Children at a 1971 demonstration by the Lac Court Oreilles Ojibwe band and the American Indian Movement (AIM) against relicensing the Winter Dam.

"Tish" Begay with daughter Esther, on the air at Woodland Community Radio WOJB, Lac Court Oreilles, 1990.

The Ojibwe have struggled to preserve elements of their culture for their children and grandchildren, yet the past 300 years have had an impact. Living in the modern world, they choose the paths that allow them to compete in a society dominated by non-Indians, while retaining those aspects of Ojibwe culture that are important to them.

For many it is a balancing act. The boundaries of the reservation often represent a home, and tribal membership, an extended family. The land and their historical relationship to it exist as powerful reinforcers of Ojibwe culture and heritage.

However, many find it necessary to live off the reservation. In cities like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Eau Claire, they find wider educational and employment opportunities, yet fewer avenues for cultural expression. The dilemma remains: how to provide for the family's physical well-being, while also nourishing their identity as Ojibwe people.

. . . we are unique in as much as that we are a nationality of people, a race of people, that have been separated from the mainstream of life. Our values are different than other towns and cities. The way we do things are much different than other towns and cities. And we have a unique history. We have been stereotyped and made novelties of by the mainstream of society, to the extent that we continue to be aware of that and we feel different about ourselves.

Eugene Begay, Lac Court Oreilles elder
Personal Interview, June 1992