Sandy Lake Tragedy facts for kids
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The Sandy Lake Tragedy happened in 1850 near Sandy Lake, Minnesota. It was a terrible event where hundreds of Ojibwe people died. These Ojibwe were from the Lake Superior area. Leaders in the US government wanted to move these Native American groups. They wanted them to live west of the Mississippi River.
To make them move, officials changed where the yearly payments would be given out. These payments were called annuities. They hoped the Ojibwe would stay at the new place for the winter. This was meant to make them agree to move. But the payments were late and not enough. The promised supplies also did not arrive. About 400 Ojibwe people died from sickness, hunger, and cold. Most of them were men. This tragedy made the Ojibwe even more determined not to move. They gained public support and were able to get permanent reservations in their traditional lands.
Contents
Why Did the Sandy Lake Tragedy Happen?
By the 1600s, the Ojibwe nation lived in a large area. This area was around Lake Superior. It included parts of modern-day Ontario in Canada. It also covered parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the United States.
In 1830, the US government passed the Indian Removal Act. This law aimed to move Native Americans and claim their lands. It mostly focused on tribes in the southeastern US. At first, there wasn't much pressure to move the Ojibwe. Not many European Americans had settled in the Lake Superior region yet.
Growing Pressure to Move Native Americans
By 1850, more European Americans were moving to Wisconsin and Minnesota. This changed the situation. Settlers wanted more land and resources. They asked the government to help them. High-ranking officials in President Zachary Taylor's government planned to move the Ojibwe. This plan was against the law and broke many treaties.
The plan was made by several officials. These included Secretary of Interior Thomas Ewing. Also involved were Commissioner of Indian Affairs Orlando Brown. Minnesota Territory Governor Alexander Ramsey and Sub-Agent John Watrous were part of it too. Ewing and Brown left their jobs before the tragedy. But Ramsey and Watrous were involved throughout the events.
What Happened at Sandy Lake?
To force the Ojibwe to move west, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) changed the payment location. The yearly payments and supplies were usually given at La Pointe, Wisconsin. This was an important place for the Ojibwe. But the BIA announced the payments would be at Sandy Lake, Minnesota. Sandy Lake was a more isolated trading spot.
The BIA wanted to bring the Ojibwe to Minnesota in late fall. They planned to delay them there. Officials hoped the Native Americans would have to stay for the winter. They thought this would make the Ojibwe agree to move. This plan was kept secret from both Native Americans and local settlers. Officials who wanted the Ojibwe to move knew this would benefit them. The Ojibwe would spend their money in Minnesota. This would help the local economy and the officials' political power.
The Journey to Sandy Lake
Many Ojibwe groups met to discuss what to do. Their talks took so long that they couldn't plant their spring crops. This meant they had to go to Sandy Lake. They needed the payments and supplies to survive. In the fall of 1850, people from 19 Ojibwe groups began the difficult trip. They were told to be at Sandy Lake by late October.
Nearly 3,000 Ojibwe men waited there for weeks. No government agent arrived. Finally, an agent came. He told them the government could not send the payments and supplies. It was early December before a small part of the money and goods arrived. Much of the food was spoiled. Only a small amount of the payment came.
The Tragic Outcome
By this time, about 150 Ojibwe had already died. They were crowded in poor camps. They died from dysentery, measles, hunger, or freezing. The Ojibwe then had to return home. They were weak from sickness and hunger. They had not expected to travel in winter. As a result, 200 to 230 more Ojibwe died. They died before reaching their homes by January.
What Were the Results of the Tragedy?
After this tragedy, the Lake Superior Chippewa groups took action. Their leader was Chief Buffalo of La Pointe. He asked President Millard Fillmore to cancel the order to move them. Many people across the United States were angry about how the government treated the Ojibwe. They supported ending the removal plan.
Chief Buffalo asked people in Wisconsin to support them. He wanted them to stay in their territory. Some European Americans didn't want to live among Native Americans. They encouraged the creation of Indian reservations.
New Reservations Established
For three years after the Sandy Lake events, Chief Buffalo worked hard. He pushed for permanent reservations in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This plan was detailed in the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe. The Ojibwe achieved their main goal: to stay in their traditional lands. Many groups agreed to have Ojibwe reservations created for them. Most reservations were set up in places where Ojibwe communities already existed. Sometimes, smaller groups had to join larger, more powerful ones.
Under the Treaty of La Pointe, these reservations were created:
- Grand Portage
- Fond du Lac
- Red Cliff
- Lac Courte Oreilles
- Bad River
- Lac Vieux Desert
- L'Anse
- Ontonagon
- Lac du Flambeau
The next year, in 1855, more reservations were created in Minnesota. This was done by the Treaty of Washington (1855).
For the Pillager Chippewa, these reservations were made:
- Leech Lake
- Cass Lake
- Lake Winnibigoshish
For the Mississippi Chippewa, these reservations were made:
- Mille Lacs Lake
- Sandy Lake
- Pokegama Lake
- Rabbit Lake
- Gull Lake
The same treaty also planned the Rice Lake Indian Reservation. But it was never officially created. This was because the Bureau of Land Management said it was inside the Sandy Lake Reservation's boundaries.
What Happened to Those Who Didn't Sign?
Despite the Sandy Lake Tragedy, some groups held out hope. The St. Croix Band and the Mole Lake Band refused to sign the Treaty of La Pointe. They hoped the United States would keep earlier promises. By not signing, these two Ojibwe groups lost their official recognition from the US government. This meant they lost certain benefits.
They did not get legal recognition again until 1934. This was under the Indian Reorganization Act, also known as the Indian "New Deal". During the time they were not recognized, the Mole Lake Band joined with the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation. Most of the St. Croix Band was split up. They joined both the Lac Courte Oreilles and Mille Lacs reservations.
Some St. Croix Band members refused to join the La Pointe Band. The US Army forced them to move to the Gull Lake Indian Reservation in central Minnesota. This action was illegal. Chief Bagonegiizhig of the Gull Lake Band worked hard to get these groups back to Wisconsin. He did not have much success. Chief Bagonegiizhig then led his people in the Dakota War of 1862 against the United States. This alliance did not go well. Many Mississippi Chippewa were forced to move further west. They were first moved near Leech Lake. Eventually, they went to the White Earth Indian Reservation.
Remembering the Sandy Lake Tragedy
On October 12, 2000, the US put up a memorial. It honors the Sandy Lake Tragedy. This memorial is at the United States Army Corps of Engineers Sandy Lake Dam Campgrounds. Also, the state created a rest area. It has a view of Sandy Lake along Minnesota State Highway 65. A Historical Marker plaque there also remembers the Sandy Lake Tragedy.
