Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana
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Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) tribe recognized by the State of Montana and seeking federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The tribe is named after Chief Esens, known as "Little Shell."
[edit] Background
From probably both northern Ontario and northern Minnesota, during the early part of the 18th century, the ancestors of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana commenced to invade the great plains of both Canada and the United States. They were driven by greed to invade other peoples lands. In their invasion onto the great plains of Canada and the United States, they were joined with the Assiniboine and Cree in a confederacy of some sorts. The Anishinaabe-Assiniboine-Cree Confederacy drove out the Dakota and probably other tribes native to what is now Alberta, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, Ontario and Saskatchewan. When the American whites and Canadian whites commenced their own invasions onto the great plains of North America, they encountered native Indian tribes including the Little Shell Anishinaabeg. At that time (the early 19th century) the Anishinaabeg (Pembina and Saulteaux) occupied an territory that streched from southeastern Alberta, all of southern Saskatchewan, all of southern Manitoba, most of North Dakota, some of South Dakota, and most of northern Montana and much of eastern Montana, along with their Assiniboine and Cree allies. However, in their relationship with the United States an extremely corrupted event occurred during the latter part of the 19th century over Anishinaabeg land in what is now Montana and North Dakota, which drove a spike of separation between the Little Shell Anishinaabeg and the United States that continues to this very time. For some reason the United States has chosen not to be honest in their relationship with the Little Shell Anishinaabeg and that was most definitely understood by the Little Shell Anishinaabeg during the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. They suffered a great deal of hardships over the land dispute between the United States and their tribal leaders who could not settle the land dispute with the Americans, early on, but they managed to survive on. In Montana, the Little Shell Anishinaabeg are located mostly in the Great Falls area but the Anishinaabeg of Rocky Boy Reservation are probably as well, Little Shell Anishinaabeg. Most Little Shell Anishinaabeg believe that they arrived to Montana after the United States settled Montana but they do not know that the Anishinaabeg claimed land in Montana as they did in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as their native North Dakota. Of course, the Anishinaabeg were already living in Montana when the United States commenced to settle Montana, but they had just recently arrived to Montana with the Assiniboine and Cree and the Blackfoot as well. Today, the Little Shell Anishinaabeg of Montana are attempting to gain federal recognition and most likely that will occur soon. Their population is over 4,000 but does include Assiniboine and Cree of course.
