Mississippi River Band of Chippewa Indians () or simply the Mississippi Chippewa, are an historical Ojibwa Band inhabiting the headwaters of the Mississippi River and its tributaries in present-day Minnesota.
According to the oral history of the Mississippi Chippewa, they were primarily of the southern branch of Ojibwe who spread from the "Fifth Stopping Place" of Baawiting (Sault Ste. Marie region) along Lake Superior's southern shores until arriving at the "Sixth Stopping Place" of the Saint Louis River. They continued westward across the Savanna Portage, and spread both northward and southward along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries.
Before entering the treaty process with the United States, the Mississippi Chippewa consisted of the following sub-bands: Cedar Lake, Minnesota Band Crow Wing, Minnesota Band Gull Lake, Minnesota Band Mille Lacs, Minnesota Band Pelican Lake, Minnesota Band Pokegama Lake, Minnesota Band Rabbit Lake, Minnesota Band Rice Lake, Minnesota Band Sandy Lake, Minnesota Band Snake River Band Swan River Band Trout Lake, Minnesota Band White Oak Point, Minnesota Band and many villages associated with these sub-bands. Together, they controlled the main north–south trade corridor of the Mississippi River headwaters. Their traditional use area included the stretch of the Mississippi River between its confluence with the Leech Lake River and its confluence with the Crow Wing River—known in the Ojibwe language as Gichi-ziibi (Big River)—and including the Brainerd Lakes Area.
History and treaty making
In 1825, with the First Treaty of Prairie du Chien, the United States drew the Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Line to separate the Ojibwe from the Dakota, believing the two were still at war with each other. The Ojibwe and the Dakota had ended their war for nearly a generation by that time and had only infrequent skirmishes. In 1830 the Indian Removal Act was signed by Andrew Jackson. This act of Congress gave the president power to force Indian tribes to move to land west of the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi Chippewa, along with the Red Lake, Pillager and the Lake Superior bands, entered into the Treaty of St. Peters in 1837 with the US. They ceded to the United States what is now part of northern Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota.
In 1850, the US government changed the annuity distribution point from La Pointe, Wisconsin to Sandy Lake, in an effort to move the tribes further west. Four thousand Ojibwe of various bands showed up in early October at the designated site, but no government agents or supplies were there. After waiting for two months in deteriorating weather, 170 Ojibwe died. The government finally brought the supplies and annuities but, because of harsh weather at that time of year, another 230 Ojibwe died on their returns to their lands."Ojibwe honor 400 victims of 1850 Sandy Lake tragedy" , Brainerd Dispatch, 2 December 2000, accessed 8 March 2012 This became known as the Sandy Lake tragedy.
In 1855, because of the tragedy at Sandy Lake, the Mississippi Chippewa, along with the Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians, agreed upon the Treaty of Washington for the land cession of most of northern Minnesota. In exchange, the United States promised three reservations for the Pillagers and six reservations for the Mississippi Chippewa. In addition, as in other treaties, the tribes retained the right for traditional harvest of off-reservation resources, such as fish and game. (This right faded from general knowledge as living conditions changed, until it was revived in the late 20th century as tribes worked to exercise traditional practices and rights; one example was the Wisconsin Walleye War of the late 1980s.)
The six reservations were the following: Gull Lake Indian Reservation Mille Lac Indians Reservation Pokegama Lake Indian Reservation Sandy Lake Indian Reservation Rabbit Lake Indian Reservation Rice Lake Indian Reservation
Due to confusing records kept by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Rice Lake Indian Reservation was never established. Confusion arose because several different lakes around Sandy Lake had names which, translated into English, all seemed to mean "Rice Lake." This led to confusion related to which map was consulted, and the issue of where the reservation was to be located was never resolved. It appeared the Rice Lake Indian Reservation was located in the following areas: fully within the boundaries of the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation on its north end, or adjacent to the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation on its south end; and at the southeastern corner on the eastern edge of Sandy Lake Indian Reservation, or on the southeastern corner on the southern edge of Sandy Lake Indian Reservation. The Rice Lake Band claimed these representations were all incorrect, and the proper location of the agreed Rice Lake Indian Reservation was much farther south.
1862 Chippewa offer Lincoln to fight the Sioux
On 18 August when the Mdewakanton attacked the Indian Agency on their reservation Chippewa-Sioux relations were already strained. In June 1862 Chief Bagone-giizhig (Hole-in-the-Day, Gull Lake Band) and Little Crow exchanged letters over a Chippewa having killed a Sioux. Little Crow told Hole-in-the-Day that the Sioux wanted their due. Also in June, a Sioux-Chippewa skirmish took place near Pembina with losses on both sides. However, one of Chief Red Bear's sons was killed by the Sioux.Terrible Battle Between the Sioux and Chippewa at St. Joseph, The Weekly Pioneer and Democrat, July 5, 1862, p.4 Newspapers.com
The attack on the Lower Sioux Agency would bring war and mounted patrols to Minnesota and the Department of the Northwest until June 1866. In the north, several unfortified stagecoach stations along the Red River Trails were attacked despite being on Chippewa land. When Judge Cooper arrived at Hole-in-the-Day's village, during the first week of the war, he learned the Sioux had attacked the Chippewa at Otter tail lakes.News from Chippewa Country, The Weekly Pioneer and Democrat, Sept. 5, 1862, p.4, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. He also informed Governor Alexander Ramsey that the Gull Lake warriors were dancing around Sioux scalps when he arrived. Hole-in-the-Day had his own major grievances with the Government, but they were not enough for him to join the Santee Sioux. Like the other leaders of the Chippewa he offered to fight the Sioux.The Indian War, Pioneer and Democrat Vol. XIV No. 17, 10 October 1862, p.1, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. The Chippewa were experiencing that same fraud as the Sioux and the timing of their annuity payments were coincidently close so the media linked their dis-satisfactions in an anti-Native American narrative. At the same time the media published story after story of the Chippewa support of the Government vs. the Sioux.
Company D of the 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment, was garrisoned at Fort Abercrombie, on the Red River of the North 150 miles due west of Gull Lake. They would be augmented by G Co. 9th Minnesota which had a large component of bi-racial White Earth Chippewa.One Drop In A Sea Of Blue, John B. Lundstrom, Minnesota Historical Society Press, 345 Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN, 2012, p.10 One of whom was killed and buried with military honors at St Cloud, Minnesota.St. Cloud Democrat. [volume], October 09, 1862, Image 2, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Bldg, 10 First Street SE, Washington, DC When G Company arrived at Fort Abercrombie the Fort was under attack. They went into action to break the siege. G Company joined the garrison and immediately endured the Sioux siege that followed.
On 2 September 1862 two Wisconsin Fond Du Lac Chiefs sent President Abraham Lincoln a letter offering to fight the Sioux so Minnesotans could go fight the south. The St Paul Pioneer and Democrat published that letter front page on 11 September 1862. Over the next week it was reprinted or referenced by multiple newspapers across the country: Chicago Tribune,Letter From Two Chiefs, Chicago Daily Tribune Vol.XV No.60, 17 September 1862, Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Chicago TimesWisconsin Chippewas Wish to Fight the Sioux: The Chicago Times Vol VIIII No. 28, 16 Sept 1862, p.1 New York Times, New York HeraldNew York Herald, September 14, 1862, p.5 Washington D.C Evening Star,Indian Outrages in Minnesota, Vol. XX No.2983, The Evening Star, Washington D.C., p.1, Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, The Portland Daily Press, Portland MaineFond Du Lac letter The Portland Daily Press, 15 September, 1862, p.3 Wheeling Daily Intelligencer W. VA,Fond du lac letter, Daily Intelligencer, 15 Sept p. 3 Wheeling, West Virginia Cleveland Morning,Fond Du Lac letter The Cleveland Morning 20 September 1862 Vermont Chronicle,Fond du lac letter The Vermont Chronicle, 23 Sept, 1862 The Weekly North Iowa Times,Fond du lac letter The Weekly North Iowa Times 17 Sept Mankato Semi WeeklyLake Superior Chippeways, Mankato Semi-weekly Record Vol 4 - No. 22, p.2 and republished in St Paul on the 19th.Wisconsin Chippewa Wish to Fight the Sioux, The Weekly Pioneer and Democrat Sept 19, 1862, p. 3, Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers,
On 3 September a Mille Lacs band Chief went to St Cloud with the same offer that also made the papers.Mille Lac Indians, The Indian War(the St. Cloud Democrat), Hokah Chief Vol. 5 No. 47, September 16, 1862, p.2, Minnesota Historical Society, 345 Kellogg Blvd, St Paul MN Chippewas on the War Path, Goodhue Republican Vol. 6 No. 3, Sept 12, 1863, Minnesota Historical Society, 345 Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN The post Commander at Fort Ripley was informed and he extended State hospitality to the Chief until a response was received.
On 6 September the speculationChief Hole-in-the-Day and the 1862 Chippewa Disturbance a Reapprasial, Mark Diedrich, Minnesota History Magazine, Spring 1987, p.194-5 Minnesota Historical Society, 345 Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN of Chief Hole in the Day joining Little Crow prompted Shaw-Bosh-Kung, head chief of the Mille Lacs band of Chippewa to send 700-750 warriors to Fort Ripley to volunteer to fight the Sioux and support the garrison along with the Sandy Lake band."Tell the Mille Lacs what Danger they are in", Chapter 5, Reminiscences of Life among the Chippewa (Part III),"A Social History of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe 1640-1993", Anthony Godfrey, U.S. West Research, POB 2172, La Cross, WS, Minnesota Historical Society Contract #92-C-2763, 1973, p. 100-115 William P. Dole, the Indian agent was at Fort Ribley, asked that they return to their reservation. He told them they would be informed if they were needed. However, war Chief Mou-Zoo-Mau-Nee (Iron-Walker) and 200 Mille Lacs warriors remained at the fort as did 100 from the Sandy Lake band. Both the Sandy Lake and Mille Lacs bands gained "non-removal" designations from the United States as a result. Commissioner Dole gave the Mille Lacs band a document stating they could remain on their reservation for 1000 years for their actions.
On 15 September a council was held at the Crow Wing agency where 22 Chiefs of the Mississippi and Pillager Bands "offered their services, and if necessary their life's to punish the enemies of the white people, the Sioux..."The Chippewa Emmbassy, The Goodhue Volunteer Vol 7, No.11, 1 October 1862, p.1, Redwing Minnesota, Newspapers.com Notable Chippewa there were Chiefs Hole-in-the-Day, Buffalo, and Flat-mouth.