The Superior City Council on a unanimous voice vote approved a resolution supporting transfer of the documented Wisconsin Point burial ground and an Ojibwe mass grave into federal trust under the stewardship of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The resolution, read into the record by the council chair, states the city acknowledges Lake Superior Ojibwe as the original inhabitants of the land now called Superior and cites an estimate that “200 bodies were disinterred from the sacred burial ground on Wisconsin Point and transported to a mass grave at or near Saint Francis Cemetery.” It directs the city administration to work toward transferring the documented boundaries of the burial ground and the mass grave to tribal stewardship.

Historians, tribal leaders and local advocates urged the council to adopt the measure. Dr. Chantal Norgaard, assistant professor of First Nations studies at the University of Wisconsin–Superior, said the resolution is more than symbolic and called on the city to “set aside the way things are normally done to follow indigenous protocols” when returning land and remains. She framed the action as part of recognizing historical dispossession tied to the 1837, 1842 and 1854 treaties.

Tom Bridge, chair of the Wisconsin Point Committee, described long-term stewardship work for Wisconsin Point and said he “wholeheartedly support[s]” the resolution. Pastor Victor Saint George, an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac Band, said, “I think it’s time to bring ours back home too,” and thanked councilors for moving the issue forward. Kevin Dupi, identified as Fond du Lac chairman, said the action offered hope and closure for descendants who have long sought recognition and care for the site.

Councilor Jenny Van Sickle, who led advocacy on the item, thanked elders, state preservation partners and local researchers for their work assembling deeds, maps and names. Van Sickle framed the resolution as a beginning rather than an endpoint, noting additional work will be needed at the state and federal levels to complete any formal land transfers and trust processes.

The council’s resolution references the city’s 2019 Indigenous Peoples’ Day declaration and directs city staff to pursue the land-transfer steps described in the document. The resolution does not itself transfer property or convey federal trust; it authorizes and directs administrative work toward those ends. The council voted “aye” on a voice vote and the motion carried.

Next steps outlined by speakers include coordination with the Fond du Lac Band, state preservation offices and other partners to compile records and seek the necessary legal and administrative approvals required for land transfer and federal trust acquisition.