Fort Totten, Spirit Lake Reservation

It is the capital of the Spirit Lake Reservation which was originally known as the Devil's Lake Reservation of North Dakota. The Chippewa's had a couple of settlements in the vicinity or actually on what is now the Spirit Lake Reservation, well before the whites invaded. Ogima Little Shell I, lived on Grahams Island (the Chippewa's were infatuated with islands and felt inclined to establish their settlements on them when they had the opportunity to) in the very early 1800s. In fact, ogima Little Shell I, and many other Chippewa's, were killed in a battle against the Dakotas who originally lived in the region, around 1810. It is an indication that the Chippewa's had yet to conquer all Dakotas of that region by that time period. That would change quickly after news of the massacre of ogima Little Shell I, and his subjects, reached other nearby Chippewa settlements. One possibly the Chippewa village located about 32 miles to the southeast of Grahams Island, known as Black Ducks village at the time of the massacre (1810) or after.

Today, the CDP or census designated place of Fort Totten, is one of 5 Native American settlements on the Spirit Lake Reservation. In the 2000 census the population of Fort Totten was 952. There is a total of 255 housing units in the cdp which covers an area of 7.9 sq. mi. Fort Tottens average household size is about 3.9 persons per housing unit. The cdp's zip code is 58335. It's elevation is 1,490 feet above sea level. Economically, the cdp of Fort Totten is doing poorly. Around 53% of the cdp's citizens live below the poverty line. Native Americans account for 99% of the cdp's population. Other then Fort Totten, there are four other tiny Anishinabe-Dakota settlements on this Reservation. They are Crow Hill, Mission Bay, Saint Michael, and Tokio. Below are several links to photographs of the Anishinabe-Dakota cdp of Fort Totten, Spirit Lake Reservation.

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph

Road Closeup Photograph