 The Menominee Indian Tribe had entered into a series of treaties with the United States which did not specifically state that they had hunting and fishing rights . In 1961 , Congress terminated the tribe 's federal recognition , ending its right to govern itself , federal support of health care and education programs , police and fire protection , and tribal rights to land . In 1963 , three members of the tribe were charged with violating Wisconsin 's hunting and fishing laws on land which had been a reservation for over 100 years . The tribe members were acquitted , but when the state appealed , the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the Menominee tribe no longer had hunting and fishing rights due to the termination action by Congress . 
