Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1907-04-05
WHITE STAR INDIANS.
History Of the Chippewas
of the Reserva-
ton

Theodore II. Besulieu who is uueli-
fed by education. literary skill and
thorough knowledge. to write the his
tory Of his people, the Chippewas, has
written for ths history classes Of the
St. Clouu Normal the follow,- z inter
esting sketch of Cbippewas Ct White
Earth:
The Chippswas or Ojlbways who
occupy the White Earth Res3r. alton,
which ia located in the rthwestern
cart of Minnesota and included in
Becker ard Norman counties, belong
to the Algonquin. one of the widely
spread families of Indians, including
many distinct tribes, which formerly
occupied the northern and eastern
parts of North America. Tneir range
of country extending from Massacho.
setts On the Atlantic over the mort
hern parts of New York, the southern
parts of Canada, along the great lakes
and westward tbr ough Canada beyond
the Dakotas.
A large band of these Indians oocu.
pied the country and made their
homes In the northern part ef Miohl.
gan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Dor.
dering on lakes Superior and Michi
gan. The chief occupation Of these
people was hunting, fishing and trap.
ping and cultivating small patches OF
corn and potatoes. -. .ss7.ss 80 =
From time immemorial the country
west of the Mississippi (included IN
the state of Mlnnesots extending
into the Dakotas was the hone of the
Bwan OF Sioux or Prairie Indians, as
they were more commonly called. q
very powerful tribe of Indians. These
Indians in the early days became
involved in bitter war with the Chip
pewas and which, presumably, had
its origin over Their right and priv.
lege to hunt and trap in the country
adjacent to the Mississippi and ite
tributaries, country famous fol
game and fur bearing animals. This
tribal feud or war continued for over
a century and during which time
many sarguinary encounters took
place bet tween the doughty warriors of
the feudal tribes, Finally the Chip
pawas routed the Sioux and drove
them out Of the coveted territory and.
as conquerors, became the possessoys
of the greater portion of the states
lying east of the Mississippi. One Of
the. last raids, II not the very last,
took place some time in 1859. in the
neigh borbood Of Grow Wing, when
killed several Chippewas. and then
fled westward. A band Of Chippewa
Ora, es Immediately organized an6
started in pursuit. The chase wal
kept up day and night until the fleeing
foe was finally overtaken and van
qished near the banks of the Rec
River of the North. May-zhpck- e-ge
shlg. Lowering Skies, hereditary
head chief of the Chippewas of the
Mississippi, then young man, wal
one of the party who pursued and van
Qished this band of marauding Sioux.
During the carry part Of 1860, thu
Sioux of Minnesota, under tho. leader
ship of Little Crow. became restless
and dissatisfied with the treatment
they received at the, hands of the
government agents ard determined
upon a war of determination against
the white population of the state.
Messengers, bearing the significant
tobacco message, were seut to thu
leading chiefs aud head man of the
different Chippewa band, inviting
them to join the Sioux in their pro.
posed war against the whites: The
Chippewae, especially the Mile Laos
and Mississippi bands, and who were
NEST nun erous and strongest of the
Chippewa bands, tcorned the bell,ger.
eDt solic itations of their rebelliouk
nelghbers and remained steadfast tc
their lifelong loyalty to the govern
ment and their pale faced neighbors.
And. it is matter of history, that
the late venerable chief, Shaw baush'
Kung of Mile Laos tand was among
the first to offer his services tt
the government to suppress tho insur
rection. This act of loyalty on the
part of the Chipewas of Minnesots
ia deserving of more than passing
merton. as the Chippewas at that
inc numbered about 8, 1000 souls an6
it has been estimated that, had they
Joined the rebellious Sioux, fully
4, 600 warriors would nave gone or
the war path. Had this fighting. con
tlgent donned the war paint severs,
more heart rending chapters would
nave U0o0 0uu0O w Gu0 G0II1U16 Ills
Tory of the bloody raid of Little Grow
and his frenzied warriors In 1862, anG
with q consequence which sickent
the heart to contemplate.
In 1857, through the muni6cent in.
.tercession Of missionaries, principally
the late Bishop Henry Benjamin.
Whipple, the United States govern
ment was persuaded to enter into .
treaty with the Chippewas of tho Mis-.
sissi Cpl, whereby the Chippew wal
Geo to tho government vast trac,
of land, including the old agency real
Crow Wing and the Gull Lake reserva
ton and received, in part exchange,
the tract of land which includes theil
present home, the White Earth reser
walton, and which originally contained
thirty six townships of SO mile,
square, The reservation was reduced
to thirty-two townships through tn
legislation of 1889. The lands *
coded contained some very choice az
ricultural and timber lands. The gov
eminent has sold the agricultural