The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has decided to charge an annual fee to access thousands of acres of reservation land for non-band members. It’s $25 a month or an annual fee of $100. I have enjoyed hunting and fishing on tribal lands the past 40 years. I can say paying no fees and taxes has been a real bargain.

Have I taken over $100 annually in fish and game? Probably not. Have I collectively done $100 in damage to the land? Not to my knowledge. I’ve respected the land as if it were my own. I’ve never pounded a single nail into a tree or carelessly left a Snickers wrap...