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The Invasion of Indian Country in the Twentieth Century plied for 223bear-hunting tags in 1986 but killed only16 bear during a specially designated season.59As the tribes and the DNR continued to talk, they agreed to extend the spearing season by five days and double the Indians' share of fish harvested from the northern lakes. Even with the additional regulations, however, the Chippewa would take only about twenty percent of the total allowable catch. Moreover , the Indians accepted numerous other restrictions and agreed not to sell their catch during the spearfishing season."60 This agreement was immediately called "bad news" by Larry Peterson, chairperson of PARR, an organization that opposed treaty rights and favored white hunters and sports fishing. PARR passed its own resolution, callingfor a nonviolent response to the Chippewa fishing in 1987. In a meeting with Governor Thompson on March 7, PARR requested National Guard assistance, ostensibly to prevent any possible violence but primarily to be on its side against the Indians.61 It was clear the sports hunters and fishermen wanted the support of the state of Wisconsin.On March 28and 29,1987, PARR held a meeting in Wausau to publicize the supposed neglect of the civil rights of white citizens in northern Wisconsin and to increase its own membership. Hostilities between Indians and whites intensified with each fishingseason . Those whoopposedtreaty rights, mainlyhunters and sports fishermen, confronted Indian fishermen at the lakes. While the Indians spearfished on the lakes, the hostile whites slashed the tires of the Chippewa's vehicles and broke their windshields. Racial slurs and all kinds of derogatory terms were shouted at the Indians, and the Indians shouted back. Ultimately, the racism sparked by the spearfishing controversy became so intense that Indian and white children could not go to the same schools and their parents could not eat at the same restaurants. Another attempt at negotiating between the state of Wisconsin and the Indians occurred when Attorney General Don Hathaway invited the tribal leaders of the six Chippewa nations and their lawyers to a meeting in April 1987. As their conversations progressed, a longterm settlement became the goal.That settlement would include "new state payments to Indians oreconomicdevelopment programsfor their benefit [in an] attempt to end expensive lawsuits."62 By the end of the month, the state officials and the Chippewa leaders reached twentythree interim agreements. Further discussion led to a final settlement to end all of the legal and racial controversy. Clearly, racism and spearfishing were intertwined, even though Governor Thompson tried to deny this tandem. A growing sentiment against the Indians resulted in outright ridicule when "Tkeaty Beer" was introduced during the summer, with sales used to support the Chippewa Fishing and Hunting Rights in the &eat Lakes 117 effort against Indian treaty rights. Production of the offensive beverage came to halt due to boycotts. Nonetheless, 700,000 cans of beer had been brewed by Hiberna Brewery, Ltd. In June and July, the Chippewa nations agreed to meet again with state officials,and as summer came to an end, the two groups met for two and a half hours. They agreed to continue negotiations, for both sides remained interested in reaching a final solution. However, the tribes would not compromise their treaties and insisted upon their legal importance.63 On August 21, Judge Barbara Crabb of the U.S. District Court of Wisconsin set the legal standards for determining "the permissible bounds of state regulation" regarding Chippewa off-reservation fishing . Even though her order backed Indian rights, it also supported the conservation practices of Wisconsinin the interest of public health and safety.64Thisfederalaction by the judge encouraged theantitreaty activists to criticize Indian rights harshly, although they cloaked their views in words about conservation and public safety. During October, a non-Indian group at Rhinelander, Citizens for Treaty Rights, began promoting biased racial relationsin its own way. Members of the group wanted a peaceful settlement and reacted to Indian protests. Bumper stickers and posters appeared with slogans such as "Send Rambeau to Flambeau,""Spear an Indian," and "Spear a Squaw."Within a few weeks, the group's size increased from six to fifty members. They planned to launch a letter-writing campaign to legislators, to circulate petitions in support of treaties, and to make presentations on treaties in schools, churches, and communities to promote their views on limiting Indian fishing rights.65 The racial harassment intensified again as a final interpretation of the Chippewa's fishing and hunting rights was expected. To deter...

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