintain, despite attempts at forced assimilation on the part of the U.S. government and others. Their stories are testimony to the enduring strength of the Ojibwe people and their way of life.

Most historical accounts of the Ojibwe have been written by Americans of European descent. This book tells the history of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe in their own words. It also includes a historical introduction, by Leon Valliere, Jr., going back four hundred years to Lac du Flambeau’s original settlement. A black-and-white photographic portrait of each elder prefaces each interview, and historical photos from the George W. Brown Jr. Ojibwe Museum Cultural Center and collection illustrate the text.