The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-08-28

Like the withered leaves of autumn. -
- When, came "the black-robed chief,
the prophet, and the ':.priest of prayer,
the pale face" with guides and COM
panions old Hiawatha started west
ward and vanished amid the purple
vapors and the dusk of evening to 1.-THE
land of the Hereafter" With the re-
moval of the Mile Lac Indians they
are but following in the foot prints of
Hiawatha, only ''the land of the Here
after" signifies small patch of land
on the rich soil of White Earth reser-
,yation where the brave and faithful
old Mile Lac Ojibway will lose forever
his identity in the strenuous life of
modern agriculturist. There exist at
the present time at Mile Laos lake 1854
Indians, though Uncle Sam has on his
pay roll for. the Mile Lac Indians
nearly thousand red men. Most of
these are nomadic in their habits and
stroll about the country of northern
Minnesota.
These Ojibways that have so long re-
NAMED in possession of the old hunting
and camping grounds of Mile Laos
lake, are the descendants of the Algon-
quin family of Indians. They no doubt
followed the great lakes westward.
AS far: back as 1860 they were in the
vicinity of Lake Superior and in close
proximity to the Sioux or "Nadous-
SIOUX, as the early French explorers
called them, which tribe belonged to
the great Sioux family. The Sioux at
the time the Ojibways began to possess
the lakes and forests of northern Min
nesota resided in large numbers in the
vicinity of Mile Laos lake, and accord
ing to Radisson who visited Mile Laos
lake in 1859 the great Sioux settle
ment that has been designated in his
tory as .'Kathio" was situated on the
south shores of the lake near the pres
emit site of Onamia where for years the
old government trading post was To-
Gated. Onamia is the lower third of
chain of lakes through which Rum
river flows as it leaves the lake. These
lakes according to Prof. Brewer con-
stltuted long or crooked arm or bay
of Mile Laos lake. Prof. Winchell
says that Kathio must have been the.
central settlement of the Sioux Indi-..
ans, the seat of empire from which
they radiated in all directions. It is
said that at thestime Radisson visited
Kathio the Indians must have num-
bered fully 1000. Duluth came down
from Superior in 1879, on the old In
dian trail and 1.-The streamssand port
ages then travelled by the red men,
and the following year Father Henne-
pin in company with two French ex-
plorers or, missionaries, fell in with
some warning Sioux Indians from Mile
Laos lake who were en- route down the
Mississippi to give battle to an Illi-
nois tribe, and the Frenchmen showed
the pipe of peace and were taken back
to- Mile Laos. In July Of the same year
the Nenehmeng left with hunting
party and proceeded down the Rum to
where Anoka is now situated. They
met another party Of white men further
down the Mississippi and returned to
Mile Laos lake and in the fall. they
were allowed to return to the French
settlements, the Indians showing them
the route to travel.
In his memoirs Of the explorations of
the basin of the Mississippi Mr.. Brewer
has issued two very interesting and
valuable publications on the antiquities
of the region of Mile Laos lake. One
of the works is entitled ''Mille Lacs''