The Sandy Lake Tragedy

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The Sandy Lake Tragedy
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Why do you think the United States was interested
in the land of Northern Wisconsin?
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(No Transcript)
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In 1837, the federal government negotiated a
treaty for the acquisition of 13 million acres of
land in east central Minnesota and northern
Wisconsin.
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The Chippewa believed they had retained hunting,
fishing and gathering rights to the ceded
territory.
As compensation for the ceded land, they receive
annuity payments for a period of 20 years.
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My Father, Listen to me. Of all the country
that we grant you we wish to hold on to a tree
where we get our living, to reserve the streams
where we drink the waters that give us
life. Spoken by Ma-ghe-ga-bo on July 27,
1837 at Treaty Negotiation between Gov. Henry
Dodge Chippewa near Ft. Snelling
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Additional to the treaty journal This of
course if nonsense but is given literally as
rendered by the Interpreters, who are unfit to
act in that capacity. I presume it to mean that
the Indians wish to reserve the privilege of
hunting fishing on the lands and making sugar
from the Maple.
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From GLIFWC website
By 1842, the government had negotiated with the
Ojibwe headmen for the acquisition of 10 million
more acres in northern Wisconsin and Upper
Michigan.
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From State Museum in Springfield, IL
The Ojibwe were allowed to remain on the ceded
territory during the pleasure of the President.
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From Minnesota Historical Society website
For several years annuity payments were given at
La Pointe on Madeline Island.
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Governor Ramsey and other officials of Minnesota
Territory saw the benefits these annual annuities
brought to people near La Pointe. They began to
plot ways to have the annuity site moved to
Minnesota Territory.
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How would Minnesota Territory benefit by the
moving of the location for the annuity payments?
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As the talk of removal increased in the late fall
of 1848, representatives of the Chippewa Indians
(including those near Lake Superior) left for
Washington to try to end the threat presented by
removal.
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These tribal representatives carried this
pictograph with them. The animals represent the
different clans traveling along Lake Superior
with the lines connecting them representing their
unity of purpose linked to a chain of wild rice
lakes in the ceded territories.
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By February 1850 President Taylor had issued an
executive order calling for the removal of the
Ojibwe to areas west of the Mississippi River.
MINNESOTA The privileges granted temporarily to
the Chippewa Indians of the Mississippi, by the
Fifth Article of the Treaty made with them on the
29th of July 1837, of hunting, fishing and
gathering the wild rice, upon the lands, the
rivers and the lakes included in the territory
ceded' by that treaty to the United States and
the right granted to the Chippewa Indians of the
Mississippi and Lake Superior, by the Second
Article of the treaty with them of October 4th
1842, of hunting on the territory which they
ceded by that treaty, with the other usual
privileges of occupancy until required to remove
by the President of the United States,' are
hereby revoked and all of the said Indians
remaining on the lands ceded as aforesaid, are
required to remove to their unceded
lands. Z. Taylor Executive
Office Washington City, February 6th, 1850 By
the PRESIDENT I. Ewing Secretary of the
Interior
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What do you think Wisconsin white settlers
thought of this potential removal?
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Meanwhile back home in Wisconsin, coalitions of
supporters including missionaries, newspapers,
businessmen, and state legislators rallied
against the removal.
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With the encouragement of Alexander Ramsey and
his Indian subagent John Watrous, the site for
the annuities was changed from La Pointe on
Madeline Island to Sandy Lake, 285 canoe miles
away.
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Do you think these views made any difference?
If so, how do you think they changed the
situation? If not, why not?
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From Patty Loews Native People of Wisconsin
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Ramseys plan was to have the Indians arrive in
late fall and be trapped at Sandy Lake by winter
conditions.
The tribes were told to be at Sandy Lake by
October 25, 1850 to collect their annuities.
Minnesota Historical Society website
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Knowing the risks, would you have gone? Why or
why not?
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Despite some refusing to make the trip during the
winter months, approximately 5,500 Ojibwe made
the trip.
When they arrived in Sandy Lake, they found

• no one there to distribute supplies Indian
  Subagent Watrous was in St. Louis
• no annuities had arrived yet
• wild game was scare and fishing poor
• wild rice supplies had been wiped out by high
  water

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Government workers ultimately gave them
river-soaked flour and pork from tribal annuity
stocks. The Ojibwe found that the rotten food
was so much damaged that they could not eat
it.
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The wife of a missionary wrote of a family
returning to Leech Lake Three days march from
Leech Lake, the two children were taken sick, the
oldest a boy of twelve years old. The father was
obliged to carry his sick son, and the mother the
daughter, until the last night before they
reached Leech Lake, when the boy died. The next
morning they set off again, the father carrying
the corpse of his son, and the mother a sick
child. About noon the girl died, but they came
on until they reached Leech Lake, bring the dead
bodies of their children on their backs.
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Soon harsh winter conditions set in.
Only partial annuity payments had arrived by
December 2nd, and these consisted only on 3 days
worth of food and no cash.
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Recalling the events of Sandy Lake, Reverend John
H. Pitezel said,
Frequently, seven or eight died a day. Coffins
could not be procured, and often the body of the
deceased was wrapped up in a piece of bark and
buried slightly underground. All over the
cleared land graves were to be seen in every
direction, for miles distant, from Sandy Lake.
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Speaking of Territorial Governor Alexander
Ramsey, Flat Mouth of the Leech Lake Ojibwe said,
Tell him I blame him for the children we have
lost, for the sickness we have suffered, and for
the hunger we have endured. The fault rests on
his shoulders.
From Chippewa Treaty Rights by Ronald N. Satz
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Approximately, 150 died at Sandy Lake of
dysentery, measles, and hunger
Another 250 died on the return trip to their
villages.
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Survivors refused to return to Sandy Lake for the
annuity payments in 1851 because they viewed the
site as a graveyard.
A delegation of Chippewa chiefs and headmen
traveled to Washington once again. This time to
protest Ramseys removal efforts and the
suffering at Sandy Lake.
From Ojibwe Journeys Treaties, Sandy Lake the
Waabanong Run by Charlie Otto Rasmussen
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Chief Buffalo of La Pointe and other Ojibwe
headmen dictated a letter to Commissioner
Lea. The chiefs requested an audience with
American leaders in Washington D.C.
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Buffalo, Chief Oshoga, interpreter Benjamin
Armstrong and four other Ojibwe headed east on
April 5, 1852. They gathered signatures on a
petition as they went.
From Ojibwe Journeys Treaties, Sandy Lake the
Waabanong Run by Charlie Otto Rasmussen
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The petition proclaimed while Ojibwe removal
West would in Our opinion be a great damage to
them it would in no manner benefit the white
population of the Country.
Image from Wisconsin State Historical Society
website
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When they arrived, Commissioner Lea told them to
return since they hadnt been invited. New York
Congressman George Briggs and members of
President Fillmores staff were impressed by the
delegation and arranged a meeting with the
president.
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Oshoga explained how the Ojibwe interpreted the
terms of the 1837 and 1842 Treaties they would
never be required to leave their homelands as
long as they maintained peaceful relations with
white settlers.
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Millard Fillmore agreed to rescind the removal
order and pledged to repay overdue and future
annuities at La Pointe.
In 1854, the Ojibwe agreed to give up land in the
arrowhead of Minnesota in exchange for permanent
reservations in Upper Michigan and Wisconsin.
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THE END