Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-13

The Chippewa Indians, known in
Hiawatha and elsewhere as the Ojib-
ways, were once the ruling tribe of
the northwest. They belong to the
Algonquin family, and are the ancient
enemies of the warlike Sioux, of the
Foxes and the Iroquois, all Of whom
they drove away from the territory
about the headwaters of the Mississ-
ippi and of the Red River of the
North. For two centuries they oc-
cupied this country supreme, until
the all-conQuering whites cooped
them up in reservations. The Pillager
Indians are a branch of this tribe.
! The French discovered the Chip
pewas, coming upon them in 1910 in
! the vicinity of Sault Ste. Marie. At
| that time they were engaged in their
great and successful war with the
| Iroquois, Sioux and Foxes. They
first lived on the shores and islands of
the upper lakes, but they increased
their territory by conquest. The
! Sioux, with their bronchos, could
combat them on the prairies, but the
Chippewas drove their rivals from
the forests. The French sent mis-
sionaries among them and won their
| friendship. They were allies of
France until the conquest of Canada
by the British. In 1712, they helped
in repelling the attack of the Foxes
on Detroit, and rendered many other
valuable services. They were parties
to Pontiac's conspiracy, however,
and allied themselves with the British
during the revolutionary war and the
war of 1912.
With the Miamis they fought Gen.
Wayne, but were defeated. Then
they helped the Americans in pacify-
ing the northwestern tribes. In 1917
they signed away their lands in
Ohio. This left them still vast pos
sessions lying between Lakes Superior
and Michigan and the Mississippi
river, coming well down into what is
now Wisconsin.
| But the whites gradually induced
them to cede first one tract and then
another. In 1851 all but a few lands
had gone west of the Mississippi, and
| they have since been concentrated on
reservations.
The census of 1890 gave them 20
3S9 on the reservations in Michigan
Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Of these
1904 are the Pillager Chippewa OF
Leech, Cass, and Winnebagoshish
lakes, Minnesota, and $50 are Otter
Tail Pillagers. The Pillagers are al
in the White Earth consolidated
agency.
The last official report of the in
terror department on Indians has this
to say about the Leech Lake reserva-
ton, which is the seat of the recent
trouble:
''The Leech Lake reservation covers
about $50 square miles, exclusive OF
the lake. It is all heavy timber, most
ly hardwood, sugar maple predominant
ing, but interspersed with pine ridges
No effort is made to open the LAND
for cultivation, and although the
country is a valuable stock range
there was but one COW on Leech lake
giving mix. The government owns
three cows There are II listed gov
eminent buildings at Leech lake, all
of which are, in fact, in a dilapidated
condition and of no use except to the
government. The Leech lake tribe is
composed of % bands, numbering
| LIE. They are now located on
their beautiful island and on the
shores of the lake, the most pictur-
esque sheet of water in the state.
There are 237 lodges, and the average
number of persons to a lodge is
Alb, which corresponds very closely
to our families. There is 20 per cent.
excess of females and 10 per cent of
deaths over births. Nearly one
half the males are married, and eight
have more than one wife There are
So houses which shelter all, by
crowding in nearly ~ to a house, but
if we deduct the pupils in the govern
ment schools it will reduce the num-
Der to about II. One in about so is
either deaf and dumb or blind, one
in $50 is demented in some way. The
! sugar crop amounts in round num-
bers to 10 pounds per capita. The
| supply of potatoes is small, and the
! ponies get most of the corn Most
Of the hay is sold to lumbermen. The
division between the medewin (be-
lieves in the native religion) and
| Christians, does not cover the whole
number Of Indians; but often, they
| said, there were Indians that did not
or would not belong to either, which
class is larger than is here indicated.
| There are three trading posts at the
reservation, each doing a good bust
ness, with little, but the Indians to do
business with except the government
employees. There is not a pillow that
can be used on this reservation. The
Indians get but few rations and claim
that there is short supply of cloth
ing. Many have stoves and sewing
machines in the houses"
Since the advent of the whites the
Chippewas have been decreasing in
numbers and have been losing some
of their old, vigorous, aboriginal
qualities. They are as a rule below
the whites in stature, although their
muscular development is great. In
termarriage has left very few of pure
stock. They have adopted the white