Return of Vilas County Land to Lac du Flambeau Marks Rare Land Back Effort by Catholic Nuns

Rez Life Weekly Staff

According to a report from Indian Country Today, a small but historically significant land return took place in northern Wisconsin when the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration transferred approximately two acres of land back to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. The land, located along Trout Lake in Arbor Vitae, was formerly home to the Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center and had originally belonged to the tribe before being transferred to non-Native ownership in the 19th century.

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Indian Country Today reports that the Oct. 31, 2025 ceremony was modest, attended by a handful of tribal leaders and community members. Lac du Flambeau Chairman John Johnson signed paperwork confirming the transfer, while representatives of the Franciscan Sisters described the action as an attempt at reconciliation for the Catholic Church’s historical role in colonial land dispossession and Indian boarding schools. The sisters sold the land to the tribe for $30,000, the same amount they paid when they purchased it in 1966, which they characterized as a nominal fee.

Chairman John Johnson signing paperwork with Sister Sue Ernster and Larry Turner of the LDF Business Committee present. Photo credit PBS Wisconsin

The article states the land transfer is believed to be the first known land back effort by an order of Catholic nuns in the United States explicitly framed as reparations for colonialism and boarding school policies. Sister Eileen McKenzie, a former president of the order, said confronting the church’s past was difficult but necessary, while current president Sister Sue Ernster said the sisters hope the transfer can serve as a model for other Catholic institutions.

Indian Country Today’s investigation found that while the return is symbolic, it represents a small fraction of church owned land once taken from tribes. Documents uncovered by ICT at Marquette University indicate that Catholic entities may still own more than 10,000 acres of land that once belonged to tribes, much of it acquired during the federal allotment era. The Catholic Church declined to provide figures on how much Indigenous land it still owns.

The report also notes criticism from Native leaders who caution against celebrating the return without broader accountability. Ben Barnes, chief of the Shawnee Tribe and chair of the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, told Indian Country Today that returning two acres does not offset the thousands of acres still held by the church or its role in amassing wealth through boarding schools and land acquisition.

According to ICT, the Franciscan Sisters operated St. Mary’s Indian Boarding School on the Bad River Ojibwe Reservation from 1883 to 1969. Survivors interviewed by ICT described physical abuse, harsh punishment, and trauma experienced at the school, contradicting assertions by the order that students were kept safe. Historical documents cited by ICT show the school’s mission was rooted in efforts to “civilize the pagan Ojibwe” through forced assimilation and conversion.

Indian Country Today reports that while the Catholic Church issued apologies for its role in boarding schools in recent years, many Native leaders say apologies without transparency and accountability fall short. Ongoing efforts include class action lawsuits, congressional proposals to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies, and calls for churches to release records and return land.

Chairman Johnson said in earlier interviews cited by Indian Country Today that the Lac du Flambeau tribe plans to use the reclaimed land for professional housing and cultural sustainability. He also emphasized that while the land return is meaningful, it is only one step in a much larger process of truth, accountability, and healing.