Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa

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Sandy Lake Band redirects to here. This article is about an indigenous tribe located in central Minnesota. For the indigeonous tribe located in northern northwestern Ontario, please see Sandy Lake First Nation.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-treaty/Early Treaty Times

Since the earliest of days, Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag, as the Sandy Lake is know in Anishinaabemowin or the Chippewa language, acted as a commercial hub in both east-west trade (via Savanna Portage) and north-south trade (via the Mississippi River). Originally, the area occupied by the Sandy Lake Band was inhabited by the Gros Ventres (Atsina) Tribe. Approximately 1,600 years ago, the Nakota Sioux advancing northward displaced the Gros Ventres westward. With the arrival of the Chippewa approximately 800 years ago, conflicts between the Assiniboine and the Chippewa pursued. By the time the French fur traders made contact in the Sandy Lake region, the Sandy Lake Band had near full control of the area's trade routes. By the time of the arrival of the European settlers around Sandy Lake, the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa became the instrumental tribe controlling the Savanna Portage trade-route that connected the Lake Superior and east with the Mississippi River and west.

[edit] Sandy Lake Tragedy

For full article see Sandy Lake Tragedy

Due to last-minute changes in the annual annuity payments from a central region around La Pointe, Wisconsin, to not so central but as well known location of Sandy Lake in the fall of 1850, representatives from 19 Chippewa bands packed up and started an arduous journey to the shores of Sandy Lake, where they had been told to gather in late October for annual annuity payments and supplies. As it turned out, the annuity payments and supplies were late in coming to Sandy Lake, and the people had to wait until early December before they received the limited sums of money and available supplies. Trying to survive on spoiled and inadequate government rations while waiting for the annuities, about 150 Chippewa people died from dysentery and measles at Sandy Lake. Another 230-250 died en route home.

As a result of this tragedy, the Mississippi Chippewa Bands agreed to the establishment of Chippewa Reservations. Sandy Lake Indian Reservation was established in 1855, together with other Mississippi Chippewa Reservations of Lake Pokegama, Rabbit Lake, Gull Lake and Lake Mille Lacs. The same treaty established the Rice Lake Reservation, but due to the Bureau of Land Management claims of the Rice Lake Reservation being within the boundaries of the Sandy Lake Reservation, the Rice Lake Reservation was never formally platted.

[edit] Sioux Uprising

The Sandy Lake Band remained neutral during the Sioux Uprising against the United States in 1862. Due to this neutrality, the Sandy Lake Band were not forced to relocated to what eventually became the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota, though the Band members were socially pressured to relocate and many did. Those who did relocate became the Removable Sandy Lake Band while those who remained became the Non-removable Sandy Lake Band. The Removable Sandy Lake Band members first relocated to Pokegama Lake Reservation near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Though friction developed between the Pillager Bands of Chippewa and the Mississippi Bands of Chippewa when most of the Mississippi Chippewa reservations were dissolved with all residences relocated to the area surrounding the Leech Lake Reservation, while all other removable Mississippi Chippewa Bands negotiated relocation to a less hostile area to form the White Earth Reservation, the Pokegama Lake Band and some of the Removable Sandy Lake Band negotiated to remain in the area, forming the White Oak Point Reservation in 1873, which in 1934 merged with the Leech Lake and other reservations to form the contemporary Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

[edit] Loss of Independent Recognition

With the Indian Allotment Act, the Treaty-established Sandy Lake Reservation of approximately 27 mi² (70 km²) was erased from the maps, forcing the Non-removable Sandy Lake Band to be a federally recognized tribe without a reservation. On August 24, 1940, Sandy Lake community managed to secure 147 acres (59.5 ha) parcel of land adjacent to the northeast corner of the original reservation for the benefit of the Sandy Lake Band, and other small tracts of land within the original Sandy Lake Reservation area.

The Non-removable Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa lost their independent federal recognition under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 when the Bureau of Indian Affairs placed their lands under the auspices of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, as Mille Lacs Reservation District II. Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs-approved constitution, thence comprised the Mille Lacs Indians of the Lake Mille Lacs Reservation (comprised of the Mille Lacs Band of Mdewakanton Sioux and Mille Lacs Band of Mississippi Chippewa), Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa of the Sandy Lake Reservation and the Rice Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa, and the Snake River and Kettle River Chippewa Communities. Sandy Lake Tribal members continue to reside on the original Sandy Lake Indian Reservation lands and many did not receive any tribal services or housing due to the fact that the many Sandy Lake tribal members were not enrolled in the Mille Lacs Band.

[edit] Sandy Lake Reservation Today

Each of the component historical Bands and communities forming the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe still form very distinct tribal entities from each other, each with separate tribal histories—Sandy Lake Band is no exception. Today, the Sandy Lake Band community is primarily located along the north-shore of Sandy Lake while the Mille Lacs Band's Sandy Lake community is primarily located along the south-shore of Sandy Lake near Lake Minnewawa.

For nearly thirty years, many Sandy Lake Band members continue to lead efforts to restore their independent federal recognition while others fully participate in the Mille Lacs Band tribal government process. Independent federal recognition status is often resisted by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe members who urge the Sandy Lake Band to first hold regular government sessions with minutes recording their proceedings, such that the Sandy Lake Band may provide documented evidence of regular and consistent government sessions. Sandy Lake Band, in conjunction with their efforts to restore independent federal recognition, have pursued both county and state recognition. The Sandy Lake Band was recognized by Aitkin County, Minnesota in 1992 and affirmed of the recognition in 1996. For the State recognition process, bills have been sent to the Minnesota legislatures in 1997, 1999 and 2000, failing each time by a narrow margin of votes.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Warren, William W. History of the Ojibway People. Borealis Books (St. Paul, MN: 1984).
  • Wedll, Joycelyn. Against the Tide of American History: The Story of Mille Lacs Anishinabe. Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (Cass Lake, MN: 1985).
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