History+of+the+Ojibwe

=History of the Ojibwe=



The Ojibwe, also known as the Algonquians and Chippewa, are an indigenous people of North America. Although the land they now claim is in Minnesota, they were originally spread throughout the northeast and scattered along the Atlantic coast. Fishing and the hunting of smaller animals was the largest source of food because of the costal location and accessibility to many rivers and lakes. It is no wonder then that twenty-seven tribes today trace their lineage back to this original, large tribe. Although the Ojibwe are a patrilineal tribe that practiced polygamy, they recognize the value and importance of everyone’s roles. An example of this is, “When asked why men and women sat on different sides of a ceremonial lodge, one elderly Ojibwe woman explained that it was ‘to remind us that women and men each own half the lodge.’”

The Fur trade that began in the 1600s sparked tension between the Ojibwe and Iroquis. By the mid-1600s many tribal members sought refuge in the land of the Dakota tribe. The Ojibwe and Dakota formed a harmonious alliance in 1679 on the banks of the St. Louis River. This alliance granted the Ojibwe people land in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The two clans accepted each other and even began to intermarry.

This era of peace only lasted so long for the two tribes, because from 1736 to 1760 territorial battles ensued between the them after the death of Jean Baptiste. The French sought revenge and blamed the Dakota for his death. It was at this point that the Ojibwe had to make a life or death decision as to whom their allegiance would be pledged. Of the Ojibwe warriors is the band of Ojibwe that Fleur calls her own: The Pillagers. They name means "men who take by force." They earned a reputation of fierce, powerful fighters. William Warren explains that, "They were...filled with a daring and independent spirit, and no act was so wild, but that they were ready and disposed to achieve it." After the French had settled the score and stepped away from the dispute, the two clans continued to battle. According to Anton Treuer's the reason for this continued violence was due to their tribal beliefs: "they believed that the soul of a person killed in battle was offended, and that offense inhibited their peaceful departure of the spirit world. The offense could be removed ceremonially or by avenging the death in a retaliatory strike."



As this tribal dispute subsided, another source of tension and change presented itself to the two tribes. White settlement began to increase in the 1800s and with that came the inability to adjust to change. The tribes were so dependent on the land that the effects were devastating in terms of resources. The Ojibwe people suffered from the lack of land and began to drop in numbers. An agreement between the tribe and the government in 1837 that forced the Ojibwe to sell land only served to push the tribe farther into poverty. When Zachary Taylor forced the Ojibwe to relocate to central Minnesota in 1850, the tribe lost even more members.

Treuer's quote explains best how this time in Ojibwe history and provides a better context for the setting of //Tracks://

"The treaty period and the formation of the reservations in Minnesota was unbearably hard for the Ojibwe. The anishinabe descended into abject poverty, lost most of their land, and watched the dismantling of their long-standing warrior and political culture. At the same time, the U.S. government, religious missionary, and educators south to assimilate native peoples, attacking the very fabric of Ojibwe society, language, and culture. Change eventually came to the Ojibwe in the 1930s, as part of the Indian New deal."



=Referenced Works:=

"Battle of the Brule." Graphic. Canku Ota, Web. 18 Sep 2011. .

"Ojibewe Fisherman." Photograph. //North Dakota Studies//. State Historical Society of North Dakota, Web. 18 Sep 2011.

Photograph. //Digital Partnership with Indian Communities//. Penn Arts & Sciences, Web. 18 Sep 2011. .

Treuer, Anton. //Ojibwe in Minnesota//. St Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010. 3-40. Print.

Warren, William W. //History of the Ojibway People//. St Paul: Borealis Books, 1984. 5-256. Print.

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