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Lake Superior Chippewa facts for kids

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The Lake Superior Chippewa (Anishinaabe: Gichigamiwininiwag) are a large group of Ojibwe people who live around Lake Superior. Their traditional lands are in what is now northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the United States. They moved into this area by the 1600s. They eventually defeated the Eastern Dakota people in 1745, who then moved west.

Even though they share a common culture and the Anishinaabe language, the Lake Superior Chippewa are made up of many independent groups, or "bands." In the 1800s, leaders from these bands worked together to sign treaties with the United States government. These treaties helped protect their lands from new settlers. The US government created several reservations for these bands, especially after a treaty in 1854. This allowed the people to stay on their homelands instead of being forced to move west of the Mississippi River. Today, many of these bands are officially recognized by the government as independent tribes. Some still include "Lake Superior Chippewa" in their names to show their shared history.

Where the Lake Superior Chippewa Came From

Before 1650, the Ojibwe people divided into two main groups near what is now Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This place was important because their prophets had said it would be a stop on their long journey. The Ojibwe had been traveling west from the Atlantic Coast for many centuries.

The Ojibwe who followed the south shore of Lake Superior found their final special place at Madeline Island. Here, they discovered "the food that grows on water," which is wild rice. In the late 1600s, the Ojibwe at Madeline Island began to spread out. They needed more space because their population was growing. They also wanted more furs to trade and faced some disagreements because of French Jesuit missions. For a while, they had an alliance with the Eastern Dakota.

Around 1737, the Ojibwe began to compete with the Eastern Dakota and the Fox tribes. This competition lasted for nearly 100 years in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Ojibwe had an advantage because they had learned to use guns from trading with the French. They eventually pushed the Dakota Sioux out of northern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. The Sioux moved west to the Great Plains.

The Ojibwe successfully spread across the Great Lakes region. Different groups settled along lakes and rivers in what became northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. La Pointe on Madeline Island remained a very important place for their culture and trade. Madeline Island is now a historic site.

Different Groups of Lake Superior Chippewa

The Lake Superior Chippewa include many different bands. They are a large group of people.

One special group was called the Biitan-akiing-enabijig (Border Sitters). These people lived between the Lake Superior Ojibwe and other nations. The Biitan-akiing-enabijig had three main bands:

There were also many smaller groups within these bands.

Treaties and Reservations

In the mid-1800s, the Lake Superior Chippewa signed several treaties with the U.S. Government. Through these agreements, they were formally recognized as a group. This included bands like the Mississippi, Pillager, Bois Forte, Muskrat Portage, Red Lake, Pembina, and La Pointe bands. Before this, their villages were politically independent. They did not have one central government.

In the winter of 1851, President Zachary Taylor ordered the removal of the Lake Superior Chippewa. He wanted them to move west of the Mississippi River. This had already happened to many other tribes in the eastern United States. During this forced move, the U.S. Army attacked the people. This event is known as the Sandy Lake Tragedy. Hundreds of Chippewa people died, including women and children.

The chief of La Pointe, Kechewaishke (Buffalo), traveled to Washington, D.C. He asked the government for help. Many people across the country were upset about the deaths of the Ojibwe. Because of this, the U.S. government stopped trying to remove the Ojibwe.

The final treaty in 1854 created permanent reservations. In Michigan, reservations were set up at L'Anse, Lac Vieux Desert, and Ontonagon. In 1934, under the Indian Reorganization Act, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community became the main government for the L'Anse, Lac Vieux Desert, and Ontonagon bands. All three reservations remained. In 1988, the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indians became a separate federally recognized tribe. Both the Keweenaw Bay tribe and the Lac Vieux Desert tribe are part of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan. This council represents 11 of the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan. These tribes include the Potawatomi and Odawa people, who, along with the Ojibwe, formed the Council of Three Fires.

In Wisconsin, reservations were created at Red Cliff, Bad River, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Lac du Flambeau. The St. Croix and Sokaogon bands were not included in the 1854 treaty. They did not get tribal lands or federal recognition until the 1930s, after the Indian Reorganization Act.

In Minnesota, reservations were established at Fond du Lac and Grand Portage. Other bands, like the Bois Forte Band, continued to negotiate with the U.S. government on their own. They ended their political ties with the Lake Superior Chippewa.

Lake Superior Chippewa Today

Today, the Lake Superior Chippewa bands are politically independent. They are recognized by the federal government as independent tribes with their own governments. They still have strong cultural connections to each other. They have worked together on legal actions to protect their treaty rights, such as fishing for walleye. Many bands include "Lake Superior Chippewa" in their official tribal names. This shows their historical and cultural ties. Examples include the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Here are some of the historical bands and their current political groups:

Some other bands in Minnesota also have minor historical ties to the Lake Superior Chippewa. These include the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and the White Earth Band of Chippewa. However, they do not have the same original governing powers that came from the Lake Superior Chippewa.

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