Lake Lena, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lake Lena
Aazhoomog
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 Lake Lena
Location in Minnesota
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Pine |
| Township | Ogema Township |
| Elevation | 1,017 ft (310 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1815033 |
Lake Lena is a small community in Minnesota, United States. It's also known by its Ojibwe name, Aazhoomog. This name means "Crossroads". It's a special place because it's a village for Native American people.
Lake Lena is an important center for the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. It serves as the main office for District III of the reservation. The community is located along the Lower Tamarack River.
You can find Lake Lena about 25 miles east of Hinckley. It's also seven miles west-northwest of Danbury, Wisconsin. Another nearby city is Sandstone, which is 24 miles away. A main road in the area is Grace Lake Road (Pine County 173). State Highway 48 is also close by.
The name Aazhoomog (Crossroads) makes sense because this area was once a meeting point. Old trails crossed here. One trail went north and south. It connected places like Bikoganaagan (Danbury) and Gibaakwa'iganing (Tozer Camp). Another trail went east and west. It linked Mooningwanekaaning (La Pointe) with Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag (Hinckley).
Contents
History of Lake Lena
The area around Lake Lena has a very long and interesting history. Many different Native American groups have lived here over time.
Early Inhabitants
Before the Dakota Sioux people arrived, other tribes lived near Lake Lena. These included the Cheyenne, Fox, and Ho-Chunk peoples. Sometimes, the Gros Ventre, Mandwe, and Menominee tribes would also visit.
This region was known for having lots of food. It was part of the Folle Avoine Region. This area was rich in Wild Rice and Sturgeon fish. The Lake Lena Village was also on a path where Bears would travel every year.
Arrival of the Dakota Sioux
When the Dakota Sioux arrived, most tribes left the area. Only the Fox tribe stayed permanently. However, the Cheyenne, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee still came to gather Wild Rice.
The Santee Sioux used the St. Croix River for trade. They also used trails that connected Lake Lena to Lake Superior and the Mississippi River. When the Ojibwe people came from La Pointe, the upper St. Croix River area became a place of conflict. Eventually, the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes found peace. They began to live side-by-side.
The Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe People
After the Ojibwe gained control of the upper St. Croix River valley, Lake Lena became an important trading village. In 1825, the United States drew borders between the Dakota and Ojibwe. This was part of the First Treaty of Prairie du Chien.
This new border caused problems for the Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe. They were already connected to the Dakota people. To solve this, some Dakota people moved south of the line. Other Dakota people north of the line joined the Ojibwe. They became part of the Wolf Totem. Many Ojibwe south of the line joined the Mdewakanton Dakota.
This helped keep the trade networks going. Aazhoomog changed from a mixed Dakota-Ojibwe village to a fully Ojibwe village. The Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe signed important agreements. These included the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters and the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe.
The 1837 treaty was called the "White Pine Treaty." It brought many people from the lumber industry to the area. After a sad event called the Sandy Lake Tragedy, the United States wanted Native Americans to live on Indian Reservations. They did not want to move them west of the Mississippi River.
During talks for the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe, the St. Croix Chippewa realized something. A large reservation would be created near Solon Springs, Wisconsin. This area had strong lumber interests. The Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe knew moving to a reservation would mean losing their hunting, fishing, and gathering rights. These rights were promised in earlier treaties.
Because of this, the St. Croix Chippewa refused to sign the 1854 treaty. By not signing, they lost their official recognition from the government. Even without recognition, they could still receive payments. Depending on the time, they went to either the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation or the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation. Over time, the Lake Lena Village people went to the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation more often. This was due to the lumber work in the region.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
After the St. Croix Chippewa lost their federal recognition, the number of people in Aazhoomog slowly went down. For their payments, people from Aazhoomog went to either the Lake Mille Lacs Indian Reservation or the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation. Eventually, the Aazhoomog Village people went to the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation more often.
Aazhoomog got its English name, "Lake Lena," during this time. It was named after Mrs. Lena Thayer. She ran a post office there until the early 1920s. Starting in 1922, Lake Lena Village began getting services on its own. This was separate from the Mille Lacs Indians or the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
In 1936, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe was formed. This happened under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe were then split. Some were in Minnesota and others in Wisconsin.
When the modern Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe was created, it included several groups. These were the Mille Lacs Indians, Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa, Rice Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa, and the St. Croix Band of Chippewa Indians. The people in Lake Lena Village were happy about this. They had regained federal recognition after 85 years. However, this was not independent recognition.
This caused a problem for the Manoominikeshiinyag Ojibwe in Wisconsin. Especially for those near Danbury, Wisconsin. They were included in the charter but could not get services from Minnesota. The remaining St. Croix Chippewa in Wisconsin wanted to stay together. They sought and gained their own federal recognition. They became the modern St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.
Today, the Aazhoomog village is home to important services. It has the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation District III Government Services and Community Center. It also has the Aazhoomog Clinic, part of the Ne-Ia-Shing Clinic System. The United States Postal Service considers Aazhoomog part of Sandstone, Minnesota. However, a separate community called Asiniikaaning exists. The Lake Lena Village gets fire help from the nearby Swiss Township fire department. Near the village, the Mille Lacs Band runs a Crossroads Marathon gas station. It also has a convenience store and a laundromat.
