Leech Lake Indian Reservation

Last updated
Flag of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Bandera Leech Lake.png
Flag of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

The Leech Lake Reservation (Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag in the Ojibwe language) is an Indian reservation located in the north-central Minnesota counties of Cass, Itasca, Beltrami, and Hubbard. The reservation forms the land base for the federally recognized Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, one of six bands comprising the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, organized in 1934. The Leech Lake Reservation has the second highest population of any reservation in Minnesota with White Earth Nation being the largest Minnesota Ojibwe tribe, Leech Lake Nation has a resident population of 11,388 indicated by the 2020 census. [1]

Contents

Location of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. 1940R Leech Lake Reservation Locator Map.svg
Location of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.

History

The Leech Lake Reservation was not established in a single legislative act. Rather, it grew from the amalgamation of multiple treaties, executive orders, and various articles of legislation spanning many decades. The core areas of the reservation were established by the 1855 treaty of Washington, which formed three smaller reservations for the Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians at Leech Lake, Cass Lake, and Lake Winnibigoshish. These reservations were reshaped and consolidated by new treaties in 1864 and 1867, when the United States sought with little success to concentrate Ojibwes from other reservations together at a single location. The reservation was further modified by several executive orders in the 1870s, one of which created the White Oak Point reservation of the Mississippi Band. [2] [3]

Under the Dawes Act of 1887 and the Nelson Act of 1889, the United States allotted tribal land on the Ojibwe reservations into private parcels. Some parcels were held by individual tribal members, but much of the reservation was alienated into the ownership of timber companies and white settlers. In addition, the United States established what became the Chippewa National Forest in the early twentieth century on the remaining unallotted tribal land. As a result, by 1934, less than 5% of the reservation was still in Ojibwe ownership. [4]

Following the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the present "Greater" Leech Lake Indian Reservation was formed from the merger of the Leech Lake, Cass Lake, and Lake Winnibigoshish reservations of the Pillager Band, the Chippewa Indian Reservation of the Lake Superior Band, and the White Oak Point reservation of the Mississippi Band. A minimal percentage of reservation land is owned by citizens of the Band; additionally, most of the reservation remains within the Chippewa National Forest, making settlement expansion extremely difficult. [2] [5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Leech Lake Reservation has a total area of 1,310.36 square miles (3,393.8 km2), of which 973.37 square miles (2,521.0 km2) is land and 336.99 square miles (872.8 km2) is water. In addition, the Leech Lake Band held off-reservation trust land with a land area of 0.083 square miles (53 acres; 0.21 km2) in 2020. [6]

About one-fourth of the reservation is covered by lakes. The largest lakes on the reservation are Leech Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, and Cass Lake. The band uses 40 lakes for the production of wild rice, and the community produces more rice than any other reservation in the state. The reservation is the second-largest in Minnesota (after the White Earth Indian Reservation) in terms of land area, and the largest in terms of total area.

Communities

The reservation consists of eleven villages; two additional communities have a substantial number of Leech Lake Band members. Nearly all Leech Lake communities are located in or near the woods of the Chippewa National Forest. The largest community is Cass Lake, situated on the southwestern shores of the eponymous lake. The next largest settlements are Ball Club, Onigum, Inger, and Bena. In some communities, housing is located along only one road, with each side lined with homes.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, [1] the population of the Leech Lake Reservation was 11,388. The population density was 11.7 inhabitants per square mile (4.5/km2). There were 7,229 housing units at an average density of 7.4 per square mile (2.9/km2).

The Leech Lake Reservation has a significant non-native population due in part to the allotment and sale of reservation lands in the late nineteenth century. In 2020, the racial makeup of the reservation was 49.3% White, 43.8% Native American, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 6.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race. [1]

Education

There are two tribal schools, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School [7] and Leech Lake Tribal College. [8]

See also

Leech Lake Indian Reservation highway route marker 1412LeechLakeRoute.jpg
Leech Lake Indian Reservation highway route marker

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass Lake, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Cass Lake is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States, located within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. It is surrounded by Pike Bay Township. Cass Lake had a population of 675 in the 2020 census. It is notable as the headquarters location of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, as well as the Chippewa National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass Lake (Minnesota)</span> Lake in the state of Minnesota, United States

Cass Lake is a lake in north central Minnesota in the United States. It is approximately 10 mi (16 km) long and 7 mi (11 km) wide, located in Cass and Beltrami counties, within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, adjacent to its namesake city of Cass Lake. It is the 11th largest lake in Minnesota, and the 8th largest lake lying entirely within the borders of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Lake Indian Reservation</span> Home to the federally recognized Red Lake Band of Ojibwe

The Red Lake Indian Reservation covers 1,260.3 sq mi in parts of nine counties in Minnesota, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leech Lake</span> Lake in the state of Minnesota, United States

Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir. The lake is the third largest in Minnesota, covering 102,947.83 acres (416.6151 km2) with 195 miles (314 km) of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 156 feet (48 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians</span> Indian tribe in Wisconsin, United States

The Bad River LaPointe Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians or Bad River Tribe for short are a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people. The tribe had 6,945 members as of 2010. The Bad River Reservation is located on the south shore of Lake Superior and has a land area of about 193.11 square miles (500.15 km2) in northern Wisconsin, straddling Ashland and Iron counties. Odanah, the administrative and cultural center, is located five miles (8.0 km) east of the town of Ashland on U.S. Highway 2. The reservation population was 1,545 in 2020. Most of the reservation is managed as undeveloped forest and wetland, providing a habitat for wild rice and other natural resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Earth Indian Reservation</span> Anishinaabe / Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota

The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Band, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in the state by land area. The reservation includes all of Mahnomen County, plus parts of Becker and Clearwater counties in the northwest part of the state along the Wild Rice and White Earth rivers. The reservation's land area is 1,093 sq mi (2,831 km²). The population was 9,726 as of the 2020 census, including off-reservation trust land. The White Earth Indian Reservation is one of six bands that make up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, their governing body for major administrative needs. It is about 225 miles (362 km) from Minneapolis–Saint Paul and roughly 65 miles (105 km) from Fargo–Moorhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bois Forte Indian Reservation</span> Reservation in Minnesota, USA

Bois Forte Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation formed for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Chippewa Tribe</span> Governmental authority for six Ojibwe bands in Minnesota

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is the centralized governmental authority for six Ojibwe bands in Minnesota. The tribe was created on June 18, 1934; the organization and its governmental powers are divided between the tribe, and the individual bands, which directly operate their reservations. The bands that make up the tribe are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Earth Nation</span> Native American band in Minnesota, USA

The White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, also called the White Earth Nation, is a federally recognized Native American band located in northwestern Minnesota. The band's land base is the White Earth Indian Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fond du Lac Indian Reservation</span> Indian reservation in northern Minnesota

The Fond du Lac Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in northern Minnesota near Cloquet in Carlton and Saint Louis counties. Off-reservation holdings are located across the state in Douglas County, in the northwest corner of Wisconsin. The total land area of these tribal lands is 154.49 square miles (400.1 km2). It is the land-base for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Before the establishment of this reservation, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa were located at the head of Lake Superior, closer to the mouth of the Saint Louis River, where Duluth has developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe</span>

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is an Ojibwe band located in Minnesota and one of six making up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The band had 9,426 enrolled tribal members as of March 2014. The band's land base is the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, which includes eleven communities aggregated into three districts, as defined in the tribal constitution,

Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is the popular name for the land-base for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Central Minnesota, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The contemporary Mille Lacs Band reservation has significant land holdings in Mille Lacs, Pine, Aitkin and Crow Wing counties, as well as other land holdings in Kanabec, Morrison, and Otter Tail Counties. Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is also the name of a formal Indian reservation established in 1855. It is one of the two formal reservations on which the contemporary Mille Lacs Band retains land holdings. The contemporary Mille Lacs band includes several aboriginal Ojibwe bands and villages, whose members reside in communities throughout central Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians</span>

The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe is one of six federally recognized bands of Ojibwe people located in present-day Wisconsin. It had 7,275 enrolled members as of 2010. The band is based at the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation in northwestern Wisconsin, which surrounds Lac Courte Oreilles. The main reservation's land is in west-central Sawyer County, but two small plots of off-reservation trust land are located in Rusk, Burnett, and Washburn counties. The reservation was established in 1854 by the second Treaty of La Pointe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chippewa National Forest</span> National forest in Minnesota, United States

Chippewa National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Minnesota, United States, in the counties of Itasca, Cass and Beltrami. Forest headquarters are located in Cass Lake, Minnesota. There are local ranger district offices in Blackduck, Deer River and Walker.

Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians are a historical band of Chippewa (Ojibwe) who settled at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in present-day Minnesota. Their name "Pillagers" is a translation of Makandwewininiwag, which literally means "Pillaging Men". The French called them Pilleurs, also a translation of their name. The French and Americans adopted their autonym for their military activities as the advance guard of the Ojibwe in the invasion of the Dakota country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa</span> Band of Ojibwe Native Americans based in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is a band of Ojibwe Native Americans. The Red Cliff Band is located on the Red Cliff Indian Reservation, on Lake Superior in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Red Cliff, Wisconsin, is the administrative center. Red Cliff is notable for being the band closest to the spiritual center of the Ojibwe nation, Madeline Island. As of November 2010, there were 5,312 enrolled members, with about half living on the reservation and the rest living in the city of Bayfield or the Belanger Settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin</span>

The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin are a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people located in Northwest Wisconsin, along the St. Croix River valley and watershed. The band had 1,054 members as of 2010.

Ball Club is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States; located within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. As of the 2010 census, its population was 342. Ball Club is located between Zemple and Bena.

The 1855 Treaty of Washington may refer to any of the four treaties signed between the United States and various Native American governments.

Onigum is an unincorporated community in Shingobee Township, Cass County, Minnesota, United States, near Walker, along Cass County Road 13. The name Onigum means "portage" in the Ojibwe language.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census: Leech Lake Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, MN". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 Carpenter, Leah J. (2008). "Tracking the Land: Ojibwe Land Tenure and Acquisition at Grand Portage and Leech Lake" . Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  3. "Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe History". www.llojibwe.org. Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. Janke, Ronald A. (1982). "Chippewa Land Losses". Journal of Cultural Geography. 2 (2): 84–100. doi:10.1080/08873638209478619. ISSN   0887-3631 . Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  5. "History". www.llojibwe.org. Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  6. "2020 Gazetteer Files". census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. "'We're going to school in a tin can'". Minneapolis Star Tribune . 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  8. "Leech Lake Tribal College: #ComeFindYourPlace & Apply Today!" . Retrieved 16 March 2023.

Further reading

47°21′19″N94°15′25″W / 47.35528°N 94.25694°W / 47.35528; -94.25694