Summary Information
Larry Peterson Papers
1983-1991
Micro 2011
3 reels of microfilm (35mm)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Microfilmed papers of a paper company worker and resident of Park Falls, Wisconsin, who was a leader in the movement which opposed the liberal interpretation of the nineteenth century Indian treaties and who was a founder and board chairman of Protect American Rights and Resources, a national anti-Treaty Rights organization. Included about PARR are Peterson's correspondence to politicians and movement leaders; correspondence of newsletter editor Jerry Schumacher; press releases; clippings; speech notes and drafts; reference material; and statements. A smaller quantity of material relates to a similar, earlier organization, Equal Rights for Everyone.
There are restrictions on access to and use of portions of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr2011 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
In 1983 when he first became involved in the Treaty Rights issue Larry Peterson was a long-time employee of the Flambeau Paper Company in Park Falls, Wisconsin, a leader in his local union, and the father of two sons. In that year, he became concerned by a federal court decision which reinterpreted the nineteenth century Indian treaties giving the Chippewa tribes greatly expanded rights with regard to hunting and fishing on off-reservation lands in northern Wisconsin. As a result, during subsequent years Peterson gradually moved to a position of leadership in local, state, and national anti-Treaty Rights organizations, devoting virtually all of his free time to the matter.
Early in 1984 Peterson became active as vice-president of Equal Rights for Everyone, a national organization founded by Paul Mullaly of Hayward, Wisconsin. Although this organization expanded rapidly during its eighteen-month existence (eventually claiming over 3000 members in ERFE chapters and an additional 7000 members in affiliated organizations around the country), it succumbed to financial problems and internal dissatisfaction with its leadership. In September 1985, Peterson was one of a number ERFE officers who bolted to form a new organization, Protect Americans' Rights and Resources, to oppose the liberal interpretation of Indian treaty rights. In 1986 Peterson became board chairman of PARR and editor and publisher of its newsletter PARR Issue.
Former ERFE chapters were asked to become PARR chapters and nine of thirteen did so immediately. While PARR chapters were concentrated in Wisconsin, it also claimed members in Michigan and Illinois, as well as affiliates in several others states where similar reinterpretations of Indian rights were an issue. By 1987 it claimed 4,000 members and 25,000 affiliated supporters. Between 1987 and 1991 PARR sponsored several national conventions where delegates of chapters and affiliated organizations gathered to plan a coordinated federal strategy. At the 1988 convention in Racine PARR became a member of Citizens Equal Rights Alliance to work for change in federal treaty policy. By 1987 PARR activities and membership had expanded sufficiently and it hired an executive director.
During the period of Peterson's leadership, activities in Wisconsin escalated from meetings and petition circulation to protest rallies during fish spearing season in northern Wisconsin that sometimes resulted in violence and arrests on the boat landings.
Scope and Content Note
The papers entirely concern Peterson's role in the anti-Treaty Rights movement, with the majority of the documentation pertaining to PARR and a smaller quantity documenting his earlier involvement in Equal Rights for Everyone. The papers are arranged as an alphabetical file chiefly comprised of letters he received or sent, speeches and presentations he made as a PARR officer, press releases, and collected reference material. There is virtually no material here concerning the internal operations and activities of individual PARR chapters either in Wisconsin or in other states and little concerning overall governance or determination of policy. All of this material was lent for microfilming in 1991 after which the original correspondence was returned to the donor.
PARR Issue, which is available in the Historical Society Library, contains Peterson's regular chairman's reports and other articles written by him.
The Equal Rights for Everyone material in the collection consists of correspondence documenting Peterson's role as vice-president, some miscellaneous information concerning the Price County chapter, press releases, membership material, and a draft copy of one issue of the ERFE newsletter. (A complete run of this title is available in the Historical Society Library.)
Correspondence, essentially arranged here in Peterson's original order as “Letters in” and “Letters out,” documents the period from the formation of PARR through 1991. The outgoing files are generally much more extensive and complete, including many letters to associates in the movement both nationally and in Wisconsin (including former ERFE head Paul Mullaly who became active in an anti-Treaty Rights organization in Montana) and many letters from Wisconsin legislators such as F. James Sensenbrenner and David Obey explaining their positions on the issue. A large file of outgoing correspondence, 1989-1991, of Jerry Schumacher of Eagle River documents his views both before and after he became the editor of PARR Issue.
Peterson's views are also documented in a file of speech notes and drafts. More general expressions of PARR views can be found in the form letters to members, press releases, clippings, and resolutions and in the file of blank membership application forms. The reference material contains collected information on the views of Governors Earl and Thompson, President Ronald Reagan, congressional candidate Kevin Hermening, and various Wisconsin legislators and U.S. representatives.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Access to the audio logs requires the written permission of the donor or his designee until January 1, 2040 or his death, whichever is earlier.
Larry Peterson retains copyright to the logs until January 8, 2040 or his death, whichever is earlier. Videotapes of the national convention may be publicly shown only if used in their entirety.
Loaned for copying by Larry Peterson, Park Falls, Wisconsin, 1991. Accession Number: M91-204
Contents List
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Reel
1
Frame
1
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Background and general information, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
33
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Clippings, 1984-1988, undated
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|
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Equal Rights for Everyone
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
75
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Background and general information, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
147
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Correspondence, 1984-1985, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
343
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Donations, 1984-1985
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
391
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Financial information re Price County chapter, 1985
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
399
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Membership applications (blank) and information, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
408
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Membership book and minutes re Price County chapter, 1984, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
427
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Newsletter draft, undated
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Reel
1
Frame
462
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Press releases, 1984-1985
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
474
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Form letters to members and chapters, 1986-1987
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|
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Letters
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|
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“Letters in”
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Reel
1
Frame
565
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1985
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
586
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1986
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
656
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1987
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Reel
1
Frame
718
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1988
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|
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Reel
1
Frame
765
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1989
|
|
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Reel
1
Frame
981
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1990
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|
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Reel
2
Frame
1
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1991
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“Letters out”
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Reel
2
Frame
78
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1985
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Reel
2
Frame
112
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1986
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Reel
2
Frame
256
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1987
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Reel
2
Frame
305
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1988
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Reel
2
Frame
490
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1989
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Reel
2
Frame
736
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1990
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|
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Reel
2
Frame
984
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1991
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|
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Reel
2
Frame
1081
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Meeting notices, 1986-1991, undated
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Reel
2
Frame
1093
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Membership applications (blank) and information, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
1
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Memorabilia, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
40
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Organizational material, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
104
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Press releases, 1985-1991
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Reference material
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Reel
3
Frame
183
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Governors Earl and Thompson
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Reel
3
Frame
215
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Kevin Hermening, 1986-1987
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Reel
3
Frame
238
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Interior Department, 1984-1987
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Reel
3
Frame
445
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Reagan, Ronald, 1983-1987
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Reel
3
Frame
275
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Representatives and Wisconsin legislators, 1983-1986
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Resolutions
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Reel
3
Frame
496
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PARR, 1989-1991, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
545
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Wisconsin counties and Wisconsin organizations
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Reel
3
Frame
606
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National organizations
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Reel
3
Frame
661
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Miscellaneous organizations
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Reel
3
Frame
688
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Schedules, 1984-1986, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
818
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Schumacher, J.E. “Jerry,” 1989-1991, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
1039
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Speeches and presentations, 1987-1990, undated
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Reel
3
Frame
1203
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“Tribal membership application test,” undated
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