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Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is a
federally-recognized tribe This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the Unite ...
of
Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
people in
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
. Due to conflicts with federal authorities in the 19th century, the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe went without an
Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...
for most of its history. The tribe now owns three acres of land near
Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...
. Members live in various parts of Montana and elect a government of a chairman and Tribal Council according to their constitution. Others live in
Great Falls Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
, Havre, Lewistown, Helena,
Butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...
, Chinook, Hays,
Wolf Point Wolf Point ( asb, šųktógeja oʾípa) is an incorporated ranchingtown in, and the county seat of, Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,517 at the 2020 census, down 4% from 2,621 in the 2010 Census. It is the larges ...
,
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Met ...
, and elsewhere in Montana. The tribe has been state recognized in Montana. The
National Defense Authorization Act The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the name for each of a series of United States federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. The first NDAA was passed in 1961. The U.S. Congress o ...
, which was signed into law on December 20, 2019, granted the Tribe Federal recognition. This law was led through Congress by Senators
Jon Tester Raymond Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an American farmer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Montana, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Tester is the dean of Montana's congressio ...
and
Steve Daines Steven David Daines ( ; born August 20, 1962) is an American politician and former corporate executive serving as the junior United States senator for Montana since 2015. A Republican, he served as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-large ...
and Representative
Greg Gianforte Gregory Richard Gianforte (born April 17, 1961) is an American businessman, politician, software engineer, and writer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Gianforte served as the U.S. representa ...
and signed by then-President Donald Trump.


Background

From likely both northern Ontario and northern Minnesota, during the early part of the 18th century, the ancestors of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana migrated from the Great Lakes area into the Plains of Canada and the United States. They allied with the
Assiniboine The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
and
Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
in a confederacy, driving out the
Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...
and probably other tribes native to the areas now known as Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario in Canada, and Minnesota and Montana in the United States.


History

The Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians are part of the historical
Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians (Ojibwe: ''Aniibiminani-ziibiwininiwag'') are a historical band of Chippewa (Ojibwe), originally living along the Red River of the North and its tributaries. Through the treaty process with the United States, the Pe ...
, first recorded by European settlers in documents of the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
, Fort Garry (Winnipeg) in the early 18th century. These logs and diaries show the Ojibwa held approximately 63 million acres (250,000 km²) of land throughout what is now
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
,
North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
and Canada. By the early 19th century, many French Canadian men, mostly
fur trappers The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most ...
, had married into Ojibwe families. The Pembina Band entered into a treaty with the United States in the 1863
Treaty of Old Crossing By the Treaty of Old Crossing (1863) and the Treaty of Old Crossing (1864), the Pembina and Red Lake bands of the Ojibwe, then known as Chippewa Indians, purportedly ceded to the United States all of their rights to the Red River Valley. On the ...
, together with the
Red Lake Band of Chippewa The Red Lake Indian Reservation (Ojibwe: ''Miskwaagamiiwi-zaaga'iganing'') covers in parts of nine counties in northwestern Minnesota, United States. It is made up of numerous holdings but the largest section is an area about Red Lake, in no ...
. In the 1892 McCumber Agreement between the Turtle Mountain Indians and the Commission, the
Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation (Ojibwe language: ''Mikinaakwajiwing'') is a reservation located in northern North Dakota, United States. It is the land base for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. The population of the Turtle Moun ...
was established, but the
Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians The Little Shell Band of Chippewa are a historic sub-band of the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians led by Chief Little Shell in the nineteenth century. Based in North Dakota around the Pembina River, they are part of the Ojibwe, one of the Anishin ...
refused settlement there. Some of the Little Shell Band members did eventually settle on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. Others migrated north and west into Saskatchewan and Alberta, and then later made their way back south into Montana. The Little Shell tribe opened a new cultural center in May 2014, located outside
Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...
.


Name

The tribe is named after its 19th-century leader, ''Esens'', known as "Little Shell". It was formerly known as the Little Shell Band of Landless Chippewa Indians of Montana.


Esens/Little Shell

In 1864, the tribal leader, Esens, also known as Little Shell, walked out of further negotiations and refused to amend the original treaty. In 1892 he sent word to Washington D.C. that he would exchange 52 million acres (210,000 km²) of land and the treaty rights of 1863 for a large reservation, to include the entire Turtle Mountain area, at the price of $1.00 per acre of land. Senator Porter J. McCumber of North Dakota was sent to meet with the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians. During the first meeting, when the senator was not present, his agent Waugh offered $0.10 per acre. The Pembina walked out of the meeting in disgust, knowing that the US had paid $1.00 per acre for less valuable land near
Fort Berthold Fort Berthold was the name of two successive forts on the upper Missouri River in present-day central-northwest North Dakota. Both were initially established as fur trading posts. The second was adapted as a post for the U.S. Army. After the Army l ...
. Agent Waugh brought in 32 Ojibwe from Canada and had them sign the treaty, which became known as the McCumber Agreement or the Ten Cent Treaty. After hearing of the fraud, John Burke, state attorney for
Rolette County, North Dakota Rolette County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,187. Its county seat is Rolla. History The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with territory partition ...
, agreed to represent Little Shell before the US Senate. Senator McCumber agreed with John Burke that the treaty was a fraud. Nonetheless, the US Senate ratified the treaty after McCumber died in 1905. The federal officials told the Little Shell people to sign the treaty or risk starving to death.


Additional information

The name of the tribe is The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, often shortened to Little Shell. The current population of enrolled tribal members is approximately 6,200. In the mid-19th century, the tribe was numbered at several thousand in the Red River-Pembina region. At that time there was no formal enrollment procedure, no reservation, and thus no documented population figure. Since the late 20th century, the people of the tribe have reorganized and gained state recognition. They gained
federal recognition This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
in December 2019. They have a 35,000-sq. foot office complex in Great Falls.


Government

The Little Shell Tribe is governed by a constitutionally defined elected Tribal Council. The Tribal Chairman is also elected. Four council seats are up for election every 4 years and three council seats every two years, in a largely mail-in balloting process. The tribal council meets regularly in Great Falls at least monthly, and quarterly meetings are held every quarter, in efforts to keep tribal members involved and informed. The Tribe has maintained its integrity throughout the 20th century. The constitution has been revised, most recently in 2016. The government, social structure and culture have been maintained. Governor Stan Stephens granted state recognition to the tribe. The state recognition process formally incorporated the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. The Council are unpaid. Now that the tribe federally recognized, the Little Shell qualify for federally funded educational or government support services such as housing and medical facilities, typically provided tribes recognized by the United States government. Little Shell Tribal members can obtain some services available in urban centers as well as public benefits available to all Montana residents.


Events of interest

* Joseph Dussome Day: An annual gathering of the tribe for cultural renaissance, social activities, election results, announcements and committee meetings, usually in November. * Back to Batoche Celebration: An annual gathering of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa and sister Tribes of Metis in Canada, commemorating the Riel Rebellion, and including cultural activities, dancing, art and socializing, at
Batoche, Saskatchewan Batoche, Saskatchewan, which lies between Prince Albert and Saskatoon, was the site of the historic Battle of Batoche during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The battle resulted in the defeat of Louis Riel and his Métis forces by Major ...
.


References


External links


Official Little Shell Tribe WebsiteVerne Dusenberry, "Waiting for a Day That Never Comes"
Little Shell Tribe History, ''Little Shell Tribe Newsletter'', hosted by Robert Dean Rudeseal
The Little Shell Tribe of Montana
The Great Falls Tribune, along with other area newspapers, has carried literally hundreds of stories, both current events and containing significant historical coverage during the period from 1930 to the present. The Tribune has often advocated federal recognition for the Little Shell Chippewa people. *''A Brief Historical Overview Of The Little Shell Tribe of Pembina Chippewa,'' by Deward E. Walker, Jr., July 1990— This historical digest may be obtained from the Little Shell Tribal Offices in Great Falls. *''The Free People—Otipemisiwak,'' by Diane Paulette Payment — This volume contains a detailed history of the Metifs, including cultural issues, early photographs, political action descriptions and other historical data, from a Canadian perspective. *Verne Dusenberry, "Waiting For A Day That Never Comes," ''Montana The Magazine of Western History.'' This article highlights the efforts of
Joseph Dussome Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
in organizing the tribe. *Nicholas Church Peterson Vrooman, compiler. "Buffalo Voices: Stories told by Metis and Little Shell Elders," ''Turtle Island 1492-1992,'' ''North Dakota Quarterly'' Vol 59 No. 4, Fall 1991 *Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, ''The Whole Country was....One Robe: The Little Shell Tribe's America'' *Nicholas C. P. Vrooman, ''Plains/Chippewa/Metis Music from Turtle Mountain,'' Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings *Joseph Kinsey Howard, ''Strange Empire,'' Minnesota Historical Society, reprint 1994, with introduction by Nicholas Vrooman. History of the Métis, Canadian Métis, Little Shell Tribe, Turtle Mountain and Pembina and related groups. *Michael Loukinen, ''Medicine Fiddle'' (1992), film produced by Northern Michigan University. It features Metis and Chippewa music, dancing and spirituality. Also has interviews with musicians from several tribes and bands in the Western Great Lakes Red River area. *Levi, Sister M. Carolissa, CHIPPEWA INDIANS of Yesterday and Today(1956). {{DEFAULTSORT:Little Shell Tribe Of Chippewa Indians Of Montana Federally recognized tribes in the United States Métis in the United States Native American tribes in Montana Ojibwe governments Ojibwe in Montana