Menominee Warrior Society takes control of Alexian Brothers Novitiate

Jan. 1, 1975

Menominee Warrior Society takes control of Alexian Brothers Novitiate Press conference with Michael Sturdevant (center), the man known as “The General” during the occupation of the Alexian Brothers Novitiate. Colonel Hugh Simonson (right) is credited with keeping the standoff from turning deadly. Image Credit: Al Bergstein 1975
During the termination period, the Menominee Tribe was selected for forced assimilation and their federally recognized status was revoked in 1961. Although, Nixon reversed this ruling in 1973, the harms enacted had lasting and unaddressed impacts leading to the Menominee Warrior Society taking control of a mostly abandoned building on their lands, the Alexian Brothers Novitiate. The National Guard was called in and a standoff lasted nearly five weeks. The occupation ended with a granting of the novitiate to the Menominee Warrior Society for $1 and only three warriors seeing any prison time. One of the Menominee Warriors, John Waubanascum was murdered in 1976 by a Menominee County Sheriff.