St. Croix Chippewa Indians

The St. Croix Chippewa Indians (Ojibwe language: Manoominikeshiinyag, the "Ricing Rails") are a historical Band of Ojibwe located along the St. Croix River, which forms the boundary between the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Majority of the St. Croix Band are divided into two groups: the Federally recognized St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, and the non-Federally recognized St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota that forms one of four constituent members forming the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

History

The Manoominikeshiinyag were one of the three major Bands forming the Biitan-akiing-enabijig (Border Sitters) due to their proximity to the Dakota peoples. In turn, the Biitan-akiing-enabijig were a sub-Nation of the Gichigamiwininiwag (Lake Superior Men).

The St. Croix Band arrived in the area nearly 600 years ago when directed to move southward from Lake Superior to "the place where there is food upon the waters." In establishing a presence in the St. Croix River valley and its tributaries, the St. Croix Band entered into fierce territorial dispute with the Dakota and the Fox, though eight other Native American Tribes were located in the St. Croix River Valley. To this day in the Ojibwe language, the headwaters of the St. Croix River is called "Manoominikeshiinyag-ziibi" (Ricing Rail River), the St. Croix River below the confluence of the Namekegon River as "Gichi-ziibi" (Big River) and below the confluence of Trade River as "Jiibayaatigo-ziibi" (Grave-marker River). The name "St. Croix River" was based on the "Jiibayaatigo-ziibi" name of the river.

St. Croix Band was originally divided into the following sub-bands:

• Apple River Band
• Clam River Band
• Kettle River Band
• Knife River Band
• Rice River Band
• Rush River Band
• Snake River Band
• Sunrise River Band
• Tamarack River Band
• Totogatic River Band
• Wolf River Band
• Wood River Band
• Yellow River Band

Due to the inter-relationship to the Dakota peoples, the Knife, Rice, Rush, Snake, Sunrise and Apple River Bands were considered equally Dakota as Ojibwe. Consequently, citizens from these Bands may have had Dakota names, many were of the Ma'iingan (Wolf) Doodem, and Chiefs, such as Shak'pi signed treaties both as Ojibwe and as Dakota.

Division

The St. Croix Band are signatories to the Treaty of St. Peters (1837), also known as the "White Pine Treat" that paved the way for lumbermen to access the great number of White pine growing along the St. Croix River watershed. This treaty assured the signatory Tribes would be able to continue to enjoy traditional hunting, fishing and gathering practices. After the Sandy Lake Tragedy in the autumn and winter of 1850, the St. Croix Band and other Ojibwe bands, with public support and outcry through-out the United States, were spared from the Indian removal policy. Instead, the St. Croix Band and other bands again went into treaty negotiations for establishing a reservation for each of the Ojibwe bands. Confident that the Tribe could maintain exercising their hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the area ceded to the United States in 1837, St. Croix Band did not agree to being located onto a reservation. Instead, the St. Croix Band found themselves losing their federal recognition in 1854 when omitted from the Treaty of La Pointe. As a non-recognized tribe, the St. Croix Band was not allowed to exercise the rights protected under the Treaty of St. Peters.

In order to be paid annuities, the St. Croix Band members of Wisconsin were strongly urged to relocate to the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation; though many did relocate, just as many remained in the St. Croix valley. With the establishment of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation in 1855, the remaining St. Croix Band members in Minnesota were also urged to relocate, and many did, but just as many remained.

With tensions between the lumbermen and the St. Croix Band, several St. Croix Band villages were removed to the Gull Lake Reservation near Brainerd, Minnesota. The Rice River Band of the St. Croix Band was then absorbed by the Rice Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa.

Dispersal

Due to repeated broken promises by the United States, the Dakota peoples voiced their anger toward the United States. With no sympathy given by their Indian Agent, the Dakota peoples declared war against the United States in 1862 in what is now referred as the "Dakota War of 1862." Many Ojibwe bands, including the St. Croix Band members relocated onto the Gull Lake Reservation and the St. Croix Band members living with the Rice Lake Band members awaiting for the establishment of an Indian Reservation joined the Dakota people to support their efforts. However, the Dakota peoples were defeated by the United States and the allies to the Dakota were severely punished by the United States. The St. Croix Band members living in the St. Croix River valley watched their removed counterparts first relocated to the vicinity surrounding the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, then to a more distant place now known as the White Earth Indian Reservation.

Re-establishment

By 1902, the Rice Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa removed to the White Earth Indian Reservation returned to east-central Minnesota, settling about on the south side of Sandy Lake, just north of McGregor, Minnesota. A small group of Rice River Band of St. Croix Band who returned with them established the Minisinaakwaang Village at East Lake, Minnesota located south of McGregor, Minnesota.

In 1934, under the Indian Reorganization Act, St. Croix Band in Wisconsin re-gained their full federal recognition, under the name St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. The Minisinaakwaang Village, Lake Lena Village, Kettle River and Snake River communities of the St. Croix Band in Minnesota became part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe when the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe was established. Today, the St. Croix Band communities in Minnesota form the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation District III, located primarily in Pine County, Minnesota, while the Minisinaakwaang Village serves as the government center for the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation District II.

See also

• St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
• Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

References

• Warren, William W. History of the Ojibway People. Borealis Books (St. Paul, MN: 1984).