The records of the Original Collection of the Menominee Indian Study Committee (MISC) were consolidated from three separate sources. The largest group of material, accessioned in 1989, came directly from the Legislative Council and contains records and correspondence from MISC including correspondence of the chairman of the committee, executive secretary of the Legislative Council, and research associates of the committee. One small group of materials accessioned in 1986, was presented to the Historical Society by William F. Steuber, Assistant State Highway Engineer. The third group of materials was accessioned in 1977 and was processed in 1978. The provenance of the third group of materials is unclear, but it contains correspondence of the Department of Taxation as well as that of consultants to the study committee.

Taken as a whole, the series offers good documentation of the internal functioning of the committee as well as its relationship to the Menominee Tribe and Menominee County. There are several gaps in the coverage, however, most notably within the general files and correspondence of the committee. These files, which offer revealing documentation about the committee during the 1960s, become increasingly fragmentary during the 1970s. Minutes of meetings are complete for the span of the committee.

The collection has been divided into four series, COMMITTEE WORKING FILES, MENOMINEE ENTERPRISES, INC., MENOMINEE TOWN AND COUNTY, and PHOTOGRAPHS.

Within the series COMMITTEE WORKING FILES, the records have been subdivided into Background files, Administrative records, Conferences, Indexed file, Legislation, Reports, Subject files, and Wisconsin Highway Commission.

Background files consist of background information on the Menominee Indian Study Committee, including a twenty-year history of the committee compiled by staff researcher, Faith Moulin. Also included is a file of news clippings which cover the years when MISC was active.

Administrative records consist of minutes of meetings, consultants' files, financial balance sheets, and general files and correspondence. The minutes, 1955 to 1975, document the activities of both the general and executive committee. The consultants' files consist of correspondence and reports to MISC. This correspondence is incoming and outgoing and is sub-divided into subject files on budget, property, and school tax matters in Menominee County. A limited amount of consultants' correspondence will also be found in the general files and correspondence subdivision. The consultants' activities are better reflected in the files of reports which include detailed daily reports by the consultants summarizing political activities in Menominee County from 1955 to 1975.

Financial balance sheets summarize monthly appropriations and expenditures of the committee. Documentation is quite complete from 1955 to 1965 but becomes increasingly fragmentary after 1965. There are no financial records following 1971. The general files and correspondence consists of one group of material arranged chronologically and one file of correspondence concerning complaints against Menominee Enterprises, Inc.

The chronological file consists of correspondence, preliminary reports, resolutions, inter-office memoranda, and meeting notes. The correspondence is incoming and outgoing and is primarily that of the executive secretary of the Legislative Council; the Attorney General, who served as chairman of the MISC; and the research associates of the MISC. Principal correspondents included the University of Wisconsin-Extension Division, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, members of Congress, and members of the Menominee Indian Tribe and Menominee Enterprises, Inc. There is some overlap between this file and the indexed file (1955-1965).

The segregated file of complaints is principally incoming. Prior to termination of the tribe in 1961, the correspondence is primarily that of Constance Deer representing the organization Rightfully Enrolled Menominee Indians (REMI). Much of this correspondence concerns allegations that the tribal roll was unfairly compiled and that termination was illegal. Correspondence following termination concerns complaints specifically directed toward MEI concerning issues of unfair labor practices, police tactics, and the general administration of the corporation.

The conference material is somewhat fragmentary. Files include agendas, resolutions, proposed legislation, and reports submitted to and produced by participants of the conferences. Included in files of the Governor's Interstate Indian Council and the Great Lakes Intertribal Council are background materials stating the purpose of the organizations. Included in the material of the Governor's Interstate Indian Council is a history of the organization by John Artichoker Jr., chairman of the council (1960-1961).

The general indexed file , 1954-1965, contains resource material organized by subject matter. The original order was retained except for the MISC minutes, which have been filed in Administrative records. The index to these materials has been placed in the first folder in thrial organized by subject matter. The original order was retained except for the MISC minutes, which have been filed in Administrative records. The index to these materials has been placed in the first folder in the file. The largest subcategories are Termination, Federal reports, State reports, Legislation and resolutions, Legislative Council, Government structure, Menominee materials, Financial records, and Correspondence. Under these broad headings, materials are placed under more specific headings in chronological order. Each item is individually indexed. In most cases, material has been indexed by the department or organization from which it originated. The publications, consisting of newsletters and other materials, have been placed in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin library.

Legislation is further subdivided into Federal and State sections. Each category contains chronological and subject files. Material consists primarily of drafts of bills, acts, and laws pertaining to termination and restoration of the tribe. There are also some transcripts of hearings and correspondence related to the legislation. The files of state legislation also contain several editions of the tribe's plan for termination including drafts of legislation for action by the 1959 legislature. Drafts of termination bills based upon this plan are also included in these files.

Reports are further divided into categories of staff, state, and miscellaneous. Within each division, reports are filed alphabetically by topic or source. Staff reports include reports prepared by staff members submitted to the committee or to the Wisconsin Legislative Council. The 1965, 1969, and 1973 reports of MISC to the Legislative Council are complete summary resources documenting the activities of the committee during the periods of pre-termination, termination, and post-termination. Files of state reports contain reports as well as background material relevant to a particular agency's activities. Reports by both committee members and non-members are included in this file. Some reports are solely factual; others contain some analysis and note options available to the tribe. Generally the reports do not list specific recommendations but rather provide overall summaries and conclusions.

Subject files maintained by MISC include background information, a limited amount of correspondence, news clippings, press releases, and other miscellaneous items providing documentation of the MISC interests and activities. Several of the files overlap with files found in other parts of the collection.

Wisconsin Highway Commission files include reports and recommendations, internal memoranda and correspondence of members of the commission, primarily Vere Fiedler and William Steuber who served on the MISC and on the Special Advisory Committee to the MISC and who presented this material to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Within the series MENOMINEE ENTERPRISES, INC., the records have been subdivided into alphabetical files of Background, Administrative records, Menominee Tribe, and Reports. The manuscript collection of MEI (Green Bay Mss 70) fills many of the gaps found in these records.

Background materials contain several short histories of the Menominee Tribe and reservation and a brief chronology of the events relating to termination of Federal supervision.

Administrative records consist of annual reports, articles of incorporation and bylaws, board of directors' minutes, Common Stock and Voting Trust papers, financial budgets, partnerships, and shareholders' minutes. The annual reports provide a good overview of policies and programs of the corporation, and are nearly complete. Board of directors' minutes are somewhat fragmentary with the years 1964 to 1969 missing entirely. The Common Stock and Voting Trust files contain materials related to the election concerning continuation of the trust, memos from the trust to certificate holders, and materials related to trust agreements. Agendas, minutes, and resolutions of the trust will by found in the MEI collection housed in Green Bay.

Partnership files contain material on MEI's investments and efforts to broaden their financial interests. Much of the material concerns the partnership formed between MEI and N.E. Isaacson and Associates, Inc., and the Lakes of the Menominees project. There are also transcripts of hearings held before the Department of Natural Resources related to the partnership's development plans.

Shareholders' minutes consist of minutes of meetings and reports to shareholders from MEI.

Records of the Menominee Tribe consist of Advisory Council minutes, General Council minutes, the final tribal roll of 1954, and a list of individuals under guardianship. Materials within the General Council's files include several statements and recommendations of the Menominee Tribal Planning Committee, established by the General Council to make recommendations on tribal reorganization and legislative needs due to impending termination. Also included in the Tribal files are the Delegates' Newsletters from Washington, D.C. This is a weekly newsletter written by representatives of the tribe to keep members of the tribe current on developments relating to Federal legislation on termination.

Reports are subdivided into general and economic development proposals. Material is arranged alphabetically and contains reports by or for MEI to help assess the economic situation in Menominee County. Also included are several development proposals presented to MEI in an attempt to stimulate economic development in Menominee County.

The MENOMINEE TOWN AND COUNTY series has been sub-divided into alphabetical files of general, government, and programs. The general files primarily consist of statistics about Menominee County collected and compiled by the MISC. Government files provide background information on various government functions and include files on budget, county status, federal relief, and law and order. The Menominee County Town News Bulletin, which served as the record of the minutes of meetings for Menominee Town and County, provides the fullest account of the government's activities. A nearly complete run of the bulletin from 1961 to 1975 has been transferred to the Green Bay Area Research Center and is included in the Proceedings of the County Board, Menominee Series 3.

Included in program files are requests for financial assistance for the Community Action Program (CAP) and summary impact reports. The Menominee Prints newsletter, a bi-weekly CAP publication, has been transferred to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin library. There is also one file of material related to a cooperative project between the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, VISTA, and the University Extension.

PHOTOGRAPHS include several views of rural Menominee County, the sawmill, and the signing of the proclamation of American Indian Week, 1971. The photographs are available in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Visual Archives.