Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians facts for kids
 |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 30,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| North Dakota, United States | |
| Languages | |
| English, Ojibwe, Michif | |
| Religion | |
| Catholicism, Methodism, Midewiwin | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chippewa Cree, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Métis |
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (in Ojibwe language: Mikinaakwajiw-ininiwag) is a Native American tribe. They are a mix of Ojibwa heritage. If they lived in Canada, they would be called Métis. This tribe is based on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.
About 30,000 people are members of the tribe. In 2000, 5,815 members lived on the main reservation. Another 2,516 lived on tribal land outside the reservation. The U.S. government officially recognizes the tribe. Jamie Azure is the current Tribal Chairman.
Contents
History of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa
Around the late 1700s, the Chippewa people lived in woodlands. These areas are now parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. They then moved onto the Great Plains. They went there to hunt bison and find new beaver resources for trade. They learned to live on the plains. They started using horses and making bison-hide tipis. They also used Red River carts and developed new ceremonies. By about 1800, these Native Americans were hunting in the Turtle Mountain area of North Dakota.
For over 100 years, there was no border between Canada and the U.S. The Chippewa moved freely in areas that are now Manitoba, Canada. They also moved through Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. They met and mixed with Cree and other tribes. They had conflicts with the Dakota tribe over land. These disputes ended in 1858 with the Sweet Corn Treaty. This treaty described 11 million acres of Chippewa land. It also set up payments for them.
By 1863, the Chippewa owned almost one-third of the land in what became North Dakota. White settlers wanted this land. They used the Homestead Act to claim land. They asked the government to open the Red River valley for farming. The government then made treaties with the Native peoples. On October 2, 1863, the Treaty of Old Crossing was signed. The government took all 11 million acres from the Sweet Corn Treaty. This opened the land for new settlements. The Chippewa signed this treaty under great pressure.
The Red River Rebellion happened in 1869–1870. This started when the Hudson's Bay Company gave its trapping rights to Canada. Louis Riel and his Métis followers took over Fort Garry. They tried to create a new government for Manitoba. When Canadian troops arrived, Riel went to Montana. He later became a U.S. citizen. In 1885, Métis people in Canada asked for his help. They had problems with settlers. Riel wrote a petition, but fighting began. Riel surrendered and was found guilty of treason. After this, his followers fled to the Turtle Mountain Chippewa for safety.
As fur trade and buffalo hunting decreased, the Turtle Mountain Chippewas faced hard times. They had no land and struggled with hunger. The government recognized them. In 1873, Congress approved buying land for them. This land was on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. The government tried to move the tribe there. But the Chippewa refused to leave the Turtle Mountains. In 1884, an agreement set aside a small reservation for them. It was twelve miles by six miles. But by 1891, the U.S. wanted even more land.
In 1891, a government agent met with tribal members. They wanted to count the Chippewa people. They also wanted to set new reservation borders. Little Shell III, a tribal leader, wanted a 30-square-mile area at Turtle Mountain. This idea was rejected. So, he and his followers left the meeting. The McCumber Agreement was signed on October 22, 1892. It gave the tribe two small areas within their traditional lands. All other Chippewa lands in North Dakota were given up. The land given was not enough for all tribal members. So, talks continued. Finally, in 1904, a new part was added to the agreement. It said that any Chippewa member who could not get land on the reservation could claim free land elsewhere in the U.S. They would still get tribal funds and property. With this, the Chippewa agreed. Congress approved the final agreement on April 21, 1904.
After the McCumber agreement and the Great Depression, the Chippewa started farming. They grew food to survive. In 1922, they opened a "Big Store" to sell goods. They also ran a creamery. They sold farm products, cut lumber, and medicinal herbs. Through the WPA program, men learned construction skills. Women learned to sew and can food. In 1932, Congress approved the first charter for the Turtle Mountain Chippewa. Because they were doing well and did not trust government programs, the tribe chose not to join the Indian Reorganization Act.
The tribe asked for money because they were forced to sell their land for less than it was worth. This was part of the McCumber Agreement. In 1934, Congress passed a law to help settle their claim. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped it twice. Finally, in 1946, Congress created the Indian Claims Commission. The tribe filed a claim in 1948. On June 9, 1964, a law was passed. It confirmed their claim and set up how the money would be given out.
In the early 1950s, the government changed its policy. It wanted to end its special relationship with some tribes. This was called "termination." The idea was that these tribes had made enough progress. They were thought to no longer need special status. On August 1, 1953, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution. It called for the immediate termination of several tribes. This included the Turtle Mountain Chippewa. Termination meant losing all federal help, services, and protection. It also meant the end of reservations.
Legislation was introduced to terminate the Turtle Mountain Band. But the law was not put into action. In 1954, tribal Chairman Patrick Gourneau and others spoke in Washington, D.C. They told Congress that the tribe was not ready. They had high unemployment and poverty. Education levels were low. They said termination would harm the tribe greatly. Because of their words, the Chippewa were removed from the list of tribes to be terminated. A book called “The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich tells a story inspired by these events. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021.
Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing
On November 22, 2011, the Turtle Mountain Chippewa voters made a big decision. They voted to ban hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking). This is a way to get oil from the ground. They were the first tribe to ban it. They were worried about how it would affect the environment. A group called "No Fracking Way Turtle Mountain Tribe" helped create this ban.
The tribal council changed the ban slightly. They told the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to cancel oil and gas bids. These bids were for 45,000 acres of tribal land. They were supposed to start on December 14, 2011. The BIA canceled the bids on December 9, 2011.
Tribal Bands
As the fur trade became smaller, many bands moved back to Minnesota and North Dakota. These bands were from areas like Red, Rainy, Leech, and Sandy Lakes. One band, the Mikinak-wastsha-anishinabe, settled in the Turtle Mountains. In 1849, a Canadian priest described the people in the Pembina Territory. He said they were from Red Lake, Reed Lake, Pembina, and Turtle Mountain bands. Many were also mixed-heritage Métis. He noted that the Métis greatly outnumbered those of mostly Chippewa heritage.
In 2003, a U.S. court decided something important. It ruled that the Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians (from Montana) is a separate tribe. This was based on their history. This band had grown independently. They had also created their own government since the 1890s. The courts have recognized three separate groups using the name Chippewa.
Economy and Tribal Businesses
The tribe has its own college, the Turtle Mountain Community College. It is a two-year college. This is one of many tribal colleges started by Native American tribes in the U.S.
The tribe also started an online business. It offers short-term loans to people in the U.S. who don't have easy access to banks. This business has created new jobs. It also helps fund other tribal businesses and social programs on the reservation. The tribe started BlueChip Financial in 2012. It is located on the reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota. More than two dozen tribal members work there. BlueChip Financial operates under the Spotloan.com name. Since it started, the company has given out 250,000 loans.
Other tribes also have online lending programs. These include the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. The Native American Financial Services Association (NAFSA) says these programs are very important. They provide money for tribes in remote areas. Many tribal communities have opened casinos to create jobs. But remote areas and casinos have been hit hard by economic problems.
There are high rates of unemployment and poverty in many tribes. U.S. News & World Report and Pew Research say that more than 1 in 4 Native people live in poverty. Their rate of working or looking for a job is 61.6 percent. This is the lowest among all racial and ethnic groups.
Some people have criticized tribal lending. Delvin Cree, a writer, called it "predatory lending" in 2012. However, The Wall Street Journal and other news sources have written about the benefits. They say tribal online lending programs bring much-needed money. This money helps tribes that don't have many other ways to grow their economy.
Sherry Treppa, a tribal leader, spoke to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. She said tribal online lending programs are key for economic growth. They create jobs and bring in money for tribes. She also argued that trying to control these tribal lending programs attacks tribal independence.
Gavin Clarkson wrote a study in 2016 about tribal online lending. He found that these programs were legal. He also showed how lending helps tribal economies. It creates jobs, improves buildings, and supports education and healthcare. It also helps with tribal and social services. He noted that many tribes in lending have few other choices. This is because federal funding has decreased.
Significant Locations Associated with the Tribe
- Belcourt
- Dunseith
- St. Joseph (Walhalla) (Red Bear's Reservation)
- Pembina
- St. John
- Stump Lake (Black Duck's village)
- Grahams Island (Little Shell's Village)
- Round Lake village
- Buffalo Lodge
- White Earth River region
- Trenton / Buford region (TISA)
- Dogden Buttes
- Strawberry Lake
Notable Tribal Members
- Heid E. Erdrich, author, poet
- Louise Erdrich, author
- William Gardner (1884–1965), one of the Untouchables
- Hillary Kempenich, painter
- David T. McCoy, attorney and state politician in North Carolina
- Leonard Peltier, American Indian Movement member and author
- Mark Turcotte, poet
- Waubojeeg ("White Feather", "King Fisher") (c. 1747–1793), chief and warrior
