Wauwatosa West senior LaChon Dixon thought he was signing up for a simple camping trip. He quickly realized it was something much more.

“This was more than I expected. I signed up for a camping trip and got a different type of trip,” Dixon said. “It was life-changing for me and opened my mind to a new way of thinking.”

Dixon and four other Wauwatosa West students traveled to northern Wisconsin for a four-day cultural immersion experience with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, camping at Broken Bow Campground.

The group joined Prescott High School teacher Jeff Ryan and eight Prescott students on the school’s 26th annual fall journey to the Lac du Flambeau Reservation. Ryan coordinates a detailed itinerary each year to help students learn about Ojibwe culture, history, and modern life.

“Each fall we bring students to learn about the lifeways of the Ojibwe people,” said Ryan, a Prescott High School social studies teacher. “The most important thing is understanding who our neighbors are. Appreciating different perspectives is really important.”

Wauwatosa West teacher Mr. Lazarski met Ryan during the statewide Wisconsin Civic Fellows program. After attending the fall 2024 trip without students, he knew he wanted West students to participate.

“Mr. Ryan created a special program that engages students in deep, place-based learning,” Lazarski said. “I’m thrilled he welcomed us so openly.”

Throughout the weekend, students took part in hands-on cultural activities. A favorite was a dreamcatcher workshop led by community member Doreen Wawronowitz.

“We had a really good time making dreamcatchers. I thought that was really interesting,” said junior Alexandria Green.

Students also visited the reservation’s powwow grounds, where they learned about powwow etiquette and the traditions surrounding dance and regalia. That evening, they visited the home of Bob Elm, who prepared a meal of fried walleye and mac and cheese.

“We learned a lot about their culture and practices,” Green said. “One main takeaway I had was their kindness and humility.”

The values of hospitality and generosity came up repeatedly.

“Throughout their entire lives, they’ve been giving so much to us that we really don’t deserve,” said senior Khalil Barki. “We have to acknowledge their culture because they’ve been stereotyped time and time again. Their story needs to not just be heard, but understood.”

Students also learned about the history of Native education and federal Indian policy. They toured the Lac du Flambeau Boarding School Museum, which operated from 1895 to 1932. The school removed Native children from their families and forced them to abandon their language, religion, and culture in favor of English and Christianity.

“I learned about the boarding school and how sad it was that it led to their culture dwindling,” said senior Lan Nguyen. “It’s amazing they pushed through those struggles and still pass their culture on today.”

Another focus of the trip was Ojibwe language revitalization. Students learned phrases throughout the weekend and heard about ongoing efforts to teach the language in local schools.

“The language we speak reflects our culture,” Lazarski said. “Learning even a few phrases helps you understand the people—and it shows appreciation for their culture.”

Students also studied the treaties of 1837, 1842, and 1854, which ceded large areas of land to the U.S. while guaranteeing Ojibwe rights to hunt, fish, and gather.

Over time, those rights were restricted until a federal judge affirmed them again in 1987, requiring tribes to create their own wildlife management systems. This decision sparked years of conflict between Ojibwe citizens and some recreational fishermen—known as the “Walleye Wars”

Students toured Flambeau Lake with former Tribal Council President Tom Maulsen, who led his community during the conflict.

“Thousands would holler and scream at us,” Maulsen said. “People came with high-speed boats trying to run us over as we were spearing. I was mad, but as I got older, I realized they didn’t know what was going on. People were telling them lies.”

Maulsen’s perspective made a strong impression on students, many of whom had never heard about this period of Wisconsin history.

Beyond the cultural learning, students said they valued the connections they made with peers from Prescott High School.

“We are still in contact even weeks after the trip,” Nguyen said. “It has been really fun to get to know them and become a part of their lives.”

For Dixon, the experience was unforgettable.

“I just really appreciate the entire experience,” he said. “I had never been camping before, which was great—but I also didn’t know much about Lac du Flambeau or the Native people and their history. I’m so glad I went. I learned so much about other people, but also about myself.”