Wabanquot (Chippewa chief) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wabanquot (White Cloud)
Mississippi Ojibwa/Chippewa chief
Chief Wa-bon-o-quot, ca. 1895.
Born	ca. 1830 Gull Lake (Cass County, Minnesota)
Died	October 7, 1898 White Earth Indian Reservation
Father	Waubojeeg

Wabanquot, also known by names like Wabonaquod or Wa-bon-o-quot, was an important Ojibwe leader. His name, Wabanquot, comes from the Ojibwe language and means "White Cloud." He was born around 1830 near Gull Lake, in Minnesota. Wabanquot became a chief after his father, Waubojeeg, who was also a main leader for the Gull Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa.

After a conflict known as the Dakota War of 1862, Wabanquot's group, the Gull Lake Band, had to move to the Leech Lake area. Many people saw Wabanquot as the main chief of the Mississippi bands of Chippewa who had been moved. He signed the Treaty of Washington (1867) on June 14, 1868. This treaty led him to guide his band to the White Earth Indian Reservation, where he lived for the next 30 years until he passed away.

In the 1870s, Wabanquot became a Christian and took the name D.G. Wright. He chose this name to honor an Episcopalian helper. However, he rarely used his English name. Later, in the 1890s, he changed his faith and became a Roman Catholic.

Remembering Chief Wabanquot

Chief Wabanquot is remembered in a few special ways:

Chief White Cloud State Monument

• A monument called Chief White Cloud State Monument was built in 1909. It is located in Becker County, near White Earth.
• The monument is in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery of the St. Benedict's Mission.
• It honors Chief White Cloud and has an inscription that says:

Erected by the State of Minnesota appreciating a helpful, kindhearted, brainy man of true worth, born 1828 died Oct. 7, 1898.
Erected June 14, 1909 under the direction of D. A. Ball, Gus H. Beaulieu.

USS Wabanquot Tugboat

• A United States Navy tugboat was named after him.
• This tugboat was called USS Wabanquot.
• It served in the Navy from 1945 to 1976.